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IT Compliance

Assessment and Planning for IT Compliance

There is a lot to consider when you’re in the assessment and planning stage of the IT compliance process. What do you need to know when assessing your IT compliance needs? What’s essential when planning to select an IT services company to help you become compliant? How do you start planning for your business to be NIST, PCI DSS, HIPAA, CMMC or GDPR compliant?

Warren Averett Technology Group can help your business assess your current IT compliance needs, develop an action plan and execute the plan to help you obtain and retain compliance. Our team consists of cloud and security, communications and database experts, covering all aspects of the multifaced world of IT. They have expertise with different industry regulations and can assist you on your journey. We also offer managed compliance solutions to fit your company’s needs and enable your business to stay on top of changing compliance requirements.

NIST Compliance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides standards to become security compliant for government agencies and private industries. Many private companies use the NIST framework as a foundation and add their own unique IT security requirements. The NIST framework helps ensure best practices for data storage, information systems and information security.

Warren Averett Technology Group can provide guidance for implementing the NIST framework and assessing your company’s environment, technology and security. Our team consists of security, software and technical experts who have extensive experience in a variety of IT areas. They know how to evaluate an environment, what to look for and can provide a pathway to help clients to improve their technical environment and follow NIST’s recommendations.

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Frequently Asked Questions About NIST Compliance

Is NIST a recommendation or regulation?
NIST standards make up a recommended framework that any business should follow to strengthen their technical footprint. While it is not a regulation, it is strongly recommended that a company follow the NIST recommendations.

NIST standards have been around a long time, so are they still valid in today’s environment?
Absolutely, NIST stays on top of the ever-changing environment of technical security and is the foundation of many other compliance regulations. There are other frameworks available, but for the majority of small- to mid-sized businesses, NIST is a great place to start.

PCI Compliance

Any business that accepts credit cards must meet Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance requirements. The extent of the requirement is not all on the credit card processing facility but the company taking the card as well. Failure to comply can mean increased processing fees, the credit card company refusing to work with the merchant until they are back in compliance with the security standard, as well as hefty fines should a breach take place.

Warren Averett Technology Group can help with assessing whether your business meets the standards for PCI compliance. We can determine the security of the connection for transmission of credit card payments and evaluate the effectiveness of required quarterly vulnerability scans. We can also help with completing the online Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).

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The majority of companies do not achieve full PCI DSS compliance, so doing so gives you a competitive advantage.
PCI Compliance fines can amount to thousands in monthly penalties.
Like all other compliance requirements, PCI is consistently reviewed and updated as our world of technology evolves. It is important to stay on top of these ever-changing requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions About PCI Compliance

Do I need to worry about PCI Compliance, or will my credit card processor handle this?
It’s necessary to read the fine print of your contract with the processor. Most processors take care of the compliance requirements for themselves once the data is received, not while the data is in transit or in your possession.

Am I correct in assuming that my business circuits for transmission are secure?
Most circuits are not secure by default, so it’s the responsibility of the individual companies to make sure they are following industry-standard security protocols and have security measures in place.

In the event of a credit card breach, will my business be responsible?
Both the sender and the receiver have responsibility. Should it be proven that either party lacked proper security measures and due diligence, your business could receive some major fines, on top of the damage to your business’s reputation.

HIPAA Compliance

Any organization that holds healthcare data, such as hospitals, physician practices and nursing homes, must be compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations or properly protect individuals’ healthcare data can mean hefty fines and serious implications for an organization’s security posture.

Warren Averett Technology Group can evaluate your HIPAA compliance. We can assist with making plans for setting up the proper security compliance regulations and safeguards to help keep clients’ healthcare data private. When assessing healthcare providers’ current IT security footprint, our experts will verify your standards against HIPAA compliance rules and use these results to discuss what technology is required to meet the compliance rules, develop a plan and assist you in implementing the proper infrastructure and compliance reporting.

