Cloud Compliance and Reporting
More businesses are embracing cloud technology at a rapid pace because the transition allows them to host their software infrastructure more efficiently. Moving to a cloud environment also helps them scale in case of any business changes – a key component of agility and adapting to new challenges.
Why Cloud Compliance Matters
It goes without saying that organizations are required to protect the data and privacy of their customers – or face hefty fines and lawsuits that could put them out of business.
This is why many industry regulations and laws have sprung up to protect consumer privacy. Depending on the nature of your business and where you are located, you may be required to comply with various regulations such as SOX, PCI, GDPR, and produce compliance reports.
In a nutshell, compliance means that your systems, workflows, and processes are aligned with regulations in your industry.
What Does it Take to Achieve Cloud Compliance?
Cloud compliance requires you to roll out cybersecurity practices and protocols to protect data in the cloud. Different regulations have different rules about how organizations can collect, store, and use data in the cloud. In order to meet these requirements, you must work with your cloud provider to stay on the right side of laws and regulations.
Most cloud providers will offer compliance offerings, dashboards, and even security solutions to align with your compliance goals. It is highly recommended to use third-party companies to conduct a network security audit to identify weaknesses in your security footprint so you know where your policies need to be updated and remediated.
Assessing Cloud Compliance
Cloud compliance policies are not written in stone and must be reviewed and updated regularly based on changing regulations. It is critical to periodically audit cloud compliance to strengthen your security posture. You could do this yourself but self-audits are prone to bias since they are conducted by internal auditors. For a truly unbiased assessment, it is highly recommended to get an independent third-party audit to conduct periodic cloud compliance checks.
Generating Cloud Compliance Reports
Cloud compliance reports provide current and historical documentation to prove that yurt business is adhering to all the necessary regulatory requirements and standards. Think of these repots as your compliance footprint and can prove to be especially useful – for instance, when you are trying to minimize your liability. A compliance report provides a complete timeline of all events before and after a security breach to provide evidence should your compliance practices ever get questioned.
You should also ask your cloud providers for a cloud audit report. Most cloud providers have evidence to show that their cloud services have achieved compliance with different frameworks such as SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI, DSS, and ISO 9001.
Wrapping Up
For all the benefits that cloud tools provide, they create new vulnerabilities across your business units. Failing to adhere to cloud security practices may expose you to data breaches and security incidents. If you want to run a successful business, you should ensure that all aspects of your security can thwart the latest cyber security threats while remaining compliant with the laws and regulations required in your industry.
