If your business is subject to regulatory compliance, then you already know about GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) management. You might also have heard of CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification). Even if your business doesn’t require compliance, no doubt your doctor has provided HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) documents for you to review. Even business that process credit cards require PCI (Payment Card Industry) certification.
GRC is all around us, it’s what helps keep trust in the processes and technology.
Why do I need GRC Management?
Most business have proven to be no match for the bad actors. They want the information and access that YOU have! Your data has value, and they will do whatever is necessary to get it. The statistics are clear, SMB’s are falling like flies, losing to the bad guys with accidental data leaks, ransomware, social engineering, common passwords, the list goes on and on.
- In fact, if your business interacts with a medical practice, medical insurance provider, or medical billing, then you, too, are subject to HIPAA compliance.
- If you provide products or services to the US government, then you are subject to the evolving CMMC standards.
- Publicly held business are subject to SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) Act of 2002 to protect investors.
- California and now Colorado have consumer privacy laws, similar to the GDRP in Europe.
However, many of our clients are privately held businesses, and as such, don’t always understand the full depth and breadth of their GRC needs.
We believe in Defense in Depth
Since before the World Trade Center towers fell, we’ve been teaching, preaching, and implementing the Defense in Depth strategy. Zero Trust is more recent iteration of this strategy – trust nothing.
- Technologies like backups, firewalls, content filters, Zero Trust, intrusion detection and prevention, MFA and more to separate your data from the bad guys.
- Security Awareness Training for all, to be more aware of what’s going on and how the bad guys are using social engineering to break in
- Compliance to prove to others that you have your bases covered.
But my business already has “security”?
You have to ‘beat the bad guys’ 100% of the time. All they need to do is to win once. To quote from the Marathon Man, “Is it safe?” Do you sleep well at night knowing your current security measures are sufficient? What was good enough yesterday will certainly be no match for the AI and creative attackers tomorrow. Making sure you’ve got the bases covered, your guard up, in this constantly evolving world.
GRC Management to the rescue
The ‘long arm of the law’ helped the medical industry to stem the flow of your medical records to the dark web. HIPAA compliance was implemented initially with recommendations, and only after a few years did a breach become a fine. Doctors found not only medical malpractice insurance necessary, but cyber insurance as well.
The same regulations are driving CMMC and the defense industry. By holding all players to a higher standard, CMMC will reduce the likelihood of a breach, and should one occur, limit the ‘blast radius’.
However, being compliant does not mean you’ll never suffer a breach. Being compliant simply ensures the common elements (that every business should implement) are there and functioning properly.
In fact, the Center for Internet Security has recommended standards for any business that conducts business online in any capacity. We stand by these standards as basic security controls for everyone.
Why engage with us?
We’ve been ‘doing IT security’ since before the Twin Towers fell. Our clients rest assured knowing that we have both the technology chops AND the security awareness to reduce the likelihood and blast radius of a breach.
Any Managed Service Provider who does not also offer the full compliance stack is likely missing some of those basic elements.
Are there others providers that offer GRC tools and processes? Sure, but we think you’ll appreciate our holistic approach to your technology. It’s people, processes, and technology that when mixed properly, make your IT more secure, resilient, efficient, and ultimately more profitable.