Managing IT operations entails many challenges that must be met for a business to succeed. One of the most important yet often neglected is meeting all regulatory requirements from government agencies. Compliance with various industry standards like certifications, reputations, etc. adds to the businesses’ plate.
Using managed IT operations allows a company to offload the responsibility of these tasks, so the technical staff can focus on tasks directly related to business growth. This will not only help your IT staff avoid audits and other time-consuming activities but will also give your legal department considerable relief. Delegating such processes externally has also become the favored option with companies of all sizes.
IT regulatory landscape
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different regulatory requirements that may apply to a company. The specific requirements that apply to a business will depend on several factors, including where the business is done, the industry, the type of clients they serve, and more.
Some of the most prevalent requirements that companies must be aware of include:
- PCI-DSS – The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) is in place to help reduce fraud and protect the credit card information of customers. Any business that accepts credit cards is required to follow these standards.
- HIPAA – Any business that handles any type of healthcare data must follow the regulations from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This includes proper handling, protection and management of a wide range of different forms of digital information.
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act – The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was implemented to prevent issues like the Enron scandal that occurred years ago. This regulation is required for accounting firms, management firms and company boards. The most important demand from this regulation is that specific records are maintained for at least seven years.
- GDPR – If a company does any type of business in the European Union, it must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is set up to protect EU citizens from data breaches.
- FISMA – In 2002, the Federal Information security Management (FISMA) Act was passed, which requires all federal agencies and the private businesses that perform certain tasks for them, to develop effective data protection strategies.
These are just a few of the regulations that businesses in general, and IT divisions specifically, need to comply with. Many of these requirements are enforced via random audits, detailed reporting requirements and other forms of investigation by various governmental agencies.
Every year hundreds of new laws, regulations and standards are put in place. And to make things even more challenging, the existing regulatory requirements are also constantly changing. This is especially true for businesses that operate internationally (even if only online). It is always the responsibility of the business to stay informed of these changes and take the necessary steps to remain in compliance.
How can Trianz’s managed IT operations relieve regulatory obligations?
Managed IT operations can reduce or even eliminate a company’s need to concern itself directly with these types of regulations. Trianz manages IT services for companies from around the world, and part of that means having experienced legal and technical teams whose responsibility is to keep up-to-date with all the latest laws and regulations that might impact a client.
We specialize in maintaining the highest levels of encryption, data security and backup strategies, among other things. We keep our systems compliant with the latest standards, ensuring that our clients are not only always updated with the relevant laws that apply to them, but also ready for any changes that develop in the years to come.
Let’s have a conversation to see how we can help you. Get in touch!
