Recently, there’s been an alarming increase in cybersecurity threats. As organizations switch to digital and online solutions, they become more vulnerable to data theft and breaches.
Security compliance management is critical to avoid falling prey to these impending dangers. You need to build an iron-clad data and process security framework that will protect the integrity of your data and thwart any malicious threats. This article will go over security compliance standards as well as some of best practices for any industry.
Table of Contents
- What Is Security Compliance Management?
- Why Is Security Compliance Management Important?
- Best Practices to Improve Your Security Compliance
What Is Security Compliance Management?
Security compliance management refers to the processes put in place to assess and mitigate data risks and threats. It also provides insights that will help you improve your workflow and systems infrastructure.
As the name suggests, it also ensures that your organization’s policies and procedures comply with industry standards and regulations, federal and international laws, and other rules.
Why Is Security Compliance Management Important?
An effective security compliance management helps you to:
Avoid hefty fines and lawsuits
Committing violations against any of the regulatory guidelines and laws can cost your company a lot of money. Not only that, it could subject you to lengthy legal battles. The stakes are even higher if you manage highly sensitive information such as protected health information (PHI), banking details, and the like.
You can avoid these unfavorable circumstances when your organization has a solid security compliance management system.
Build stronger relationships with stakeholders
Data breaches can negatively impact your company’s reputation to an astronomical degree. Building trust and loyalty can be challenging if your customers and partners find you unreliable. This will eventually lead to low profitability.
Putting security at the forefront of your service makes your stakeholders feel more at ease with trusting you with their data. Don’t be afraid to invest a considerable amount of time, money, and effort toward your security compliance.
Mitigate security risks and cyber threats
Breaches and cyber attacks can happen anytime. You need to make sure that you are not caught completely unprepared. While you can never eliminate security risks, there are plenty of ways to prevent them from happening. It is also crucial that you know what to do once a cyber attack happens.
Security compliance evaluates your data infrastructure and system, allowing you to see which areas need improvement.
Best Practices to Improve Your Security Compliance
Every organization has different requirements in terms of security, which means each compliance management system is unique. To help you build yours, here are some of the best practices to keep in mind:
Make it a team effort
Creating policies and procedures that promote security compliance is a collaborative process. You must coordinate with your legal and compliance team, IT department, and human resources. Once you put them in place, you need to ensure that everyone in your organization is properly on-boarded. If you are using new tools, you also need to conduct proper training.
You also need to keep your communication lines open. If any of your employees have suggestions to help improve your processes, listen and take note. Since they are in the frontline, they can offer valuable insights on the effectiveness of your security measures.
Do not stop evolving
Building an evergreen security compliance system is almost impossible, as cyber attackers never fall behind technological advancements. Over time, they will find ways to breach your protocols and access your data. In that light, you need to regularly conduct risk assessments to identify if your system has any weak areas these hackers might penetrate.
On a different note, rules and regulations, especially those industry-specific ones like HIPAA, change all the time. You got to make sure that your policies are still in line with their guidelines. Always spare some time to review them periodically and update your system if necessary.
Equip yourself with tools
It cannot be denied that security compliance management is quite a complex process. There are many layers to unpack, from access control, document management, perimeter defense, crisis response, incident reporting, and so on. Things can quickly get overwhelming without the right tools in your arsenal.
The beauty of living in today’s highly digital world is that there is a plethora of software solutions you can use to improve your processes and automate some of your tasks. Of course, not all tools are perfect for your organization. Be sure to look at their features, most especially the security measures they use to protect your data.
Maintain Your Company’s Security Compliance With Fill
Fill is an excellent example of a tool that’s undoubtedly worth the investment. It is an electronic signature application that streamlines your document workflow. It allows you to sign documents electronically and request signatures online with just a few clicks.
256-bit encryption
Our cloud-based document-signing solution uses military-grade encryption, which makes your data virtually impossible for hackers to access. Moreover, we also comply with federal and international regulations, including HIPAA, GLBA, and GDPR.
Identity verification
You can use our signer ID verification to ensure that the person accessing and signing the files are truly who they say they are. It’s a state-of-the-art feature that is incredibly easy to use and does not require any fancy equipment. It prevents fraudulent activitiy like identify theft and forgery. It also helps reduce the risk of having your data fall into the wrong hands.
Fill is a great tool if you wish to adopt a more digital environment in your workflow. You can use our built-in document scanner to convert any physical documents to electronic ones. You can also save them to our cloud storage for easier access and faster file retrieval. It is also possible to sync your other cloud accounts to Fill within seconds.
You can also use Fill to collect data. You may create an online form from scratch or upload a PDF for a quicker process.
If you are looking for a tool that can help you maintain your security compliance, sign up with Fill.
