Security VS Compliance: The Difference

For some IT professionals, the line between security and compliance becomes easily blurred and may seem like a moving target. How do we create comprehensive security programs while meeting compliance obligations? Is checking the compliance box really enough? And how does all this enable the business to function and move forward? These are questions that can shape the direction of an organization and ultimately cause it to succeed or fail.

Information Security (IS) is the practice of exercising due diligence and due care to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical business assets. An effective IS program takes a holistic view of an organization’s security needs, and implements the proper physical, technical, and administrative controls to meet those objectives. The concept of “IT Security” come down to employing certain measures to have the best possible protection for an organization’s assets.

While compliance is similar to security in that it drives a business to practice due diligence in the protection of its digital assets, the motive behind compliance is different: It is centered around the requirements of a third party, such as a government, security framework, or client’s contractual terms. In short, IT Compliance is the process of meeting a third party’s requirements for digital security with the aim of enabling business operations in a particular market or with a particular customer.

What Are the Differences? And Why are Both Necessary?

To restate from above, security is the practice of implementing effective technical controls to protect digital assets, and compliance is the application of that practice to meet a third party’s regulatory or contractual requirements. Here is a brief rundown of the key differences between these two concepts:

Security:

• Is practiced for its own sake, not to satisfy a third party’s needs
• Is driven by the need to protect against constant threats to an organization’s assets
• Is never truly finished and should be continuously maintained and improved

Compliance:

• Is practiced to satisfy external requirements and facilitate business operations
• Is driven by business needs rather than technical needs
• Is “done” when the third party is satisfied

At first glance, one can easily see that a strictly compliance-based approach to Information Security falls short of the mark. This attitude focuses on doing only the minimum required in order to satisfy requirements, and nothing more.

This fact reinforces the need for an effective Information Security program, which will enable a business to go beyond checking boxes and start employing truly robust practices to protect its most critical assets. This is where concepts like defense-in-depth, layered security systems, and user awareness training come in, along with regular tests by external parties to ensure that these controls are actually working. If a business were focused solely on meeting compliance standards that don’t require these critical functions, they would be leaving the door wide open to attackers who prey on low-hanging fruit.

The astute security professional will see, then, that security and compliance go hand in hand, and complement each other in areas where one may fall short. Compliance establishes a comprehensive baseline for an organization’s security posture, and diligent security practices build on that baseline to ensure that the business is covered from every angle. With an equal focus on both of these concepts, a business will be empowered to not only meet the standards for its market, but also demonstrate that it goes above and beyond in its commitment to digital security.

Finding a Balance

While security and compliance are different, both are vital for hosting, processing and managing regulated and sensitive data. It is critical to understand your business requirements for security and compliance.

You can balance your security and compliance requirement by making sure both are part of regular business operations. Risk management should be done regularly, not just once a year. Moreover, regular audits and reviews should be part of your internal processes.