Which Compliance Cybersecurity Frameworks are the Most Common?

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Organizations must meet privacy requirements along with several regulations unique to their industry. Cybersecurity students should invest time learning about privacy and compliance requirements. Security management, compliance, and risk management positions are in demand across every industry. Students seeking to become leaders in the cybersecurity field should be well versed in frameworks and compliance mandates.

Privacy and Compliance Mandates

There are several privacy and compliance mandates, including:

• California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA)
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS)
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GBLA) 

Each of the compliance and privacy standards requires various levels of cybersecurity protection. Encryption, two-factor authentication, secure remote access, and monitoring of all security events are a few internal controls that help support these compliance programs.

Mapping Compliance to a Security Framework

Security framework and certification programs help organizations meet their privacy and compliance mandates. These frameworks ensure the proper security controls, cybersecurity standards, and policies were enabled with an industry-proven standardized approach. Organizations must continuously monitor their cybersecurity technical security controls and maintain operations. Organizations often hire third-party auditing firms to validate the internal SecOps, DevOps, and NetSecOps teams.  

Certification Frameworks Alignment With Security Risk Management

Anytime an organization enters a new line of business, security certifications on its critical infrastructure are an absolute requirement. If the company decides to enter into business directly with the federal government, the organization will need to obtain several compliance certifications, including the certifications listed below.

FedRAMP Certification

This is a comprehensive framework for protecting applications and data in the cloud environment for organizations doing business with federal agencies within the United States government. FedRAMP has a set of required security controls, security policies, and continuous monitoring for organizations to be compliant. Any organization planning to leverage the cloud to connect to the various Federal information systems must operate within FedRAMP-approved cloud infrastructure.

CMMC

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification model is a set of comprehensive security controls designed for organizations doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure proper data handling and operational security controls. The CMMC security requirements and certification are for any organization, including third-party supply chain partners conducting business with the DoD.

NIST-800-53

The NIST standard is a multi-level security framework for organizations aligning with multiple regulatory standards. Most federal government agencies are mandated to align with the NIST standards. 

Previously, several government agencies developed their security standards and policies. NIST unified the Federal Government with a series of proven industry frameworks, architectures, and procedures they could leverage to meet their regulatory mandates. Non-government organizations also leveraged the NIST framework. Complying with NIST-800-53 also helped the organization streamline its governance requirements for PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and CCPA.

HITRUST

HITRUST is for organizations who leverage cloud-based solutions for electronic medical records and healthcare-related applications. HITRUST has the most complicated compliance requirements and mandates the highest degree of management oversight. 

ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is a set of standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It was first published in 2001.

GLBA

The General Law for the Protection of Bank Accounts and Related Activities (GLBA), also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, is a U.S. federal law that regulates banks and other financial services companies. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 25, 1999.

Knowledge for Today and in the Future

Students entering cybersecurity will become exposed to these frameworks and compliance mandates. Taking the time to learn these frameworks and mandates will help with your career development. 

Until recently, the information protection and privacy concept were considered an additional cost for companies. With the rapid adoption of new technologies, there has been a proliferation of different regulations and standards.

Managing risks effectively helps companies mitigate them and creates new opportunities for them. It opens up new markets and clients.

Organizations need people with knowledge and experience to help implement these frameworks to meet their regulatory requirements. Organizations that fail to meet privacy and compliance frameworks are subject to fines, restrictions on new business opportunities, and lawsuits.