Security VS. Compliance: Differentiating and balancing both

The IT industry has changed drastically in the last decade. With so many high-level hacks and data breaches, IT professionals have had to adapt quickly and find new ways to protect their networks and devices from cyber threats. Compliance is also a big issue that IT departments need to be aware of when it comes to GDPR (in May 2018). It's important for IT professionals to balance both Compliance AND Security, or else they might lose customers' trust or put them at risk of even more costly damages in the future. But for having to do that, one needs to know what these two things exactly are and also be aware of the difference between the two.

 

## Security: What is it?

 

Security ensures confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA). Security is a state in which the system can operate without going through any outside issues being integrated with the system. IT Security is IT infrastructure protection against high-level hacks and data breaches. IT professionals have had to adapt quickly in order to prevent these issues from occurring as much as possible by using new tools that are being released every day. The cyber security professionals should strive to achieve as high a level of protection as possible, and the ultimate goal would be business continuity and zero data loss at all times.

 

## Compliance: What is it?

 

This aspect of IT deals with making sure that certain standards are met for hardware, software and processes used throughout an organization's internal structure (and sometimes even outside). Compliance includes meeting certain laws or regulations set forth by governments or organizations (such as GDPR), such as HIPAA compliance standards in the healthcare industry or SOX in financial services. It's often a requirement for businesses so they can conduct their daily operations without any legal consequences. However, IT departments need to be aware of the difference between Security and Compliance. While Compliance doesn't always mean good cyber security practices (and vice versa), not having either one might lead to serious damages.

 

## Security Aspects

Security is a multi-dimensional task and includes many aspects such as:

 

Networks:

This involves a company's IT infrastructure and its interconnection with other networks in order to guarantee data transmission/reception. IT departments are responsible for securing the IT network, making sure that no unauthorized access is given to it or any other information. The network should be protected by various techniques like firewalls, 2-factor authorization, etc.

 

Devices:

 

This includes everything from laptops, phones or printers that employees within the organization use. It also refers to servers, firewalls, routers and switches, among others, IT equipment used for carrying out business operations - both inside and outside of the office buildings.

 

Users:

 

This aspect is about people who have access permissions to certain IT equipment or information stored on them. It makes sure that only those who are authorized users can get into specific IT systems. Special attention needs to be given when it comes to remote workers since they might not always benefit from physical security measures such as keycards for entering an area.

 

## Security VS. Compliance

 

There are clear differences between Security and Compliance that one needs to understand to ensure a safe position in all regards.

Firstly, security means taking adequate technical and cyber control measures to protect yourself from data breaches, whereas Compliance means meeting IT regulatory compliance standards set by a governing body.

 

Aspects covered under security include the IT infrastructure, networks and devices as well as all of their users. At the same time, Compliance is concerned with rules that have been established for IT systems, such as policies regulating how data should be handled or what measures need to be taken when it comes to protection.

 

On one side, there's security which means doing everything you possibly can in order to protect your business against any kind of malicious activity, whereas Compliance, on the other hand, implies meeting certain requirements laid out by the law or governing bodies.

So to give an example and summarize the point, it means that even though healthcare facilities are compliant with HIPAA rules, this does not automatically mean that their IT infrastructure is secure against attacks. Conversely, one can always find examples of IT setups that fail at achieving full Compliance (e.g., where passwords were not encrypted) yet remain highly secure.

 

## The importance of Security vs. Compliance

 

If one asks the question of whether Security and Compliance are equally important, then the answer would be a yes. Security ensures that there are no operational losses, and Compliance ensures there are no legal repercussions. IT Security and IT Compliance are dependent on each other, and they cannot work independently.

 

##Achieving a balance between IT security and Compliance 

 

Achieving a balance between IT security and Compliance requires awareness of the operational challenges IT departments face. This, in turn, helps IT managers implement appropriate policies that are not only compliant with HIPAA but also ensure system-wide IT health. An organization can ensure this by creating two teams out of one, each focusing on either Compliance or Security and then coordinating their efforts for implementing an organization-wide solution. Or one can hire services of a managed IT service provider. They are a team of professionals that provide remote support for all your IT needs.

 

## Do you need help enhancing the security of your systems?

 

If you do wish to enhance the security of your systems, then visit our website to get more details regarding how we can help you improve the IT infrastructure security practices at your organization today! Our experts at ITsGuru have decades of experience working with companies who want to prevent data breaches while complying with all regulations set up by government agencies like HIPAA. Don't let fines or penalties impede your business growth any longer - contact us now to get started! We provide end-to-end IT support services include managing IT risk, IT Compliance and IT security.