Specialized Penetration Testing for Regulatory Compliance

In today’s environment maintaining compliance with various security regulations is not only a legal obligation but an essential requirement for organizations across multiple industries. Failing to meet and maintain compliance within these standards can have severe consequences resulting in financial penalties, data breaches, loss of customer trust, and irreparable reputational damage.  

It’s important to remember that these compliance standards emphasize not only risk management, but also penetration testing. Unfortunately, the pen-testing components around regulatory compliance frameworks are often overlooked. While this aspect of compliance can sometimes seem daunting, organizations should really strive to be diligent about tailoring their security practices to meet BOTH risk management & penetration testing requirements. This will help ensure that their organization is maintaining regulatory compliance while also protecting their sensitive data.  

Here are a few key compliance standards that contain penetration testing requirements to keep in mind: 

• GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) Compliance –  

The GLBA, also known as the Financial Modernization Act, aims to protect consumers’ financial information. These organizations are mandated to implement the appropriate safeguards and conduct regular vulnerability assessments & risk assessments to protect customer information.  

• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) Compliance – 

The PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to ensure the secure handling of payment card data. Merchants, service providers, and any organization that processes, stores, or transmits payment card data must regularly assess their security controls, conduct penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities, and validate compliance with PCI DSS. It is important to note that there are different penetration testing requirements based on your PCI compliance reequipments.  

• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Compliance –  

HIPAA is a federal law designed to protect patients’ health information. Healthcare providers, health plans, and business associates (entities handling Protected Health Information (PHI) on behalf of covered entities) must adhere to HIPAA regulations. These organizations are required to conduct regular penetration tests and risk assessments, implement technical safeguards, and ensure the security and privacy of patient data.  

• SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) Compliance –  

SOC 2 is a compliance standard that evaluates the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of service providers. Cloud service providers, SaaS companies, and other service organizations must adhere to the Trust Services Criteria (TSC) related to security, conduct regular assessments, and demonstrate effective security controls to their customers.  

• NIST SP 800-53 Compliance –  

The NIST SP 800-53 provides a catalog of security controls for federal information systems. Many organizations follow these standards as cybersecurity best practices.  

• ISO 27001 Compliance –  

The ISO 27001 specifies requirements for an information security management system (ISMS).  

• FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) Compliance –  

FISMA governs information security programs for federal agencies and their contractors. It mandates regular penetration testing to evaluate the effectiveness of security controls and report compliance status.  

• FFIEC (Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council) Compliance –  

The FFIEC provides guidance on information security for financial institutions.  

Understanding how pen-testing fits in with compliance, as well as the consequences that can come from not adhering to them, can be vital to your organization’s success. Don’t compromise on compliance or risk the integrity of your sensitive data. Do your research around your specific compliance requirements and then learn how Coastline’s specialized penetration testing services can help safeguard your organization and provide peace of mind in an increasingly complex cyber landscape.