Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

November 2022

How to Become HIPAA Compliant in 2022 (Includes Checklist)

HIPAA compliance is regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). In 2013, the final Omnibus rule was enacted, binding business associates - or third-party vendors - to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This modification added another level of compliance complexity to an industry not accustomed to operating in the cybersecurity domain - the healthcare industry.

Mobile device management 101: Why it matters and how to deploy

To build a strong security and compliance foundation, organizations need to be able to view, manage, and secure devices, such as laptops and desktops. If you’re new to security and compliance, you may be wondering how to tackle this problem—especially at scale. ‍ With effective mobile device management (MDM) software, your company can manage and secure employee devices used to access company systems and applications. ‍

Tips for Developing Your Ransomware Strategy

Ransomware attacks continue to make headlines and cause havoc on organizations on an international scale. Unfortunately, we should expect that ransomware attacks will persist as one of the primary threats to organizations. Ransomware attacks have grown 350% in recent years, and while the best strategy is to prevent attacks from happening in the first place, there is no guarantee your data won’t be compromised.

The Current State of Cybersecurity Compliance

The trends shaping the industry, and the challenges impacting implementation Meeting compliance requirements is essential to building a successful and trustworthy security program. However, it’s an area of cybersecurity too often overlooked, as it’s hardly the most glamorous field in the industry.

How Your Business Can Achieve Cybersecurity Compliance?

Over 22 billion records were exposed worldwide across 4145 publicly disclosed data breaches in 2021. These data breaches would be less likely if businesses strictly adhered to cybersecurity compliance. Noncompliance can have other significant consequences, including legal penalties, damage to reputation, and loss of third-party trust. Cybersecurity compliance is the one area that no business should neglect it. They have vital information to protect from hackers.

Regulatory Compliance in the Telecom Industry

The increasing use of cell phones has automatically led to unimaginable height of sharing of personal information online. Most routine actions, from providing information over the phone to opening a bank account to placing food orders, may now be accomplished from the convenience of your own home. While the telecom sector has enabled remote procedures, it has also hastened the spread of identity fraud and financial schemes.

Meeting PCI DSS Compliance with Styra DAS + Kubernetes

DevOps and platform teams are more strained than ever, and as a result, need better tools than ever. These teams are required to develop, provide access to, and secure a number of resources — while remaining good stewards to application developers. Beyond that, they are often tasked with overseeing their organization’s shift to the cloud. And as that shift takes place, DevOps teams will need to shift their compliance standards to the cloud.

Are you CCRI ready?

Nobody likes getting audited or inspected. Well, almost nobody; there’s always one person who consistently blows the curve. They gleefully anticipate inspections because they know they’re going to get a glowing review. We all have names for that person, most of which shouldn’t be included in a business blog. But what if, (bear with me) we could be that person?

How to Improve your Cyber Security Compliance

Authorities have warned businesses to strengthen their internal controls in response to the increasing cases of physical security breaches. While large companies have invested a lot of money to secure their IT networks, cybercrime gangs have turned their attention to low-tech methods. According to estimates, cybercriminals generate around £1.2 trillion yearly from cyber acts, which will likely increase over the coming years.

Information security compliance: why it's more important than ever

Being in a more connected environment benefits all of us, from those using social media to stay in touch with far-away relatives, to businesses enjoying the rewards of remote working. But, while connectivity is great and offers many positives, it also creates vulnerabilities. Companies that handle sensitive data may find themselves the target and victim of cyber- attacks as malicious actors look to harvest that information for their gains.

The Baseline Requirements of the RBI Cyber Security Framework

Financial institutions are amongst the most highly targeted organizations for cyber security attacks. To address this, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has outlined a list of controls, known as the RBI Guidelines for Cyber Security Framework, for banks to achieve a minimum recommended baseline of cyber attack resilience. Each area carries several detailed specifications from the list of controls outlined by the Reserve Bank of India.

Important changes to ISO 27001 in 2022

In October 2022, ISO 27001 introduced new changes. The internationally recognised standard on how to manage your information security was first launched in 2005 and underwent its last update in 2013. Since then, new technologies have emerged to dominate the business landscape, such as cloud computing, which has brought new security challenges. It’s estimated that global cybercrime is expected to grow by 15% per year, totaling a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025.

How to use data loss prevention (DLP) for LGPD Compliance

The Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD) came into effect on August 16, 2020. The law creates new rights for individuals with respect to their data and imposes significant obligations on companies that process personal data. This guide will provide an overview of the key provisions of the LGPD and explain the steps that companies must take to comply with the law.

