For example, a software developer may build and sell a product in compliance with specifications defined by specific regulatory standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s worth emphasizing that IT compliance sometimes overlaps with security<\/a>, even though its motive is different. IT compliance largely centers around conforming to the requirements of third parties, including government policies, industry regulations, security frameworks, and client contractual terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n IT security<\/strong><\/a>, on the other hand, focuses on following best practices to secure IT systems at an enterprise level to prevent attackers from compromising corporate resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n IT compliance is crucial because it provides the following benefits: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below are some prominent standards and regulations that companies may need to be compliant with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a U.S. regulation that sets out standards for confidential data protection. Organizations that deal with protected health information (PIH) need to put in place sufficient physical, network, and process security measures and adhere to them to be HIPAA compliant. For example, tracking logs is a vital component of HIPAA compliance since it allows auditors to detect cybersecurity breaches quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a voluntary compliance standard for service companies that specifies how businesses should manage their customer data based on security, processing integrity, privacy, confidentiality, and availability. Access controls \u2014 which provide physical and logical restrictions to corporate assets to prevent access by unauthorized users \u2014 are essential components of SOC 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The primary objective of the SOX compliance audit is to verify the organization\u2019s financial statements. However, SOX is also used to define rules that specify how companies should store and process IT records. Like SOC 2, SOX also establishes access controls with measures such as role-based access controls (RBAC), permission audits, and the principle of least privilege (POLP). <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a specification for an information security management system (ISMS) that uses a top-down and risk-based approach<\/a> to IT security. For an organization to be ISOC 27001-compliant, its IT infrastructure must incorporate multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other identity and access management (IAM) as security controls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a set of regulations that MasterCard, Visa, and American Express formulated to provide a framework for securing credit and debit card transactions. For a company to be PCI DSS compliant, it must create and maintain access logs that auditors can use to detect data breaches, among dozens of other protocols. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a product of the European Union (EU)\u2019s data protection reform that aims to secure the personal data of all its citizens. Appropriate access controls such as mandatory access control (MAC), discretionary access control (DAC), RBACs, and POLP are vital to ensuring that an organization complies with GDPR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you sitting down? Depending on your unique industry, location, and business objectives you may need to meet multiple compliance standards and regulations. Yikes! The good news is that many statues overlap when it comes to IT compliance controls <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most common controls include full-disk encryption (FDE)<\/a>, multi-factor authentication (MFA), antivirus software, MDM patch management, password security, and data backups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n The IT Manager\u2019s Guide to Data Compliance Hygiene <\/p>\n \n How to ace your audit <\/p>\n <\/div>\n IT compliance is essential when building IT infrastructure, but it\u2019s also one of the most challenging parts. Below are some reasons that make IT compliance a difficult endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compliance isn\u2019t a destination; it\u2019s a process. It\u2019s a moving target, especially in IT, where technology evolves rapidly. New laws and regulations such as California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) can present challenges that must be addressed quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While many organizations have already transitioned from traditional office structures, not all of them have considered the associated challenges of meeting compliance requirements. The most significant challenge is providing network oversight and control when the employee is no longer in the traditional office. To add to the challenge of managing remote and hybrid workforces, many modern IT environments also contain Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems (OSs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizations that allow their workforce to use their preferred endpoints under the BYOD framework must also consider how employee actions increase attack surfaces, including data theft, malware, and stolen devices. Without a BYOD policy<\/a>, some employees may also leverage consumer-grade technologies not sanctioned by the IT department, potentially increasing attack vectors<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Casting IT Into the Shadows <\/p>\n \n What you can\u2019t see CAN hurt you when it comes to shadow IT. Learn six key shadow IT risks and how to address them proactively. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n If an organization uses products from several vendors, it\u2019s likely to have multiple compliance obligations. In some instances, the organization\u2019s policies can conflict with compliance regulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizations that lack automated tools for reporting compliance measures usually resort to manual systems. Manual systems are prone to human errors and often require significant effort from employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to start getting compliant? JumpCloud\u2019s IT Compliance Quickstart Guide<\/a> was designed to get IT professionals the resources they need to prepare for an audit or shore up their IT security baseline. Visit the IT Compliance Quickstart Guide now, or continue reading in What Are IT General Controls (ITGC)?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn what IT compliance is, why it\u2019s challenging to implement, and how to streamline your compliance process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":66711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"collection":[2775],"platform":[],"funnel_stage":[3016],"coauthors":[2640],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Is IT Compliance Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Compliance Requirements by Standard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Service Organization Control (SOC) 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
International organization for standardization (ISO) 27001<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/div>\n Why Achieving IT Compliance Is Challenging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Changing laws and regulations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Remote and hybrid workplaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shadow IT and bring-your-own-device (BYOD)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/div>\n Vendor sprawl<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Manual reporting <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IT Compliance: As Painless As Enforce, Prove, Repeat.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n