Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

There is an increasing need for traceability and attestation of the actions taken as software moves across the SDLC. Emerging regulations and policies around secure software development are rapidly evolving, and it’s important to stay ahead of the changing landscape. Some organizations have taken a proactive approach with home-grown solutions or manual processes, but despite best efforts, these solutions often lack scale and eventually falter over time.

Government contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) for the Department of Defense must navigate complex compliance requirements. Central to these requirements is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which mandates conformance to NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS 252. This framework encompasses 110 security requirements across 14 security domains, including Access Control, Audit and Accountability, Risk Assessment, Incident Response, and several others.

Remote work isn’t just a temporary trend anymore; it has become a permanent fixture. What began as a quick response during the pandemic has evolved into the new normal for businesses worldwide. In America, 20% of people now work from home. While this has its advantages (flexibility for workers and cost savings for businesses), it’s not without its complications, having cracked open a host of issues around cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.

According to a Gartner report, 60% of organizations will rely on third-party vendors for more than half of their critical business operations by 2025. However, Gartner also warns that third-party risk events – such as data breaches or compliance violations – will increase by 30% in the same timeframe. As a technology leader, these figures resonate deeply with the challenges I see organizations facing daily.

The full compliance process for CMMC, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, culminates in an audit that validates an organization’s cybersecurity posture and its implementation of the security controls that apply to it. Throughout this process, there is a gatekeeper who performs your audit. You may have heard of them referred to as a CMMC Auditor or a CMMC Assessor. With these two terms in play, you may be wondering what the difference is between them.

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) comes into full effect on January 17, 2025. This deadline marks a monumental shift in how financial institutions and their technology providers prioritize and maintain operational resilience and cybersecurity standards – and sets in stone real business and regulatory consequences to ensure resilience is achieved. And like any sweeping security regulation, organizations must embark on an uphill journey to earn full compliance.

ISO published the ISO 27001 standard to outline an information security management system (ISMS) in 2005. Since then, significant revisions have taken place in 2013 and 2022 to better reflect the evolving climate of cybersecurity threats and technologies.

Financial organizations across Europe are actively preparing for the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), taking effect in January 2025. Meeting DORA compliance requirements has become essential for financial institutions as they adjust their operations to match new regulatory standards. The legislation brings substantial changes to information and communication technology (ICT) risk management practices, security protocols, and third-party oversight.

The AI space is developing rapidly but is still largely uncontrolled. According to The State of Trust Report 2024, 62% businesses plan to invest more in AI security in the next 12 months. ‍ The good news is that AI security can now be better implemented with the help of many authoritative new AI standards and frameworks rolled out in the past few years. The aim with any of these standards is to remove the uncertainty around AI systems and ensure responsible implementation.

ROPA is primarily utilized by organizations subject to data protection regulations. While it is a legal requirement for businesses of all sizes handling personal data, it is especially critical for large enterprises that process substantial volumes of data or sensitive information. Compliance officers, data protection officers (DPOs), legal teams, and IT departments often rely on ROPA to demonstrate compliance to regulators during audits or investigations.