Apart from business disruption and productivity loss, per reports, non-compliance costs range from $2.20M to $39.2M annually. Facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and pressure to adhere to the latest compliance framework is challenging for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) with limited resources. However, achieving compliance with a recognized security report or certification helps organizations demonstrate their adherence to industry-accepted security standards for storing and processing customer data and other business assets.

There is no one-size-fits-all security framework identifying and mitigating all security risks for every type of organization. Instead, security frameworks help establish the baseline of control activities applicable to all organizations irrespective of their size or industry. Therefore, collaborating with a trusted and expert security compliance management partner adds value and strengthens the overall security program.

Lifecycle of the Security Compliance Journey

Security compliance is essential for organizations in today’s digital transformation era. The lifecycle of the security compliance journey comprises identification, protection, detection, response, and recovery. In addition, identifying the compliance regulations and legislation is necessary as requirements vary by state, industry, and the type of data the organization stores or processes.

According to the latest report, compliance with security and privacy regulations drives up to 50% of enterprise cybersecurity spending. Therefore, to experience a positive return on investment, decision-makers should align security controls and processes with business goals. In addition, enjoying a successful compliance journey requires organizations to incorporate compliance into every facet of their operation, from the initial stages of security policy development to implementing and managing a cybersecurity program.

Today, most compliance frameworks require organizations to implement similar security controls, such as network monitoring, encryption, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, antivirus software, intrusion detection, firewall tools, etc. The difference typically lies in the implementation and management strategies associated with protecting sensitive data. Moreover, customers and businesses prefer organizations with robust compliance programs that adhere to data security and privacy regulations.

By collaborating with proven compliance professionals at GoldSky, small to midsize businesses (SMBs) can rest assured knowing that their security partner goes the distance, supporting clients and partners on the compliance journey. In addition, by engaging with audit firms like A-Lign, GoldSky clients can leverage the specialized expertise required to achieve compliance milestones, including uncovering critical security flaws, probing the effectiveness of security controls, and assessing risk tolerance levels.

With such an acute focus on in-depth security, every facet of an organization is engaged, thus generating critical metrics needed to advance them to the certification stage of the security compliance journey. In addition, cybersecurity advisory firm, GoldSky Security and cybersecurity compliance auditor, A-Lign, can help organizations achieve compliance milestones.

Why Partnering with Security and Privacy Compliance Experts Matter

Partnering with experienced security and privacy compliance service providers helps organizations increase their capacity to comply with the latest regulations and ever-changing compliance trends. Cybersecurity advisory firms and auditing firms like GoldSky Security and A-Lign, respectively, display a proven track record of working with clients of all sizes to achieve compliance certification.

Partnering with compliance and auditing experts evokes an independent evaluation of clients’ data security processes, tools, and governance structure to ensure they are aligned with industry and government standards.

Below are some key reasons why partnering with security and privacy compliance experts supports clients and partners on their cybersecurity compliance journey:

1. Leverage expertise and know-how: In-house cybersecurity teams require constant training and upskilling to keep up with the evolving threats and updated compliance programs. Organizations need time and financial resources to maintain a well-prepared team to handle all security details.

On the other hand, security and privacy compliance experts have experience working for different businesses in various industries and are always well-informed about the latest cybersecurity trends and compliance regulations. Therefore, partnering with these reliable compliance experts minimizes the risk of overlooking the critical aspects of the organization.

1. Discover and remediate vulnerabilities: Third-party security and privacy compliance experts bring a fresh perspective and quickly discover the flaws in organizations’ security infrastructure. Detecting vulnerabilities and security gaps on time help the organization remediate them and pass compliance assessments.
2. Unbiased approach: While internal teams possess critical knowledge of the organization’s control system, third-party security experts scrutinize the procedure thoroughly and expose any gaps that the internal teams overlook. Third-party security and privacy compliance experts are also free from internal pressure or favoritism, resulting in a more credible outcome.
3. Better management of security programs: Trusted cybersecurity partners help achieve compliance and strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity posture. Following detailed analysis, they suggest necessary changes in incident response plans and other security programs to increase the security resilience of the organization.
4. Cost-efficient: While achieving cybersecurity compliance is time and resource-consuming, partnering with a trusted and reliable security and privacy compliance expert simplifies the process. It balances cost and efficiency and helps organizations achieve hassle-free compliance.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity compliance regulations aim to improve the cybersecurity infrastructure of organizations. Business leaders need to understand high cyber threat levels and how complying with regulatory standards can protect them against cyberattacks. Collaborating with a reliable security compliance management partner helps organizations tackle the increasing cost and complexities of cybersecurity management.

In addition, outsourcing or adopting a hybrid model for security audits and compliance is cost-efficient and beneficial for organizations that do not have internal expertise in risk and cybersecurity management. Expert guidance weeds out vulnerabilities in the security program and prepares organizations to achieve cybersecurity compliance.