Staying Up-to-Date with Evolving Compliance Standards and Regulatory Requirements to Ensure Continued Compliance on AWS

Laws, regulations, and security frameworks constantly evolve to adapt and respond to new cyber threats. Keeping up to date with the latest versions of all applicable standards and regulatory requirements is critical to maintaining a secure and compliant environment on AWS.

How Security Frameworks and Regulations Evolve

Every data security framework and regulatory requirement is designed with the current technology, threats, and industry best practices in mind. As the cyber threat landscape changes, so do these standards, mitigating new risks and securing vulnerabilities.

While Amazon Web Services guarantees comprehensive compliance controls with over 140 security standards and certifications, AWS customers are encouraged to stay proactive on the latest versions and industry recommendations. 

How to Stay Up to Date on the Latest Security Frameworks and Regulations

According to the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, Amazon’s security responsibility only extends to the hardware, infrastructure, and software used to run AWS services. The customer’s responsibility is to ensure data, platforms, applications, OSes, and client-side environments are secure and compliant.

For instance, if your data requires compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2022, the most current edition of the ISO 27001 ISMS standard, you must review the changes introduced since the previous version. 

Once you have identified these changes, conduct a gap analysis to determine which of your current compliance practices no longer align with the new version’s requirements. Then, update your policies, procedures, and security controls accordingly.

Tools and Services to Ensure Continued Compliance on AWS

Multiple AWS services can help your organisation automate compliance at scale on Amazon Web Services. The following is a breakdown of the most common continued compliance solutions on AWS:

  • AWS Config is an AWS service designed to continuously monitor and record your resource configurations. You can use it to enforce compliance through a compliance-as-code framework, automating the process.
  • Enhance the effectiveness of AWS Config with AWS Config Conformance Packs. A Conformance Pack is a collection of predefined AWS Config rules and actions intended. They can automatically ensure your AWS environment complies with the latest versions of the most common regulatory frameworks and standards.
  • If you have multiple AWS accounts and environments, use AWS Organisations to manage, govern, and ensure the compliance of all your accounts from one place. You can combine the capabilities of AWS Organisations and AWS Config to configure automated compliance at scale.
  • You can also use AWS CloudFormation to ensure your AWS services are within the scope of the compliance programs of your choice. Third-party audit reports are available through AWS Artifact.

Ensure the Security and Compliance of Your Business Data with WOLK

As an AWS Well-Architected Review Program Partner, WOLK Technology has the resources to help your organisation build a secure and compliant AWS environment. Schedule a review with us today, and let us help you boost your business’s performance.