Security Compliances and Standards- A Guide To The World of Cyber Security
Introduction
In an increasingly interconnected and digital world, the protection of sensitive information and the security of data have become major concerns for organizations across various industries. To address these challenges, organizations need to implement security measures that meet the requirements of applicable compliances and standards.These compliances are designed to specific sectors and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical data and systems. By carefully considering their specific needs and risks, organizations can choose the right compliances to implement and protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Understanding Cyber Security
Initially, ISO 27001 was jointly published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 2005. It was revised in 2013 and 2021. ISO has worked effectively towards improving the information security management systems of various organizations ever since.
ISO 27001 has had a significant impact on organizations in a variety of ways. It has aided in raising awareness about information security among enterprises and encouraging them to adopt cloud cybersecurity guide for information security threats. In addition, the ISO 27001 framework has aided businesses in identifying information security threats and implementing appropriate secure controls and solutions. The standard’s emphasis is on maintaining information’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Not all organizations adhere to the same protocols. Every organization has its own set of needs and requirements for how it operates. As a result, ISO 27001 mandates that every business implement an Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISMS allows firms to easily customize information security risk initiatives based on their industry regulations, specialized needs, and risk profile. It aims to develop a planned and methodical approach to controlling information security risk factors.
Introduction to Security and Compliance
Security includes protecting your assets and data from going into the hands of unauthorized persons. It includes various tools to protect your data and assets from security threats.
Compliance means, the act of following laws, regulations, and industry standards that govern the protection of information. Cyber security compliance is important because it helps to protect organizations from cyberattacks and data breaches.
Security and Compliance are aligned as they are both of the most important security risk tools. The organization’s team works according to the compliance measures to make the information security management system (ISMS) more secure.
According to the data, only 5% of files are secured in organizations worldwide, meaning 95% are exposed to many threats. Hence, the security of the ISMS has become necessary for every organization.
Various types of security-related compliances and standards
Now that we know about cybersecurity and compliance, lets dive into some security related compliances
FISMA
Federal Information Security Management Act is a law that provides guidelines and standards for the security of government operations and information. Under FISMA, the agencies are required to adapt to information security programs, which should be able to protect the organization’s sensitive data.
The goals of FISMA are :
- Increase in Security of Federal Information
- Flexibility in Implementation
- Allows businesses in the private sector to have the best security programs
ISO 27000
ISO 27000 is a series of risk management standards. It is also known as the family of ISMS standards. It provides a framework and guidelines to organizations for risk management, information security, and privacy protection.
ISO 27000 applies to all organizations, irrespective of their sizes.
The goals of ISO 27000 are:
- Implementation, Management, and Maintenance of ISMS
- Risk Management
- Protection of Information Assets
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation is a data privacy law introduced by European Union. It aims to protect individual data and give them more control over their data privacy.
. The goals of GDPR are:
- Data Privacy
- More control over private data
- Simplify regulation for international businesses
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides organizations with guidelines and policies to enhance their information security system. It helps organizations to improve their information security framework and work more effectively toward their ISMS.
The goals of the NIST cybersecurity framework are:
- Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover the cyber threats
- Provide flexible and cost-effective approach for cyber security
- Providing systematic guidelines for risk management
SOX
The US Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to protect shareholders and investors from fraudulent financial practices in organizations. The law ensures that investors suffer less loss from corporate theft and fraud.
The goals of SOX are:
- Enhanced Financial Disclosure
- Protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosure
- Oversee and regulate auditing
DFARS
Defence Federation Acquisition Regulation Supplement is a set of standards introduced to protect the Controlled Unclassified Information and Cyber Incident Reporting. The law was introduced due to the increased theft of confidential defense information.
It includes the requirement for safeguarding sensitive information, security control, recordkeeping, and access restrictions.
The goals of DFARS are:
- Protect the confidentiality of CUI
- Enhance the security controls of the Department of Defence
- Reduce the cyber theft risks
CCPA
California Consumer Privacy Act 2008 ensures that consumers have major control over the information business entities collect. It requires the businesses to provide a notice to the consumers at the time of the collection of their personal information.
CCPA has issued several rights to protect consumer information, including:
- Right to request to delete their personal information.
- Right to know what personal information is collected and how it will be used.
- Right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.
- Right to not be discriminated against their CCPA rights.
SOC
Security Operations Centre, often known as Information Security Operation Centre (ISOC), is an outsourced team of IT officials that monitors the real-time cyber security movements of businesses and organizations, investigates them, and detect them immediately to take appropriate actions.
The goals of SOC are:
- Enhance security systems
- Detect and prevent cyber crimes
- Provide security analysis
- Provide 24/7 monitoring
ISO/IEC 27702
ISO 27702 provides the guidelines for the organization’s information security standards. It provides guidelines on how to carry out the information security practices for business. ISO 27702 is a comprehensive standard that businesses of all sizes can use.
Some of the benefits of ISO 27702 are:
- Help organizations assess and mitigate security risks
- Improve the security posture of the organization and reduce information breach
- Protect the reputation of the organization and reduce losses
How Compliances and Standards can be helpful?
Well now that you know about these compliances, what’s left is to know that how are they benificial to the organizations
Some of the major benifits of these compliances are:
- Improves Risk Management System: Compliance helps organizations improve their security systems and reduce information security risks by providing proper guidelines and protocols.
- Helps avoid financial penalties: Businesses and organizations can face huge penalties and fines for violating consumer information protection laws. Hence, they can avoid these penalties and fines by abiding by the laws and regulations.
- Protects Business reputation: According to the data, an eBay hack in 2014 resulted in the theft of personal information about 145 million customers, leading to the company’s huge downfall. The incident took place due to poor information security management. Hence, adapting the proper Compliance for information can help build and protect a business’s reputation.
- Enhanced Security: With the help of the best controls and practices provided by the compliance and standards, organizations can improve their security system and enhance data protection systems.
- Global Reach: Some security standards, such as ISO 27001, are recognized and respected worldwide. Achieving compliance with these standards can facilitate international business operations and partnerships.
Conclusion
You must have understood how minor mistakes in your organization’s ISMS can lead to huge losses and the downfall of the company’s reputation. There are many different types of security related compliances and standards. The specific compliances and standards that an organization needs to follow will depend on its industry, size, and the risks it faces. By understanding and implementing these standards, organizations can improve their security posture and reduce the risk of being attacked. Compliances and standards are essential for the organizations that want to protect their sensitive information and reduce the risk of being attacked.
