One of the greatest challenges of modern business is meeting compliance standards. In the dynamic realm of modern business, regulations, and compliance have been focusing ever more on the digital elements of business operations. No matter how great your team is at meeting your usual industry regulation requirements such as workplace safety, manufacturing efficiency, and process documentation, the need for a good IT team has become unavoidable.
This is because regulations are focusing heavily not just on the data you collect and store, but how you collect and store it. Is your business meeting compliance standards? Are you struggling to achieve the minimum security and privacy protocols with your current team? Don't worry. Managed IT Services like Alura Business Solutions can provide the technical expertise you need to achieve and maintain business compliance.
Navigating the Compliance Landscape
Compliance grows more complex with every passing year. If your company processes digital payments (as most do), you will need to comply with the PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standard). If you handle healthcare data, you will need to comply with HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act), regarding data privacy. If you operate in California, you must comply with CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act).
Each of these directly relates to how you handle personal data, how well you protect the data in your control, and the need to keep consumers informed regarding where and how their data is being used.
In order to remain in compliance, you will need to navigate this complex and growing landscape of data regulations. Regulations also evolve over time as new tracking technologies and cyber threats come to light.
The Role of IT in Compliance Assurance
Business owners and team leaders today are often faced with compliance requirements that are outside of their specialty. This is where IT plays an important role. IT specializes in data security and management. It is through your IT team that you will be able to achieve compliance regarding the safety of the data you handle and transparency in how that data is used.
IT compliance begins with building a robust and constantly maintained defense system followed by careful authorization and access control. Through the latest technologies, IT can streamline and strengthen any business' compliance efforts.
Common Compliance Challenges for Small to Medium Businesses
Among the biggest compliance challenges for smaller businesses is the need to achieve a high and rising level of cybersecurity. This means carefully identifying the data that must be secured, building a robust defense and access infrastructure, and maintaining that protection throughout the company's operations.
Businesses must expend effort to identify and address hurdles in meeting regulatory standards. Each industry has unique challenges based on the regulations they must adhere to in the course of their usual routine.
Balancing Compliance Requirements with Operational Efficiency
One of the greatest challenges, however, is balancing compliance with efficiency. The need to carefully handle data and control who has access to it must not get in the way of daily activities. Each person needs access to the information they need while also keeping private information secure from hackers and unauthorized accounts.
IT Solutions for Business Compliance
The good news is that IT admins can use advanced information technology to help businesses more easily achieve compliance while also maintaining a seamless workflow. The three most important IT solutions are data encryption, access control, and network monitoring.
Data Encryption
Data encryption allows you to protect your data in a way that can only be read by authorized users. Those with the right software and login will view encrypted data through a decrypter - it will appear readable and useful. However, if a hacker tries to copy your encrypted server archives or even encrypted data in active use, they will receive only encoded gibberish that cannot be used to harm anyone or be sold for profit.
Access Control
Access control is achieved through Identity and Access Management (IAM), in which every person receives an individual account, and each account is given exactly the access they need to do their job. This creates an airlock system so that no one can access information they don't need that might create trouble, and even hacked accounts have limited ability to do harm outside of the documents used to perform a single role.
Network Monitoring
Network monitoring involves live observation of your network activities. Using AI-powered pattern matching, unusual activity can be immediately flagged so that infiltration attempts or lurking malware are immediately removed.
Building a Robust Compliance Framework with IT
Small to medium businesses can gain a great deal by building a strong cybersecurity compliance framework with the help of a Managed IT Services team. IT compliance relies on a system that automatically protects data so that your daily operations go uninterrupted while achieving compliance by default.
Your IT team can integrate strategies for aligning your existing IT structure with your business compliance goals. This allows your business to create and pursue sustainable, future-ready compliance solutions.
Employee Training and Awareness Programs
The final piece of the puzzle is compliance training for your employees. You want compliance-compatible routines to become second nature. The best method is to pair engaging cybersecurity and compliance training with a company culture of responsibility and accountability. When everyone joins forces to detect social hacking attempts, keep careful records, and keep customer data safe, you can maintain compliance with ease and camaraderie.
Achieving Business Compliance with Managed IT Services
IT compliance is one of the biggest challenges in the current business regulation landscape. Small to medium businesses typically have greater difficulty achieving the rising degree of high-tech protections necessary to maintain business compliance. Fortunately, your business is not alone.
With the help of a Managed Service Provider like Alura Business Solutions, you can rely on IT professionals to build and maintain the IT security structure you need for across-the-board business compliance. Contact Alura Business Solutions for any of your IT Compliance or managed service needs.
