There is a common misconception when dealing with the private cloud, and in other places as well, that compliance and security are the same things. The truth is that these are two very different things and they play vastly different roles in both your cloud and your internal environment.
What cybersecurity does is protect your information from threats by controlling how the data is consumed, provided, and used. Compliance, on the other hand, is a reporting function of how your security meets specific standards laid out by regulatory organizations like HIPAA, PCI, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Meeting Compliance
Many individuals also believe that by meeting all compliance regulations, all security needs have been covered. This is not true. Often this can lead to inadequate security protection. Yes, compliance gives you some amount of protection, but it is nearly always not enough. An actual full security system should keep you safe in as many ways as possible.
Meeting compliance is essential, of course, but to be secure against more sophisticated threats, there is a need for more elevated security. This will include an approach that is overarching in which everything meshes together into a multilayered and cohesive security web. Only meeting compliance is quite simply not enough to do that.
Security Blueprint
Another mistake is using the requirements of compliance as a blueprint for designing a full security system. Of course, some standards are more restrictive than others and may set you on the right path, but that isn’t always the cases. Instead, it’s essential to build the blueprint for security apart from compliance, as that can often lead you in the wrong direction.
A cybersecurity program is best built from the ground up and should be based on the specific needs of an organization or company. Putting compliance first is the wrong way to view things. Instead, you should build a robust security system and add compliance in, as needed, after the system is set up and covers all your other needs.
How to Use Security for Compliance
You should have an excellent understanding of the differences between security and compliance at this point. You also are aware of why it’s essential to have a cloud server provider that covers both of these things for your organization. We’re going to provide some tips for this part of the process, as it can be complicated making sure you get all the information you need.
- Ask plenty of questions: There are hundreds of cloud server providers out there, and they are not all the same. Some providers have many services and assurances for security and compliance, while others may have very few. You have to ask questions to determine if what you need is available or you’ll end up paying money for a solution that won’t work for your business and its needs.
- See the documentation: You want to look for a provider who has been independently validated by an auditor. These providers should have no problem showing you documentation that demonstrates how they help with security and compliance. Check that what you need is possible, and if it isn’t, move on to the next option.
- Many security options: You don’t want to rely on a single security method because it only takes one compromise to have your entire environment at risk. With multiple security options, there is less chance that a problem will crop up.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, remember that security and compliance are entirely different things. Choosing a provider who can help you with a complete security strategy will ensure you keep your data and information safe, now and in the future.