What is it?
IT compliance describes the implementation of internal and external guidelines. It focusses on those aspects where IT systems are effected. The key compliance requirements are information security, availability, data protection and privacy. Legal requirements like e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the data protection acts are establishing requirements that need to be followed. It systems must be designed in a way that safeguards the itegrity, confidentiality, responsibility of your data. Furthermore communication data like emails or letters must be stored in accordance with the “Code of Conduct” (CoC /GoB) and the “Principles of proper computerized accounting systems” (GoBS).
Internal requirements are adding up more complexicity. Non-adherence can lead to severe penalties, which has resulted in the fact that compliance increases in importance in many companies.Examples of internal IT regulations are internal IT security policies or procedures. These include IT security regulations, e-mail policies or passwords, but also service level agreements agreed between the IT department and the specialist departments. Internal regulations provide a guideline for employees and ensure the observance while external regulations are based on laws. The management of compliance and the implementation can be supported by a sustainable set up of your authorization data and authorization concept for supporting your overall compliance.
Why IT compliance?
Despite of internal and external requirements (and the penalties resulting from non-adherence) IT compliance leads to several benefits for your organization.
Process improvement
A higher transparence among your IT processes contributes to an auditable system that is better to manage.
Cost reduction
By automating and standardizing IT processes and stopping manual processes, IT management costs can be decreased and controls can be improved.
Company value
A process orientated IT landscape enables you to set up a service orientated architecture. Certain compliance standards are acting as market entrance barriers. Fullfilling the requirements often leads to an increased company value.
IT security
The IT environment needs to be protected from internal and external threats so that it is important to secure your IT landscape by administrating user authorizations.