{"id":68887,"date":"2022-09-15T17:39:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T21:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?post_type=resource&p=68887"},"modified":"2025-12-23T16:35:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T21:35:50","slug":"data-compliance-guide","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/resources\/data-compliance-guide","title":{"rendered":"The IT Manager\u2019s Guide to Data Compliance Hygiene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ace Your Audits with Less Stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mindset \u2014 it’s often the difference between a smooth journey (with a few bumps along the way) or a stressful sprint to the finish line (with many twists and turns). This applies to everything from menial tasks to large-scale initiatives. Mindset shapes not only how you think about things, but how you go about accomplishing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an IT manager, your mindset around why compliance matters informs your daily thoughts, feelings, and actions that will make or break future audits. Translation: you can view audit preparation in one of two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. A hassle to deal with before moving onto “what really matters” or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. An incentive to practice strong security hygiene that keeps everyone safe.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you have downloaded this guide, you are probably spearheading the IT audit process for a startup or small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME) for the first time. Or maybe you’re an old pro looking to see what else you could be doing. Either way, we invite you to hit “pause,” take a deep breath, and exhale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have to be perfect to pass your audit, and we can pretty much guarantee there is no such thing as 100% compliance at all times. This is why we recommend prioritizing the right actions throughout the year to ensure optimal results rather than just focusing on the operations of the audit itself. And that means increasing emphasis on the things you know matter, but may avoid prioritizing; in other words, IT hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We don’t need to quote the latest cybersecurity breach statistics for agreement that security hygiene is about more than avoiding fines. But you may find it surprising that cyber attacks on SMEs have increased by approximately 400% over the past year<\/a>. Consistent security hygiene is essential to reducing the likelihood of your brand name becoming the next newspaper headline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This guide will review several IT hygiene practices worth automating year-round to facilitate smoother audit processes. It will also explore the relationship between faster prep times and consolidated toolkits\/systems. After reading, you can expect a better understanding of how (and why) to conduct internal audits, which preparatory action steps save time, and what to expect during official audits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Note:<\/strong> \n

    For the purpose of this guide, we’ll define IT hygiene as: a set of habitual practices to ensure the safe handling of essential data and for securing networks.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The Benefits of IT Hygiene<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    At first glance, it may not seem like IT hygiene is related to audit preparation. The latter involves gathering lists of data, securing an auditor, providing documentation, explaining control failures, and making remediation plans within a brief period of time. The former refers to following through on best practices 24\/7\/365.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But much like a runner shouldn’t begin training a week before a marathon, an IT manager shouldn’t start practicing IT hygiene right before their next audit! In addition to facilitating smoother compliance experiences, prioritizing IT hygiene provides the following benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Identifies Inefficient Processes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Inefficient processes slow down operations, creating unnecessary bottlenecks. Data regulations mandate IT managers to discover opportunities for more efficient processes, procedures, and tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, imagine a pizza delivery firm that receives customer orders from one software, customer reviews from another, and order statistics from yet another. An IT manager that prioritizes IT hygiene would seek opportunities to eliminate redundancies and unify data collection for more accurate reporting. Typically, this would involve switching to a software service that provides all these functions in its offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This unified data collection makes it less likely that there will be a breach by reducing the overall attack surface and focusing security efforts, and makes data audits easier. It also makes the marketing department, which looks at the data for business reasons, more efficient because they have to do less copying and pasting from one application to the next when reviewing their marketing strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alternatively, managers who practice lackluster IT hygiene often find themselves switching between many misconfigured applications, which often increases vulnerabilities. In addition, purchasing multiple single-point solutions can be hard on the budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Reduces Security Vulnerabilities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Minimizing security vulnerabilities is the whole point of compliance, but it’s worth emphasizing. Cybersecurity breach incidents scaled new heights in 2021. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)<\/a>, data breaches increased more than 68 percent from 2020 to 2021. To make matters worse, an increasing amount of data incidents involve sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The solution, of course, is data hygiene. According to the Microsoft Digital Defense Report<\/a>, basic security hygiene still protects 98% of attacks. We’ll call out the most crucial security hygiene practices you can take further down in the guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Warning:<\/strong> \n

