Compliance Standards (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
Part of the Cybersecurity Roadmap
In short
Customers, regulators and card companies each have their own rulebook. Knowing which one applies to which data saves a company from fines and lost deals.
Industry and regulatory-specific requirements — SOC 2 for service organizations, GDPR for EU data privacy, HIPAA for healthcare data, PCI-DSS for payment card data — each drives specific technical and procedural controls.
Think of it like this
Different rules for different vehicles
A scooter licence does not let you drive a bus, and a school van has extra rules for kids. What you carry decides which rules apply. Compliance works the same: card data, health data and EU personal data each bring their own rulebook.
Watch it happen
Which rulebook fits which data
1/5First ask: what data do we hold, whose is it, and who is asking us to prove we protect it?
The big ideas
What you need to know
SOC 2 Type I vs II
Type I checks your controls are designed well at one point in time. Type II checks they actually worked over a period, so customers trust it more.
GDPR follows the person
It covers EU residents' data wherever it is processed. It demands a lawful basis, data rights and breach notification to the regulator within 72 hours.
Shrink PCI scope
Fewer systems touching card numbers means fewer systems to audit. Many shops use a payment provider so card data never hits their servers.
Know local law too
India has its own Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Real companies often juggle several of these at once.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Believing compliant means secure.
Do this instead
Compliance is a minimum bar checked at audit time. Attackers do not care about your certificate, so keep improving beyond it.
Oops
Assuming GDPR does not apply because the company is in India.
Do this instead
If you offer services to people in the EU or monitor them, GDPR can apply. Check where your users are.
Your mission
Match the business to the standard
Quick check
A SaaS startup's enterprise customer asks for proof that its controls worked well over the past year. What should the startup show?
Go deeper
- 1Pick one standard relevant to an industry you're interested in and read a high-level overview.
- 2Learn why a company might need to comply with multiple overlapping standards simultaneously.
- 3Understand compliance often drives real security investment, even when the underlying motivation is regulatory.
More topics at this stop
Risk Assessment & Management
Security Frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001)
Security Policies & Procedures
Third-Party & Vendor Risk
Security Awareness Training
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning
Audit Basics
Building a Risk Register
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