Network compliance is important for both regulatory and safety concerns. Businesses operating IT environments, online stores, and healthcare information must follow the primary three guidelines:
- NIST
- HIPAA
- PCI
Each of these regulatory guidelines encapsulate a different standard, but all are important to follow. Following these regulations avoids penalties and further protects your network from cyber attacks.
What do they mean?
Each standards have different meanings and involved different industries.
NIST
NIST stands for “National Institute of Standards and Technology,” a non-regulatory government agency responsible for establishing key guidelines regarding network strategy and protection. NIST is officially endorsed and sets many founding guidelines for companies. Their policy recommendations also often involve officially held IT network regulations.
HIPAA
HIPAA is part of the healthcare industry, standing for “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.” Ultimately it handles the protection, transmission, and storage of medical data for healthcare practices.
PCI
Shorthand for “Payment Card Industry” standards, PCI goes hand-in-hand with any organization using credit card payment hubs for their services. It’s often right in line with HIPAA, as the two share common ground.