    Data breaches increased more than 68% from 2020-2021\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    3. Helps Avoid Penalties or Legal Trouble<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Failing to follow through with mandatory IT hygiene regulations can cause serious trouble<\/a>. According to The True Cost of Compliance with Data Protection Regulations<\/a> study by the Ponemon Institute, non-compliance with leading cybersecurity standards costs more than twice as much as maintaining compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Following data-compliant practices isn’t always “easy peasy.” But it’s far more convenient and less expensive than paying legal fees, fines, or even worse penalties. Of course, it isn’t only cookie violations and personal information mishandling that can get a company into legal trouble. Failing to take adequate steps to prevent security breaches can result in millions in fines. British Airways<\/a> knows a lot about that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Minimizes Costs to Stay Compliant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Staying compliant is expensive; your organization may spend anywhere from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars on direct and indirect costs annually. Totals vary based on the amount of employees, regulatory requirements, and data under your care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your business processes credit card transactions, you’re likely following the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Gary Glover, vice president of assessments at SecurityMetrics, says annual compliance costs for PCI DSS range from $10K to $70K<\/a> depending on the number of transactions processed. This includes expenses associated with updating policies, replacing old technologies, training employees, penetration testing, and on-site audits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alternatively, a typical SOC2 audit ranges from $25K to $39K<\/a>. Failing to practice IT hygiene throughout the year means you’re more likely to accrue additional expenses to “get it together” in time for your audit. Common costs accrued include exorbitant consultant fees, suspended business partnerships (due to failing grades), and astronomical regulatory fines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Secures Business Partnerships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Have you ever heard the phrase “excellent practices breed excellent partnerships?” Probably not because we just made it up. But it’s true. Being IT-compliant silently communicates that your organization is up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In other words, good cybersecurity habits forge a bond of trust between companies and prospective business partners. A higher level of trust translates to more referrals, improved vendor relationships, and more potential customers. Highly regulated industries like healthcare, government, and banking are especially vulnerable to losing partnerships due to non-compliance. In addition, most enterprise-level companies require the minimum of a SOC2 and ISO27001 before they will even consider doing business with your organization. And, if that weren’t enough, you will have a tough time securing cyber insurance which also impacts who will and won’t work with you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For the remainder of this guide, we’ll connect the dots between the things you must do to satisfy data compliance audits and the IT hygiene best practices that support them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Tip:<\/strong> \n

    Audits may seem burdensome, but they provide an essential foundation for organizations to implement proven cybersecurity measures that keep precious data safe \u2014 standards that contain both proven and cutting-edge methods to ensure security.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    7 IT Hygiene Best Practices to Follow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise-level company, the best practices for achieving compliance are the same. The only difference is the amount of rigor required. Audits happen regularly, and regulations change frequently. Translation: you must consistently carve out time to review and improve your existing security practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can think of IT hygiene as your team’s standard operating procedures that work harmoniously as part of your overall compliance strategy. A compliance strategy is a set of internal policies and procedures that will help your organization stay compliant. Once your compliance strategy is complete, it’s essential to assign team members responsible for implementing the various parts. Remember, IT compliance is a team effort that involves the contribution of many individuals outside of the IT department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Monitor Your Unique Regulatory Requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Before setting out to improve your compliance posture, figure out which standards are mandatory and which ones aren’t. Pay attention to obligatory and non-obligatory regulations, as both provide an organization with the benefits we discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, while HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable for health organizations, ISO 27001 implementation is voluntary. Nonetheless, according to the ISO Survey 2018<\/a>, the demand for ISO certification grows by the year. In addition, you must also determine where the requirements of a specific regulation apply to your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re uncertain about which audits you need to pass, consult with someone who has already “been there, done that” in your industry, trade, or supply chain. An experienced auditor will also know which standards and regulations your type of organization must follow. Smaller SMEs won’t have cybersecurity staff or even access to dedicated lawyers, at least not those practicing cyber. I’d suggest that you consult with your industry, trade, supply chain, and\/or regional peers or simply ask your auditors on the regulations you might be subject to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can also analyze the data your organization handles to figure out which requirements it’s subject to. Usually, IT compliance focuses on three types of data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n