Small-to-medium businesses must stay informed on the ever-changing government and industry regulations that pertain to them, as failure to comply with these rules can result in hefty fines or even business closure. At Alura Business Solutions, we know that it can be difficult to stay up to date on how regulations are changing, so we'd like to help by outlining some of the largest IT compliance issues that may affect your company this year:
- Increased regulation for the Internet of Things (IoT) – The expansion of IoT technologies offers some distinct benefits for small and medium organizations, but it also opens up the door for the frequency of security breaches to rise. As the IoT continues to advance in 2018, businesses who make use of these technologies can expect to face stricter regulations from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Risk and Authorization Program (FedRAMP) and other related organizations and programs.
- Heightened cybersecurity rules – As technology evolves, cybersecurity threats continue to become more sophisticated. In turn, it is only natural for government agencies to call for businesses to take stronger measures each year to avoid these threats. Last year, the states of Colorado and New York each enacted comprehensive data safety rules for businesses in the financial sector. Furthermore, states such as Washington and Texas have recently passed laws which regulate how biometric data may be collected and used. Similar cybersecurity regulations are likely to be passed across the nation this year, so it's crucial for businesses to remain on the lookout for updates in their state so as to avoid IT compliance issues.
- Continuing IT security regulations for businesses in the healthcare sector – If your business deals with confidential patient information in any way, then surely you are already familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For years, this legislation has required businesses to maintain policies and threat avoidance plans designed to uphold patient privacy. According to the HIPAA Journal, there are unlikely to be major changes to the act in 2018. However, there is no indication that enforcement of the legislation will slow down, so it is still critical for healthcare organizations to regularly and carefully review all HIPAA regulations to ensure that they are in full compliance.
These are just a few of the many IT compliance issues your business should keep on its radar in 2018.
Alura Can Help Your Organization Avoid IT Compliance Issues
Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of trying to keep up with the IT compliance issues your business may face this year? The IT professionals at Alura are here to help you achieve and maintain compliance with all of the regulations that apply to your company. As an experienced IT services provider, we are well-versed in the importance of adhering to regulatory compliance laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and many more. Whether you need assistance determining what regulations your business needs to comply with, you need help meeting those guidelines or both, we will help you through every step of the process.
To learn more about how the folks at Alura can simplify the process of reaching full compliance for your business, give us a call today at 844-558-7200 or check out our blog post: “5 Regulations We Can Help You Comply With.” We look forward to hearing from you!
