Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) frameworks boost your organization’s cybersecurity, as it sets the standards and processes to protect sensitive information from cyber threats. GRC’s role is further amplified in a remote work environment because employees are likely to use different devices and networks. Moreover, the laws and regulations differ across countries, adding complexity to cybersecurity and compliance.
Does it feel like something you can relate to or worry about?
Read on, as we discuss cybersecurity compliance for remote work environments and how you can adapt to the emerging regulations across major countries.
Before we head into the strategies and regulations, let’s briefly talk about cybersecurity compliance and what it entails.
Cybersecurity Compliance in Remote Work
In simple words, cybersecurity compliance is the practices and processes that enable an organization to adhere to the required laws, regulations, and standards. With the rise of remote work, the traditional boundaries of an office environment have expanded to include home offices, co-working spaces, and public locations like cafes. This expansion introduces new challenges in maintaining cybersecurity and compliance.
In such a remote work environment, the following are the key components of cybersecurity compliance.
Data Protection
This component protects sensitive data, both in transit and at rest, from unauthorized access. It involves using strategies like encryption, access control, and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) that ensure only authorized individuals can access and read your data. Encryption makes data unreadable to anyone who does not have the decryption key, thus protecting it from interception and breaches while access controls assign access permissions based on a user’s role within the organization. MFA, on the other hand, is the process of using more than one channel to authenticate a user.
Incident Response
A comprehensive incident response plan can quickly address and mitigate the effects of security breaches. This plan should include steps for identifying the breach, containing the damage, eradicating the threat, recovering affected systems, and communicating with stakeholders. In your incident response plan, set out clear responsibilities for each role, team, or employee to avoid confusion and oversights. Also, set measurable targets for evaluation and improvement. Make sure this plan is accessible to everyone involved in the mitigation process.
Regular Audits
Regular security audits and assessments are necessary to ensure that you follow the established compliance measures. These audits can identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement, helping to prevent future incidents. You can do internal and external audits, depending on the applicable laws and regulations.
Consent
Many laws require you to collect explicit consent from customers before you start using their data for analysis or any other commercial activity. Besides obtaining consent, you must have provisions to delete their information when they request it. Also, ensure they always have access to the consent and their personal data.
Most cybersecurity compliance revolves around the above components, but implementing them in a remote work environment can be challenging due to the following reasons:
- Use of personal devices.
- Connecting through unsecured networks at cafes and other public places.
- Increased possibility of phishing attacks due to over-reliance on digital communication channels.
- Lack of physical security and security cameras that can protect devices.
Nevertheless, it’s your responsibility to ensure cybersecurity compliance, regardless of where your employees work from.
Next, let’s look at some key legislation that requires compliance.
Key Cybersecurity Regulations
Depending on where you are headquartered and operate, you must follow one or more of the below laws and regulations.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – European Union
The GDPR applies if you process the personal data of EU residents, regardless of where you are located. This regulation mandates stringent data protection measures to give individuals comprehensive rights over their data. Note that you can face significant fines for non-compliance.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) – USA
The CCPA provides California residents with rights regarding their personal data, including the right to know what data is collected, the right to delete personal data, and the right to opt out of the sale of their data. If you’re handling the data of California’s residents, have processes for disclosing data collection practices and provide mechanisms for consumers to exercise their rights. Non-compliance can result in fines and legal action.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – USA
A federal law for protecting sensitive patient health information. It applies to healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearing houses, and their business associates. The law requires the implementation of physical, network, and process security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information (ePHI).
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Canada
PIPEDA governs how you collect, use, and disclose personal information while conducting commercial activities across Canada. As per this law, you must obtain consent for data collection, ensure data is protected, and provide individuals with access to their personal information. Organizations must also report data breaches that pose a significant risk of harm to individuals
Cybersecurity Law – China
China’s Cybersecurity Law mandates data localization. If you have operations in China, you must store select data within China. It also imposes strict requirements for data protection, cybersecurity reviews, and monitoring. Furthermore, you must report cybersecurity incidents and face significant penalties for non-compliance.
Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) Scheme – Australia
The NDB scheme requires organizations covered by the Australian Privacy Act to notify individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) about data breaches likely to result in serious harm. As a part of the notification, you must include recommendations on how affected individuals can protect themselves.
Network and Information Systems Regulations (NIS) – European Union
NIS aims to improve the cybersecurity of essential services and digital service providers within the EU. If you are covered under this law, you must implement appropriate security measures and report significant incidents to national authorities.
Data Protection Act 2018 – United Kingdom
The Data Protection Act 2018 is the UK’s GDPR, tailored to fit the domestic context. It outlines requirements for data protection, including the rights of individuals and your obligations as an organization, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) – USA
FISMA requires federal agencies to develop, document, and implement an information security and protection program. The act aims to enhance the security of federal information systems and includes measures for risk management and regular assessments.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
PCI DSS applies to companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information. This regulation requires you to maintain a secure environment to prevent data breaches.
New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Regulation – USA
This regulation requires financial services companies operating in New York to establish and maintain a cybersecurity program. It includes provisions for data protection, incident response plans, risk assessments, and annual certification of compliance.
Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) – European Union
DORA aims to strengthen the IT security of financial entities in the EU. If you’re a bank, insurance company, or any other financial company, ensure your systems can withstand and recover from various operational disruptions, including cyberattacks.
Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) – USA
CIRCIA mandates critical infrastructure entities to report significant cyber incidents to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within a specified timeframe. This act aims to enhance the nation’s ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.
Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) – European Union
The CRA sets common cybersecurity standards for digital products and services across the EU. It requires manufacturers to ensure that products with digital elements are designed and developed to meet high cybersecurity standards and address vulnerabilities throughout the product lifecycle.
Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) – Singapore
PDPA governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data. It aims to protect individuals’ privacy while enabling the legitimate use of personal data for business purposes. The PDPA includes provisions for obtaining consent, providing data breach notifications, and implementing security measures to protect personal data.
Now that you know the prevailing cybersecurity laws, you can make a list of the ones applicable to you, and comply with them. Adapting your existing practices to suit these regulations can be tricky, and this is why we’ll look at some best practices for ensuring compliance in a remote setup.
12 Best Practices for Ensuring Cybersecurity Compliance for Remote Work
Adapting to cybersecurity compliance in a remote work environment requires a multi-faceted approach. You must implement a mix of technical solutions, establish clear policies, and provide ongoing training and awareness to employees.
Here are some strategies to achieve compliance:
- Regularly train employees on security best practices
- Mandate employees to use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to encrypt internet connections.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security by requiring two or more verification methods to access data.
- Regularly patch and update all software to protect against known vulnerabilities.
- Use tools to monitor remote work activities and detect suspicious behavior.
- Implement data encryption for both data at rest and data in transit.
- Deploy endpoint security solutions to protect devices used by remote workers.
- Adopt a zero-trust approach to security, which assumes that no user or device is trusted by default, regardless of their location.
- Create a comprehensive remote work policy that outlines security requirements and expectations for remote employees.
- Regularly assess the risks associated with remote work and identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Assign access permissions based on the user’s role and responsibilities.
- Regularly back up critical data to ensure that it can be recovered in the event of a cyber incident.
With the above practices, you can ensure continuous cybersecurity compliance even if you’re a remote-first company. Along with the above practices, continuously monitor compliance and address deviations promptly.
Wrapping Up
To wrap up, remote work has made cybersecurity compliance more important than ever before. In this setup, you must navigate a complex landscape of regulations, protect sensitive data, and adapt to new threats. In this article, we discussed some key cybersecurity laws and what you can do to comply with them. Following these practices will help you meet compliance to protect sensitive data, maintain customer trust, and succeed in the evolving remote work environment.