In today’s digital age, cybersecurity compliance is a priority for organizations across all industries. While it is traditionally viewed as a technical domain, achieving cybersecurity compliance goes beyond that. It involves the interpretation of regulatory frameworks that can enable engineering teams to develop compliant products and soft skills such as effective communication that bridge the gap between technical teams and leadership. This blog post focuses on the nature of cybersecurity compliance and the key skills required to make a career in it.
What is Cybersecurity Compliance?
Cybersecurity compliance involves adhering to laws, regulations and standards designed to protect sensitive information and ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of the data. This can include industry-specific regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for healthcare, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard 4.0 (PCI-DSS) for financial institutions, ISO 27001 for information security management systems, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the protection of the personal data in the EU. Compliance not only helps in avoiding legal penalties but also builds trust with customers and stakeholders.
While technical skills are not required, technical acumen in cybersecurity compliance is needed. Technical acumen essentially means understanding the fundamentals of technology—how systems operate and applying a risk-based mindset to identify potential vulnerabilities. For example, you do need to know how to write code, but you can evaluate if the coding standards established by the organization have been followed or if access to the code repository has been restricted and follows segregation of duties. Technical acumen emphasizes understanding the purpose, and ensuring adequate safeguards are in place to mitigate technical risks.
Why is Cybersecurity Compliance Important?
According to an IBM report, the average cost per data breach stands at more than US$4.5 million, while Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) confirms 5,199 breaches. The financial implications are staggering, with data breaches costing industries a total of $23 billion. Recognizing the critical nature of cybersecurity, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) introduced a cyber disclosure rule requiring publicly traded companies to report cyber incidents using Form 8-K. The form, traditionally used to report significant events to shareholders, now extends its purpose to include cybersecurity events, making these disclosures publicly accessible through the SEC’s EDGAR search engine.
By introducing such stringent requirements, the message is clear that cyber risk is business risk and the damage can be minimized by implementing rigorous compliance measures and building proactive risk management that strengthens the cybersecurity posture.
Non-Technical Components of Cybersecurity Compliance
While technical acumen is essential, non-technical components play a significant role in cybersecurity compliance. Below are some of the related skill sets:
- Understanding Technology Risks and Evaluating Security Controls:
- Understanding the organization’s IT systems, infrastructure and data flows by interacting with the Subject Matter Experts (SME)
- Documenting the understanding from it, identifying technology risks and developing appropriate controls that can mitigate it
- Evaluating existing security controls for compliance against the standards, frameworks and regulatory requirements.
- Interpreting Regulatory Requirements:
- Understanding and interpreting the technical aspects of complex regulations and standards.
- Mapping regulatory requirements to the existing landscape and developing actionable compliance strategies.
- Implementing Risk Management Strategies:
- Using industry-standard frameworks such NIST Cybersecurity Framework, determine the gaps to be addressed in the organization's cybersecurity culture and posture.
- Engaging with IT and Security Teams:
- Building effective communication channels between technical teams and business stakeholders.
- Bridging the gap between technical knowledge and business understanding to ensure a cohesive approach to cybersecurity compliance
A Balanced Approach is Essential
A balanced approach to integrating both technical and non-technical components is essential for cybersecurity compliance. It is imperative to have strong technical acumen that includes a deep understanding of how technology operates, and the associated risk landscape, to be able to link technology implementation to regulatory requirements. It is equally important to focus on non-technical skills such as risk management, regulatory understanding and effective communication.
In conclusion, cybersecurity compliance goes beyond being technical. It’s about understanding the broader regulatory landscape, managing risks effectively and fostering collaboration between technical teams and business stakeholders. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so must our approaches to ensure that we are prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Author’s note: The opinions expressed are the author’s own views and do not necessarily represent those of the organization or of the certification bodies she is affiliated with.