Maintaining compliance with regulatory standards is crucial to managing security risks that may compromise sensitive data and disrupt critical business operations. The top compliance monitoring solutions for 2022 will help keep your security controls online and prevent cybersecurity risks from developing into threats. Read on to learn how.
What are the Top Compliance Monitoring Solutions for 2022?
For your compliance processes to remain up-to-date with current industry or regulatory standards, there are three types of compliance monitoring solutions you can rely on:
- Tools that streamline reporting on compliance with regulatory frameworks
- Solutions that manage risk to the sensitive data you collect, store, or process
- Tools that test the resilience of your cyber defenses based on industry standards
Implementing the top compliance monitoring solutions will help maximize the effectiveness of controls, especially when partnering with a managed security services provider (MSSP).
Tools that Streamline Compliance Reporting
Organizations that process card payment transactions must comply with the Payment Card Industry’s Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), which protect sensitive cardholder data (CHD).
To remain compliant with the PCI DSS, these organizations must evaluate their security controls via quarterly scans and report on their compliance efforts. PCI scans are typically conducted by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV), the testing and reporting requirements may vary based on your PCI Level. PCI scans are robust compliance monitoring solutions that will help:
- Identify gaps in externally-facing security controls, such as:
- Ineffective firewall security due to weak or outdated encryption protocols
- Poor network security, resulting in unsecured data transmission
- Broken access controls in web applications, allowing intrusion of malicious external traffic
- Detect vulnerabilities within your internal infrastructure, such as:
- Access control gaps that provide unauthorized access to former employees
- Unpatched network security controls
When conducted in partnership with an experienced PCI compliance advisor and ASV, PCI scans will help streamline compliance and safeguard sensitive CHD from data breaches.
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Compliance Monitoring Tools For Risk Management
For organizations whose operations cut across multiple industries with varying regulatory and security requirements, compliance with the HITRUST CSF helps streamline cybersecurity risk management. Overseen by the HITRUST Alliance, the HITRUST CSF framework comprises over 2,000 controls to comprehensively address security risks across industries.
The HITRUST Alliance offers several compliance monitoring solutions to help meet the HITRUST CSF requirements, most notably the MyCSF compliance monitoring software.
With the HITRUST MyCSF compliance platform software, organizations can:
- Customize compliance assessments based on:
- Industry-specific requirements (e.g., healthcare, government contracting)
- Region-specific requirements (i.e.., state, national, or international regulations)
- Track and review the assessments submitted for review to the HITRUST Alliance
- Compile evidence for compliance assessments
- Schedule HITRUST CSF assessments in advance
- Share assessments with partners via a results distribution system (RDS) to enable:
- Fast and efficient management of security assurance
- Robust risk management via automated processes
HITRUST CSF’s MyCSF platform will help you manage security risks faster and more effectively. And working with a HITRUST CSF partner will help you leverage the MyCSF’s capabilities to meet your specific compliance and broader security needs most efficiently.
Compliance Monitoring Tools For Security Testing
Most general security testing tools can be leveraged as compliance monitoring solutions.
For example, threat and vulnerability management helps identify security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals to breach your cybersecurity infrastructure. On the other hand, security monitoring tools such as managed detection and response (MDR) leverage threat intelligence and data analytics to proactively identify and prevent threats. Either can be trained specifically on risks defined by, or common to, specific regulatory frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS).
One of the most common security testing tools for monitoring compliance with wide-reaching industry standards is penetration testing—which is actually required by certain regulations.
Penetration Testing and Compliance Monitoring
Also referred to as “ethical hacking,” penetration testing is one of the most effective compliance monitoring tools due to its advanced testing methodology that mimics a cybercriminal’s attempts to breach your IT infrastructure. Pen testing your networks and systems will provide extensive visibility into your security posture, guiding gap remediation efforts and overall optimization.
Types of penetration tests include:
- Internal pen testing – Conducted with some knowledge of the systems being tested, internal pen tests attempt to identify gaps and vulnerabilities within and between them, mimicking the behavior of an internal threat such as a disgruntled or former employee.
- External pen testing – Starting out with no prior knowledge of your systems, external pen testers will attempt to breach systems to identify gaps in first-line defenses, such as poor firewalls, network vulnerabilities, and lacking access or user authentication controls.
Of the myriad compliance monitoring solutions available for security testing, pen testing will help identify gaps in the security controls critical to meeting regulatory compliance requirements, especially when optimized with the expertise of a penetration testing partner.
Get Started with Compliance Monitoring
Monitoring your compliance with security frameworks that pertain to your industry will help keep your data safe and reduce the risks of cyber attacks. Partnering with an MSSP will help you implement the top compliance monitoring solutions of 2022, providing you with optimized ROI and greater security assurance. To learn more, contact RSI Security today!