Are You Compliant with Applicable Cyber Security Laws and Regulations?

Organizations of all sizes and in every sector must comply with a growing number of cyber security laws and regulations. Although the U.S. doesn’t have an overarching security and privacy law like the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the federal government has an alphabet soup of mandates covering various types of data. State government agencies and even many private sector organizations must comply with these rules.

In addition, there is an array of industry-specific regulations and IT industry security standards and frameworks. Following is a brief overview of some of the major regulatory requirements.

Federal Cyber Security Laws and Regulations

Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA)

CISA encourages the exchange of information about cybersecurity incidents, vulnerabilities and threats so that all organizations can better understand threats and improve threat response. CISA also provides legal protections for organizations that share cybersecurity information.

Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA)

FISMA establishes a comprehensive framework for securing government information systems. It requires agencies to develop, implement and continuously update security programs, and promotes the creation of security plans, risk assessments and continuous monitoring strategies.

Staying compliant with cybersecurity laws and regulations is critical to protecting sensitive data and avoiding costly penalties.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) 

Thought by many to be one of the most important computer security laws​, this requires the operators of websites and online services directed at children under 13 to obtain parental consent before collecting, disclosing or using personal information. In order to achieve cyber security compliance​ with COPPA, organizations must allow parents to review and delete their child’s information

Industry-Specific Cyber Security Laws and Regulations

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

This law requires financial institutions to protect nonpublic personal information to ensure the security and privacy of consumer financial information. Financial institutions must also develop privacy policies, disclose how they share information and allow consumers to opt out of having their information shared with third parties.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

The HIPAA Security Rule requires healthcare providers, insurers and associated entities to safeguard patient data, including data the covered entity creates, maintains, receives or transmits electronically. It sets standards for technical, physical and administrative controls, including access controls, audit controls and encryption.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 

This is perhaps the most well-known and widely used framework regarding cyber security compliance​. It mandates strong security for businesses that store, transmit or process credit card information. The framework encompasses 12 key requirements, covering areas such as network security, data encryption, access control and regular security testing.

Security Standards and Frameworks

Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT)

Developed by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the COBIT framework is designed to bridge the gap between business and IT goals. It provides a set of best practices for IT governance and management, emphasizing the need for alignment between IT and business objectives. COBIT also defines processes and controls related to IT governance, risk management and compliance.

International Organization for Standardization 27001 Standard

ISO 27001 is an international framework that details best-practice requirements for establishing and maintaining an information security management system. It covers a comprehensive set of controls, emphasizing a risk-based approach and encouraging organizations to identify and assess potential threats.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST)

The NIST framework was developed in 2014 to outline best-practice security for federal agencies and private-sector organizations vital to national and economic security. It is the most widely used security framework in the U.S., with 67% of organizations reporting that they use it.

GDS Helps Organizations Achieve and Maintain Compliance in Cyber Security​

Many organizations are required to comply with multiple laws and regulations — in a 2023 survey by Omdia, almost 70% said they had to demonstrate compliance in cyber security​ with six or more security and privacy rules. While complying with multiple frameworks enables more robust and resilient security, so many cyber security compliance​ rules also present technical challenges.

GDS offers an array of managed security solutions and services to help address these challenges. We conduct thorough assessments to identify gaps in cyber security compliance​ and help you take advantage of our fully managed security solutions. Our team will monitor your environment around the clock and respond rapidly to address threats. You’ll be prepared when it comes time for a compliance audit.

We encourage you to take a network protection assessment in order to identify security gaps and develop a comprehensive security strategy. Doing so will enable your organization to:

• Understand your current security posture
• Detect new & emerging threats
• Ensure regulatory compliance
• Discover vulnerabilities & prioritize security efforts

When used in the initial stage of the cyber security process, a vulnerability assessment provides your team with a baseline understanding of its current security posture. These assessments should also be performed regularly to detect new threats and help ensure regulatory compliance. 

We provide an experienced team, professional-grade tools, and an impartial, external perspective. Many regulations require that these vulnerability scans be performed by third-party professionals to demonstrate compliance.

The GDS Network Protection Assessment consists of two key components. An internal scan is used to evaluate network health and uncover weaknesses in technical controls protecting your IT assets from trusted sources. An external scan looks at the network from an outside attacker’s perspective to ensure IT assets are protected from untrusted sources.

The GDS team delivers a set of reports that provide the information organizations need to prioritize their security efforts and begin remediating vulnerabilities. These reports classify vulnerabilities by risk and impact and recommend solutions. Ready to begin?

Benefits of Managed IT Services from Global Data Systems

• Strategic Managed IT: We help you solve your technology related business problems.
• Connectivity: We get you reliable, secure connectivity anywhere in the western hemisphere in 48 hours.
• Support: When you need help simply call our 24x7x365 support number.
• Billing: Instead of managing hundreds of vendors - get one, easy to read bill from GDS.

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