Managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) brings together real-time analytics and remediation talents of certified security engineers. ArmorPoint, a managed SIEM solution, delivers security monitoring and risk management services which protects business-critical assets, manages IT-compliance, and frees up the valuable time of your IT team.

The Difference Between Compliance And Security

It’s important to couple your compliance needs with your security needs. While related, the two concepts are different. Even if you meet compliance regulations, you may still not be protected fully from breaches.

In compliance, there are clear objectives you must meet in order to satisfy the legal minimum requirements of security. This by no means protects you data or network, but instead satisfies legal requirements imposed upon your company’s by organizations like HIPAA. IT Security goes far beyond the minimum requirements to comply and actually protects your data and network from potential threats. It takes constant vigilance to monitor and maintain but goes far beyond the capabilities of compliance.

Compliance Management Can Be Complex

Many companies have to deal with complex compliance rules and regulations. You need the right software and the right company to protect you and your organization from potential threats and fines.

SIEM unravels these complex issues by streamlining your compliance and helping your IT team automate reports with ease. IT compliance software and security road maps provide the foundation to protect company and customer data from breaches and potential threats. Breach probability analysis, vulnerability testing, penetration testing, phishing testing, and social engineering testing can fulfill your basic regulatory needs easily while freeing up within your IT team for important projects.

Compliance Costs

Failing to comply can range from costly to catastrophic. It can lead to penalties, fines, loss of reputation, and even a loss of customers.

If you do business with the European Union, GDPR (General Data Protection Rules) are now in place. These rules give EU citizens more control over their personal data. Affected companies – whether located in the EU or elsewhere – have to ensure personal data is gathered legally under strict conditions. Compliance means affirmative action to safeguard data and compliance documentation on security procedures.  Fines for failing to comply can reach 2% of overall income. 

California’s new digital privacy rules govern data collection and security practices. It goes into effect in 2020. Subsequent data breaches can result in fines of $750 for each violation. Given the millions of records many companies store, the resulting fine could be substantial.

Steps To Streamline Compliance Management

Security controls, documentation, and reporting are all key to compliance management. With so many disparate systems, regulations, and reporting methods needing to be maintained and consolidated regularly, here is a five-step process to get you started on your compliance journey.

Step 1: Find an automated single hub for document control, data gathering, and compliance reporting.

With the breadth of data gathered today, an automated control system is critical. It’s too big a job to trust to paper trails your overworked IT staff, and far too expensive to maintain in the long term.

Step 2: Establish consistent workflow and business rules.

Intelligent business rules and workflow will determine how documents and data need to be routed and reported. Different records may need different approvals. Data sets may need access rules to maintain data security. Providing details of workflow and process may be necessary for documentation.  You may also need to demonstrate security levels, protocols, and procedures.

Step 3: Train employees on compliance policies and regularly review performance.

In any application, you must account for the human factor: no matter how good your systems are, compliance depends on how people implement and follow business rules. Bad data in, equals bad data out. It is important to remember to document your policies and train your people to comply to regulations. Don’t let regulatory standards take a back seat to on-going projects. Regular training sessions and performance reviews should be a part of your routine.

Step 4: Add strong reporting tools with roll-up and drill-down capabilities.

Reporting is critical to maintaining evidence of compliance. With the constant influx of data being gathered, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks while your companies IT team is pre-occupied with other important tasks. In addition to roll-up reporting, a real-time dashboard can catch potential problems before they impact your report. A compliance management system, tied to privacy and security systems, will allow you to look at data at an aggregate level with an at-a-glance dashboard. This will also allow you to print off and see different compliance reports to ensure you are compliant with them.

Step 5: Set up monitoring alerts for key events.

When deploying your compliance management solutions, it is imperative to implement alerts that trigger when key events occur. This allows you to instantly see potential problems and potential security breaches in real-time as opposed to waiting to be alerted after it has already occurred.  

Compliance Software Eliminates The Need For Manual Reporting

Compliance software eliminates the need for manual reporting and spreadsheets when it comes to reporting. It improves the quality of controls and data security procedures. It provides for a controlled and consistent process with audit records. Intelligent compliance software reporting helps you analyze and remediate risks. Alerts help you deal with issues quickly.

How ArmorPoint Can Help

ArmorPoint SIEM is a all-in-one solution for your cyber security and compliance reporting needs. The Software-as-a-Service model comes in a no contract, monthly subscription, and streamlines reporting into something as simple as three clicks.

For more information about our products and services, subscribe to our blog today!

About ArmorPoint

ArmorPoint is a security information and event management solution that provides a cost-effective and reliable way to continually protect your business from emerging threats. Through its customizable service pricing model, ArmorPoint’s cost-effective packages and dynamic levels of expert management support the security strategies of all companies, regardless of available budget, talent, or time. And since ArmorPoint offers 24/7 security support with a team of dedicated specialists, they can provide you with the manpower you need to expertly manage all of your cybersecurity initiatives. See how ArmorPoint can make a difference in your security posture with a risk-free 30 day free trial