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Frequently Asked Questions About HIPAA Compliance

If my business has never had an issue with HIPAA compliance before, can I assume we are covered by our current efforts?
Remember that breaches are happening more frequently, and all it takes is one weak spot in compliance to cause your business significant trouble. It’s always best to have a second opinion about where your business truly meets HIPAA compliance standards.

Isn’t it expensive to put the proper HIPAA compliance measures in place?
It’s too expensive for you not to. The reality is that there is a cost to being compliant, but there is an even larger cost for not complying with industry requirements.

If our IT environment is secure, can we assume that our business is HIPAA compliant?
There are two aspects of HIPAA compliance: the IT environment and the documented policies and procedures. Having one without the others does not make your business compliant.

CMMC Compliance

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the Department of Defense (DoD)’s security certification standard for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Government contracts will eventually contain a requirement regarding CMMC status to be able to bid on the contract.

There are three primary levels, and almost all small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will fall in Level 1 or Level 2 depending upon the nature of the services they are providing and the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) they handle. Level two is split into two categories: those that can self-assess and those that must undergo a formal third-party assessment to validate CMMC compliance. These robust requirements deal with IT infrastructure and the policies and procedures around that environment, so companies can easily miss compliance, which can result in fines and the loss of contracts.

Warren Averett Technology Group can assist you on your journey to becoming CMMC compliant. Our team of experts is dedicated to staying up to date and knowledgeable with the DoD’s updates and policies. We add structure and clarity to your compliance challenges, ensuring that your plans are in place.

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Frequently Asked Questions About CMMC Compliance

If CMMC requirements are still being finalized by the DoD, do I need to worry about them before they are complete?
There are items in CMMC compliance that you may already have in place, or you could get started on today. If you wait until all the regulations are finalized, you risk falling behind or missing some of the required information to become compliant, which could have a negative impact on your business.

If we’ve previously met the DFARs requirement, do we have to keep this current?
If you ever met the DFARs requirement, you are ahead of many contractors that did not, but it will not get you to CMMC compliance unless a current evaluation is completed and a plan for remediating deficiencies is implemented and followed.

We read a lot about CMMC compliance, and the information from different sources is confusing. Where can we find clear guidance?
Our recommendation is to follow the DoD’s guidance. Warren Averett Technology Group relies directly on information from the DoD, unlike much of the other information that is someone’s opinion or interpretation of CMMC compliance.

GDPR Compliance

Any business that collects, uses or stores data from EU residents needs to be in compliance with the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The regulations are not just for companies that have a physical presence in the EU. For businesses housing EU resident data, the rule applies. Failure to be GDPR compliant can carry hefty fines: up to €20 million or 4% of a company’s worldwide annual revenue.

It’s especially important that benefit providers or plan sponsors understand what data they have and how it is used by the organization so it can be identified, monitored and protected. Our GDPR compliance experts can help you sort out the details of this sweeping change to privacy laws, including what constitutes as personal data, deciding on whether you need a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and determining if you need point-of-sale and ERP compliance, among other considerations. We can create a comprehensive GDPR compliant program to ensure safeguards for your information management, policies and procedures, data transfers and storage, contracts, training and awareness, and information security requirements are properly incorporated and logged throughout project lifecycles.

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Frequently Asked Questions About GDPR Compliance

If our headquarters is in the US, do we need to worry about GDPR compliance?
Regardless of your headquarters, if you are doing any type of business in the areas covered under the EU, you have a responsibility to be GDPR compliant.

If our company has implemented a standard such as NIST, does this mean we don’t have to worry about GDPR compliance?
It’s risky to assume that another standard or framework will meet GDPR compliance. It’s quite possible that there could be something that still needs to be implemented before you can meet the GDPR compliance regulations.

Do you have IT compliance questions?

Find out more information by scheduling a meeting with our IT compliance experts today. We’ll help you find vulnerabilities and develop an IT compliance plan to seal the gaps.

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