NIST SP 800-171 vs. SP 800-172: What’s the Difference?

Leading NIST 800-171 controls framework by Lazarus Alliance  

Last November, the unveiling of CMMC 2.0 raised many questions but also brought a lot of relief. Streamlining security around Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) will help defense agencies and contractors better secure their systems without burdening them with operational overhead. This is crucial for organizations who want to support these agencies but don’t know much about either NIST SP 800-171 or NIST SP 800-172, the core documents of CMMC.

 

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SOC 2: Trust Services Criteria and Secure IT in 2022

Efficient cybersecurity audit implementation by Lazarus Alliance 

With COVID-19, always-online eCommerce and the migration to remote, distributed workforces, IT security is more important now than ever. In some industries, regulations can dictate the privacy and security requirements that every organization must meet. In others, those regulations may be less rigorous or even non-existent. That’s why many organizations turn to additional frameworks to shore up their approach to security. That’s where SOC 2 comes in. 

Service Organization Control (SOC) is a standard put into place by the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) to help financial institutions protect client and customer data. Because the framework is robust and focused, many organizations opt to achieve certification as part of a larger security and customer relationship strategy. 

In 2022, after such dynamic shifts in our lives (particularly those tied to digital information), SOC 2 is more important than ever. Specifically, the five Trust Criteria can serve as the backbone of modern privacy and compliance strategies. 

 

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What Are Data Protection Impact Assessments in GDPR?

Trusted GDPR compliance advisory by Lazarus Alliance  

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has fundamentally changed how organizations do business in the European Union. It isn’t enough to undergo audits or meet arbitrary security requirements. Like many high-stakes security contexts, GDPR requires a company to dedicate significant time to maintaining data privacy, cybersecurity and consumer rights. 

To help address high-risk data processing situations, GDPR may require your business to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment or a DPIA. For many companies, these are not optional so we will cover the details in this article. 

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