Integrity Monitoring Use Cases: Policy Monitoring for Compliance

In response to increasing societal concerns about the way businesses store, process, and protect the sensitive data they collect from their customers, governments and standardization organizations have enacted a patchwork of regulations and laws. Some of these are generic regulations (CCPA, GDPR), while others are industry specific (SOX, NERC, HIPAA, PCI DSS).

How long does a SOC 2 audit take?

The length of an average SOC 2 audit depends on a lot of variables, but with Vanta, customers can get a SOC 2 Type I report in weeks, and a SOC 2 Type II report within months. ‍ Audit timelines are difficult to project because each organization has different capabilities, resources, and goals. But after helping thousands of businesses tackle SOC 2 audits, we’ve developed a reliable timeline of what most customers can expect. ‍

The Advantages of Continuous Cybersecurity Monitoring

The advancement of digital technology benefits many individuals and businesses, making communication, collaboration, and processes faster and more accessible. However, the biggest risk of using digital technology has something to do with cybersecurity. Cyber-attacks, such as identity theft, ransomware, and malware, can be disruptive. For this reason, many individuals and companies install safety features in computer devices and software systems.

Vanta announces enhanced Access Reviews solution

Vanta is thrilled to announce an enhanced Access Reviews solution. Thousands of customers already use Vanta’s existing access reporting to help demonstrate compliance during audits, reduce risk, and build a strong compliance and security posture. But now it’s leveled-up in a big way. ‍ The enhanced Access Reviews solution is currently in beta and available for purchase.

Log Management for CMMC

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) seeks to help secure the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) supply chain by requiring contractors and subcontractors to standardize their security controls. With CMMC 2.0, the Office of the Under Secretary of the Defense Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) designated National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 as the foundation of the framework.

Understanding HIPAA Compliance Requirements for Business Associates

HIPAA Compliance can be confusing for an organization, especially for Business Associates who are equally liable to comply with the HIPAA Rules. Knowing what to comply with and understanding the rules of HIPAA may even seem overwhelming. But here is an opportunity to learn in detail and understand the HIPAA Compliance Requirements for Business Associates.

What is a SOC 2 readiness assessment?

A SOC 2 readiness assessment is a final look at your organization’s documents, policies, processes, and vulnerabilities before your formal audit takes place. This is a crucial phase of SOC 2 compliance because your auditor will be using these materials in depth to assess your control environment. ‍ A SOC 2 readiness assessment provides answers to questions such as: ‍ ‍ Before we dive deeper into readiness assessments, here’s a quick primer on SOC 2 audits.

Log Management for Shared Responsibility Model Compliance

Adoption of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications means navigating the Shared Responsibility Model. Under the Shared Responsibility Model, the cloud services provider takes care of the infrastructure’s security, but you need to secure what happens within that environment. According to the State of Cloud Native Security Report, 50% of companies surveyed reported that maintaining comprehensive security remained a challenge.

Important Trends in Cybersecurity

The cybersecurity industry is an ever-evolving landscape wherein businesses struggle to keep up with the dynamic security and cyber-threat landscape. Due to unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving IoT landscape, and the newly evolved techniques of sophisticated cybercrimes, businesses are grappling to deal with the growing cyber threats.

Compliance Guide: Australia & its New Telco Regulation (2022)

Of the many lessons that can be learned from how the Optus data breach was handled, one stands out - Australia’s privacy laws are not equipped to support Aussie data breach victims. To change this, the Australian Government is amending its Telecommunications Regulations 2021 Act. APRA-regulated financial entities can now be involved in efforts to mitigate financial fraud following a data breach.

Brace yourself - ISO27001 changes are coming

If you’re not aware already, then be prepared for change, because a new version of ISO27001 was published in October 2022! It’s all very exciting! The last change to the standard was in 2017. The changes made back then were fundamentally cosmetic, with a few minor tweaks to wording. The changes barely caused a ripple and, even today, organisations are still certified to ISO27001:2013, meaning that no fundamental changes to the standard have taken place for around ten years.

A picture speaks a thousand words

Deep within data lies stories that can help businesses of all shapes and sizes see hidden detail – and act on it. Take a US healthcare provider, for example, who came to us with a pressing issue: the greatest cause of its patient dissatisfaction was due to waiting times. When were the longest peaks? Where was the epicenter of the backlog? And once this was known, what targeted processes could be introduced to speed things up?