In today’s digital age, information security is a critical issue that enterprises can no longer ignore. With the increasing number of ransomware attacks, the challenges of managing cross-border data flows, and geopolitical factors, businesses face more challenges regarding data management and protection. These phenomena have also accelerated the creation of corresponding laws and regulations by governments and relevant organisations worldwide.
For instance, companies around the globe are establishing information security management systems and adopting appropriate technologies and measures. Many companies also need to obtain the ISO 27001 certification, which added more control measures just last year. Moreover, if businesses fail to meet regulatory requirements, they may face restrictions, penalties, or even exclusion from the supply chain in various industries. This makes compliance no longer an option but a necessity.
Since this is closely tied to a company’s reputation and relationships, we expect that information security compliance will become an increasingly important factor in corporate operations.
Regulations leave businesses in the dark due to lack of clear implementation
When helping our clients plan their compliance strategy, we’ve found that the initial compliance implementation assessment is a common struggle. While the goal of protecting data is clear, most regulations only offer basic directions and require companies to demonstrate compliance without providing specific recommendations.
Here are some common examples of how compliance clauses are usually stated:
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): This regulation mainly regulates U.S. listed companies, requiring the protection of financial data and reports and developing disaster recovery plans for sensitive information.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): A US regulation for the healthcare industry ensures patient medical data confidentiality, specifies how long patient data can be retained and requires backup and disaster recovery plans for data protection.
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): An EU regulation that requires companies to protect personal data, allows individuals to request data deletion, and requires backup plans to comply with individual rights.
When faced with numerous complex laws and regulations without clear guidance on implementing them, it can be difficult for company compliance units to know where to start.
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Start with ISO 27001 to meet many security standards at once
To address these challenges, we recommend starting with the implementation of the ISO 27001 system. ISO 27001 is an international standard that helps organisations establish Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Since its security requirements overlap significantly with other standards, such as HIPAA and GDPR, it is a good way to address several compliance regulations at once.
This means that by meeting ISO 27001, most of the other information security requirements of other regulations can be met at the same time. Only specific industry requirements need to be fine-tuned or customised to ensure your organisation’s compliance with relative standards.
Six audit checkpoints to meet data protection measures
Through our company, Synology aims to make data protection compliance easy for organisations of all sizes. To achieve this, we have outlined the following six audit checkpoints. If an organisation can answer “yes” to the following questions, it meets the basic data protection requirements for most regulations:
- Complete backups: Can data be efficiently and regularly backed up, ensuring restoration to specific versions?
- Backup verification: Are backup data truly secure, and are they proven to be recoverable?
- Data immutability: Do you have a copy of the data that cannot be tampered with or deleted at will?
- Restoration drills: Do you regularly simulate response strategies and procedures for unexpected events?
- Offsite secondary backups: Are backup data stored in different locations and media?
- Instant restorations: Can data be restored and services restarted within an acceptable time frame?
If it is not currently possible to achieve all these points, do not worry. By using a modern solution, these audit checkpoints can automatically be met. This backup suite helps IT personnel easily create a complete data protection strategy by deploying multi-version and multi-destination data backups. Not only does this help you meet the six major audit checkpoints, but there are no license fees, making it a cost-effective option to achieve compliance with information security regulations.
Also Read: The business edge: Why prioritising employee cybersecurity is a smart investment
Deploy active backup suite today to comply with data protection standards
Compliance with data protection laws is crucial for business operations, and failure to comply can have direct negative consequences. Take HIPAA for example: If healthcare institutions or related organisations fail to comply with HIPAA requirements, such as failing to protect patient medical information or failing to take the appropriate security measures, fines for each violation can reach up to US$1.5 million. Not only that, but it can also severely damage a company’s reputation.
According to a recent survey by Synology, over 80 per cent of companies are aware of data protection compliance laws but lack a comprehensive and adaptable data security solution because it helps IT personnel turn ideas into actionable plans to ensure the security and recoverability of company data while fulfilling data protection compliance requirements.
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