Hi, this is Cal Harrison, Editorial Director at Information Security Media Group, with the second installment of this podcast series by Sky High Security on data protection. Today, we're discussing the challenges of compliance regulation in the federal government and how to overcome them. Joining us today is someone intimately familiar with these challenges, Nick Graham, Senior Solutions Architect for the public sector at Sky High Security. Nick, welcome.
Great to have you here. Cal, thanks for having me today. It's a pleasure to be here. Awesome.
Well, let's let's start with some background. What is compliance regulation in the federal government? You know, it's a great question, and it's really a great place to start. Compliance regulation in the federal government refers to the set of rules, guidelines and standards that organizations must follow, honestly, to ensure that security and protection of sensitive information for cyber threats.
In the context of cybersecurity, though, compliance regulations usually provide a framework for organizations to manage and protect their data and information systems and ensure that they meet security standards. Yeah, and obviously, this has been in the news recently. The Biden administration released a National Cybersecurity Strategy that calls for mandatory compliance with federal standards. What are the implications for agencies and organizations that have to comply with these regulations?
Yeah, you're right. And really, I got to tell you, I'm glad to see that the administration is really starting to take a focus on that. The National Cybersecurity Strategy, which Biden released, outlines several mandatory compliance requirements for federal agencies and organizations. These regulations are designed to strengthen the nation's cybersecurity posture and protect against cyber threats and attacks.
You know, the implications for agencies and organizations that have to comply with these regulations are really significant. They will need to invest in resources and infrastructure to meet the required standards and ensure that their systems and networks are really secure. There will be a need for the increased training and education for their employees so that they ensure that they're really aware of what the cybersecurity risks and how to mitigate them. You know, those organizations will also need to conduct regular assessments and audits to ensure that that training is working and that they are compliant with those regulations.
But when you look at it on the other hand, when noncompliance could result in significant consequences, including financial penalties and reputational damage, it means that there needs to be additional things to happen, like failure to comply with these regulations could leave organizations vulnerable to cyber attacks and breaches, which could result in data loss, theft or even worse. Overall, though, the mandatory compliance requirements outlined in that national cybersecurity strategy represents a significant shift towards a more robust and proactive approach to cybersecurity, which I believe is crucial in today's rapidly evolving threat landscape. Yeah, you're so right. I mean, a lot of people are saying this is this has been a long time coming and, you know, the voluntary requirements just weren't working.
Agreed. What are some of the challenges of protecting data and complying with federal regulations? You know, that really, that's a great question. And when I talk to my clients, I hear variations of that kind of question all the time.
But one of the most significant challenges is the sheer number of regulations that federal agencies are required to comply with. The volume of regulations established by the federal government makes it challenging for any agency to monitor and comply with all of them. So another challenge is the lack of resources that agencies have to dedicate to compliance regulations, basically doing more with less. Compliance regulation, though, requires a significant amount of time, money and manpower, and many agencies simply don't have the resources to devote to it.
Another significant challenge is the complexity of those regulations themselves. Many regulations are highly technical and difficult to understand, making compliance challenging for agencies that are not well versed in the subject matter. Additionally, though, regulations can change frequently and agencies must constantly update their compliance procedures to ensure they are in compliance. Let's unpack that for a minute.
Sure. Why do these challenges exist to begin with? Sure. One of the reasons is that regulations are often created in response to specific events or incidents, you know, that you might see in the news, if you will.
And they may not be well thought out or easy to implement. Additionally, though, regulations are often created by different agencies and departments, leading to inconsistencies and confusion. Another reason is that compliance regulation is often viewed, quite honestly, very often viewed as a burden rather than a benefit. Many agencies view compliance regulation as a drain on their resources rather than a way to protect the public and the environment.
Yeah, it's a burden until something happens, right? Exactly. Exactly right. So what can be done to address these challenges?
Sure. One of the possible solutions, though, is to leverage technology to simplify compliance regulation. Security software, for instance, can help federal agencies identify and monitor compliance requirements, then track the compliance metrics and automate a compliance process, a remediation process, if you will. This can help reduce the burden of compliance regulations and ensure that agencies are in compliance with the latest regulations.
Additionally, providing more resources to agencies, such as more funding for additional training for staff, can help improve compliance outcomes. But finally, accountability is the crucial piece in ensuring compliance. Agencies should face significant consequences, in my opinion, for failing to comply with regulations, including fines and penalties. This would go a long way, in my opinion, to ensure that agencies prioritize compliance regulations and take it seriously.
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A top down approach that focuses on the data itself rather than the traditional bottom-up process of starting from where it is stored. Check out skyhighsecurity.com today. So what does the future hold for compliance regulation in the short? Sure.
So in my lens, my scope, the future of compliance regulations in the federal government is really uncertain. With changes in leadership and priorities, you know, when you've got one administration replacing another, there may be shifts in focus and enforcement of those regulations. Additionally, as new technologies emerge, and that's the key piece, technology is moving at such a rapid pace and the industries are evolving, new regulations will need to be developed to address these emerging risks and challenges. It's also possible that there may be efforts to streamline regulations and reduce the burden on agencies.
However, though, regardless of the future direction of compliance regulations, it is clear that it will continue to be a critical aspect of ensuring public safety, health and protection in the federal government. So what has Sky High Security done to address these compliance regulations? And, you know, what do you see from working with your clients? Sure.
I would say first and foremost, Sky High Security has devoted significant time and resources to achieve FedRAMP and impact level certifications. A company having these certifications can help organizations in several ways. For example, FedRAMP certification is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessments, authorization and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. Very key there.
A company with FedRAMP certification has undergone a rigorous security review process and is considered to be a trusted provider of those cloud services. This can be where it helps organizations meet compliance requirements when it comes to storing and processing sensitive data in the cloud. On the inverse of that is impact level five or higher, which is a classification used by the Department of Defense to define the security requirements for cloud services handling controlled unclassified information. A company, for example, with impact level five certification has demonstrated that it meets the stringent security requirements set by the DOD for handling that sensitive information.
This can help organizations in the defense industry or those working with the government to meet their compliance requirements and ensure that their data is secure. Overall, having FedRAMP and impact level five certifications can help organizations ensure that their data is secure and that they are in compliance with those regulatory requirements. That's great, Nick. So we've covered a lot of ground here.
What are some of the key takeaways for our listeners? You know, if I had to give some key takeaways here, there's about four or five of them, but, and in no particular order on this response, but, you know, cybersecurity threats are increasing in frequency, sophistication and impact. Organizations must prepare to detect, prevent and respond to those cyber attacks. That'd be the first and foremost.
Then cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility. In my opinion, it shouldn't just be thought of that. It's going to be the IT department. It's something that everybody at every stage of their day needs to take a responsibility for to take and make sure it minimizes.
Then compliance with federal standards is crucial. They're there for a reason. They've had a lot of intelligent people really look at this and provide their expertise on how to take and be the best protected environment as possible. Proactive measures are necessary.
Don't be reactive because as it simply states, when you're reacting to a threat, it's already happened. Being proactive means you're getting out ahead of it and mitigating the damage, if you will. And then cybersecurity is always an ongoing process. You can't just sit there and take one stance and think that you're going to be there.
As I said in the very beginning, they're always increasing in frequency, sophistication and impact. So always stay ahead of it and make sure you're keeping in touch with that