There are numerous industry compliance standards that organizations must adhere to, depending on their sector and operations. Key compliance standards include:
Key Compliance Standards
- SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
- For service providers storing customer data in the cloud.
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
- For organizations handling data of EU citizens.
- HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
- For healthcare providers and organizations handling protected health information.
- ISO 27001
- An international standard for information security management systems.
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
- For businesses that handle credit card transactions.
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
- For organizations dealing with California residents' data.
- SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
- For financial transparency and investor protection in public companies.
- GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
- For financial institutions to protect customer data.
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- National Institute of Standards and Technology framework for the technology sector and federal agencies.
- CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)
- For Department of Defense contractors and subcontractors.
- NERC CIP
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection — for operators in the energy sector.
These standards aim to ensure data protection, privacy, financial integrity, and industry-specific requirements across various sectors. The CMMC, in particular, is designed to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI) handled by DoD contractors. As of January 2025, all DoD contractors must obtain CMMC certification to bid on contracts, with the program being implemented through a phased approach over three years.