Becoming data compliant and remaining that way is an ongoing concern for organizations and an ongoing headache for IT.  IT Compliance initiatives were originally driven by national legislation like HIPAA and SOX and rooted in security concerns around hardware and software. The rules are changing however. Now, enterprises must manage, govern and ensure compliance for the overwhelming amount of data they produce, especially in the face of global legislation like GDPR. Global legislation, coupled with national legislation is quickly becoming a headache for most organizations.

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• BYOD: Bring your own device. Security vulnerabilities are created when users bring their own devices such as laptops, cellphones, tablets, etc. into the workplace. It is almost impossible to prohibit the use of these devices, so instead you need to get ahead of managing them. Organizations can mitigate this issue through a strong bring-your-own-device policy backed up by technical controls. Mobile device management protocols are key to oversight in this area because they provide the ability to remotely remove access to selected accounts or wipe a device. You also have the ability to enforce lock device passwords.
• Software updates and patches. Keeping up with software updates and patching existing software when vulnerabilities are detected is another major issue facing companies. Last year, the number of third-party vulnerabilities discovered in commercial and open source software more than doubled. IT departments need to ensure that their software is patched in order not to expose their organization to unnecessary risks.
• GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation. This regulation is Europe’s sweeping privacy regulation that went into effect May 25, 2018. This focuses on how an organization uses data and respects individual privacy. Companies that collect or process data about Europeans, offer goods or services in Europe, or even receive, store or process EU personal data for corporate customers are required to comply. Compliance will require enterprise-wide data mapping and a data inventory, generally only using personal data as permitted by individuals after consent/opt-in, managing vendors, regularly auditing or assessing privacy compliance programs and respecting an individual’s ‘right to be forgotten.
• EDI/Vendor Management. Electronic Data Interchanges. The majority of of all reported data breaches originated directly or indirectly from third-party vendors. Managing not only vendor information security but also vendor compliance with privacy laws is a major undertaking and significant compliance challenge that most organizations struggle with.
• IoT: Internet of Things. To date, IoT security standards have lagged, creating a potentially huge number of new vulnerabilities in organizations’ networks, mainly due to the explosive growth in the number of endpoints and interconnected devices. This threat is scary because IoT endpoint vulnerabilities could ultimately lead to more than financial harm or reputation damage, but actual physical harm to individuals.

IT Compliance is only going to continue to expand and get more demanding for organizations. As the amount of outside threats increase, the more global and network regulations you are going to see introduced. If you have not yet begun preparing your business for achieving and meeting IT Compliance regulations, you need to get on the ball. 2W Tech has IT Consultants on staff that specialize in Cybersecurity and IT Compliance and would be happy to assist you on your Compliance Journey. Give us a call today to get started.
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