Compliance Frameworks Explained: SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS
Jamie R.
Why Compliance Matters
Regulatory compliance is not just a checkbox exercise - it provides a structured framework for protecting sensitive data. Non-compliance carries financial penalties, legal liability, and reputational damage. More importantly, the controls required by these frameworks represent proven security practices that genuinely reduce risk. Meeting compliance requirements should be a byproduct of a strong security program, not the goal itself.
SOC 2: Trust Service Criteria
SOC 2 audits evaluate an organization's controls across five trust service criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Most organizations start with security (the "common criteria") and add additional criteria based on their business needs. SOC 2 requires documented policies, access controls, monitoring, incident response, and risk assessment. True Protection helps meet SOC 2 requirements for endpoint security, monitoring, and logging.
HIPAA: Protecting Health Information
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires safeguards for Protected Health Information (PHI). The Security Rule mandates administrative, physical, and technical safeguards including access controls, audit logging, encryption, and integrity controls. Organizations handling PHI must conduct regular risk assessments, maintain a security management process, and train workforce members on security awareness.
PCI-DSS: Securing Payment Card Data
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard applies to any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. PCI-DSS has twelve requirement categories covering network security, access control, vulnerability management, monitoring, and security policies. Requirements include using firewalls, encrypting cardholder data, maintaining antivirus software, and regularly testing security systems. True Protection provides endpoint protection and monitoring capabilities that map directly to multiple PCI-DSS requirements.