Best practices for security compliance management

Information security regulations and frameworks exist to guide organizations in implementing necessary measures to protect their data and assets from cyber threats. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023, 73% of cyber and business leaders agree that cyber and privacy regulations are effective in reducing their organization’s risks. That said, organizations must develop a robust security compliance management program to ensure their adherence to regulations and effectively mitigate cyber risks. 

In this article, we will delve into the meaning of security compliance, its objectives, and the best practices for security compliance management along with 6clicks’ Security Compliance solution. 

What is security compliance management?

To provide an accurate definition of security compliance management, first we need to break down the term and clarify what each word means.

Security refers to the process of safeguarding an organization’s networks and systems from unauthorized access and misuse that can result in the loss or damage of data and assets. Meanwhile, compliance is the process of adhering to industry-specific laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies and best practices.

Security compliance, then, involves meeting specific requirements from external laws and regulations, security standards and frameworks, and internal policies to maintain the security of data and assets. This means that security compliance management is about establishing risk management processes, security measures, and policies to prevent cyber and information security risks and ensure the fulfillment of regulatory requirements.

Objectives of security compliance management

A security compliance management program focuses on achieving multi-framework compliance with regulatory requirements and security frameworks, encompassing an organization’s data-related activities, risk management processes, and business operations. At the same time, it aims to:

• Build cyber resilience – Through effective risk management and the implementation of security measures or controls, organizations can proactively detect vulnerabilities, avoid potential threats, and safeguard their data, assets, systems, and operations. A security compliance program also reduces the likelihood and impact of security incidents, including cyberattacks ranging from Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks to data breaches.
• Demonstrate commitment to information security – Compliance with multiple regulations and security frameworks showcases your dedication to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, allowing your organization to gain the trust of stakeholders, customers, and regulators alike.
• Improve business continuity – By strengthening your cybersecurity and risk management practices, your organization can maintain critical systems and functions and remain operational amidst disruptions. This enables your organization to minimize costs associated with security incidents and prevent damage to your brand’s image and reputation.

All in all, security compliance provides a strategic advantage that enables your organization to achieve operational resilience, stand out from competitors, and foster sustainable growth.

What are the best practices for security compliance management?

Security compliance management involves integrating cybersecurity frameworks into an organization’s security and risk management practices and culture. These include frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST CSF.

ISO 27001 is an international standard that provides requirements for establishing and maintaining an Information Security Management System (ISMS), which comprises an organization’s policies, procedures, and controls for safeguarding data. On the other hand, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) offers guidelines for cybersecurity risk management through the application of its 6 core functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

Becoming ISO 27001 and NIST CSF compliant can help you build a robust security compliance program and facilitate your organization’s compliance with other laws and regulatory requirements such as those from the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

Here are some best practices for effective security compliance management:

Understand the organization’s compliance requirements

To be able to fulfill its compliance obligations, an organization must have a deep understanding of its organization, environment, and the laws and regulations that impact its business. This entails examining the context of the organization, including its nature of business, location, stakeholders, customers, and operations, to identify all relevant and applicable regulatory obligations. Organizations must also have a thorough grasp of information security requirements specific to different countries and industries, such as the Australian Information Security Manual (ISM) and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) in the US defense sector.

Define the scope of the security compliance program

Once you have determined your regulatory obligations, your organization can proceed to define the scope of your security compliance program, outlining your desired outcomes and the specific requirements it will address. It also includes putting in place policies and controls to eliminate or mitigate risks to your organization’s data, assets, systems, and operations. A security compliance management program must have both security controls like firewalls and data encryption, and compliance controls such as incident response plans and regular audits and assessments. Organizations must also assign roles and responsibilities to personnel who will oversee, implement, and report the effectiveness of the security compliance program.

Establish risk management procedures

A security compliance management program should also contain the steps of an organization's risk management process. Organizations must take a continuous approach to risk assessment and repeatedly identify risks and vulnerabilities and evaluate them based on their level of impact and likelihood. They must also be recorded and updated according to their stage in the risk management process. Organizations must then formulate risk treatment plans to determine whether a risk can be eliminated completely or simply contained. Finally, risks must be continuously monitored and reviewed to identify new risks and manage existing ones, therefore completing the cycle.

Build a strong security culture

Developing a strong security culture is the key to achieving a mature security posture. It involves embedding security practices at the heart of your organizational culture, making security a priority in daily operations, and instilling it in the everyday working habits of all employees. This includes creating, enforcing, and communicating policies and procedures across the organization, fostering active engagement from all departments in security compliance activities, and conducting regular security awareness training programs to equip your employees with knowledge and tools to successfully fight cyber threats.

Ensure monitoring and improvement

Lastly, frequently testing and monitoring security measures and risk management activities allows your organization to proactively address areas of non-compliance, carry out corrective actions, and continuously improve security compliance. The best way to examine and verify your compliance is to conduct regular internal audits to ensure that risk management procedures are effective and security controls are operating as intended. Organizations must also stay updated with changes in regulatory requirements and adjust their security compliance program accordingly.

6clicks’ Security Compliance Management solution

The 6clicks platform is built to help you develop a security compliance management program that can meet your organization’s specific needs.

From regulatory content like the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) to assessment templates for security frameworks like ISO 27001, 6clicks provides a comprehensive suite of tools and solutions tailored to support diverse requirements across industries and jurisdictions.

Secure multi-framework compliance, store and manage your policies and controls, and automate control testing, compliance mapping, and policy gap analysis through 6clicks’ Security Compliance solution.

Assess and organize your risks in the risk register, utilize custom workflows to automate risk assessment, and assign actions to team members and track the status of treatment plans, all within 6clicks’ IT Risk Management module.

Then, streamline internal audits with 6clicks’ Audit and Assessment and reporting templates. 6clicks’ AI engine, Hailey, can also generate assessment responses instantly by learning from and reusing previous data, significantly expediting the audit process.

Finally, fulfill other security compliance requirements using 6clicks’ Asset Management, Issues and Incident Management, and Vendor Risk Management features.