Cyber Liability Guardian is exactly what it sounds like. Someone (usually a Managed Service Provider a.k.a. "MSP") provides their expertise to advise a business on what requirements they are liable for based on a governing agency. For example, a doctor’s office needs to follow HIPAA. (If you’ve ever been to a doctor, you’re signed one of those notices!)

So, a Cyber Liability Guardian would be the person advising the doctor’s office on the things they need to do to comply with HIPAA’s regulations and requirements so that they are uphold client trust, professional rules and sometimes even U.S. law.

Can we run your scan, then check the box that we are compliant?

Compliance is about more than running a tool and walking away. It’s a culture and involves every member of an organization every day. So, the simple answer to this question is “no” but only because that’s not the real issue here.

Once we run our scan and we discuss your cyber landscape, it’s time for you to manage and oversee that the company complies with the regulations and norms applicable to its industry. Compliance involves documenting the remediated issues, revealed through continuous scans that show digital evidence the account is now protected.

How do you stay “In Compliance”?

Putting policies on paper (or having digital copies) lends them more authority and weight. It’s vital to make them readily available to employees because it helps everyone stay on top of the best practices, which increases security.

Consistency is absolutely necessary for success. Policy compliance should be demonstrated from the top down. Your leadership team needs to set the tone for employees in every role within the company. This is especially relevant to security protocol and procedures.

If you’ve put time into crafting relevant policies and documenting them in a guidebook, make sure that your staff has an opportunity to actually read them! Allocate time in the onboarding process for new employees to review guidelines, and make sure your door is open to any inquiries regarding policies. If your team is having trouble implementing a certain policy because its relevance is unclear, it’s time to review the policy.

Regular training sessions with all levels of management and staff make codes crystal clear and memorable, reducing the chances of negative situations (missing deadlines or not meeting obligations) in favor of positive ones (group discussions and company-wide reminders to work as a team).

Policies won’t hold water if they’re only enforced in select situations. The whole team is subject to company regulations and processes, especially when following guidelines impacts daily workflow. If just one person does not follow security measures, it could lead to severe consequences, such as a data breach.

To remain effective, your organization needs to have its temperature taken every now and then using a compliance audit. Audits reveal how policies can be updated or changed to be clearer and more applicable as well as spotlighting any bottlenecks or security gaps in implementation and practice.

Staying on top of compliance needs to be on the top of your to-do list, but it can be overwhelming. Why not make it easy on yourself and use a solution from BizCare? This will help you to stay organized, documented, and educated on compliance.

How does using third-party analysis help with compliance?

Let’s be blunt - third-party assessments are becoming a standard requirement among regulators and safeguards. They’re no longer an item on your “when we get around to it” list.

Important note: Third-party assessment is not just about compliance anymore! Insurance companies are now asking for third-party assessments. Having quarterly assessments ready at-hand will make you more insurable at a lower cost.

Over 80% of cyber insurance self-assessment questionnaires ask if routine vulnerability scans are being performed no more than 90 days apart. This tells us that the importance of third-party risk assessments is only growing amongst insurance providers.

Vulnerability scans are a standard part of cybersecurity. There’s no way around them if you truly want your organization to be secure.

Only 1.4% of MSPs utilize third-party risk assessments in their own environments. Everyone else is using an off-the-shelf DIY solution. (Please see the chart below about the effectiveness of DIY solutions.) This is like a teacher allowing students to self-check their homework. What percentage of students would give themselves an A+?

Important note: If you have an MSP partner who is utilizing a third-party risk assessment for their own environment, you have a trusted advisor who will only tell you the truth and what you need to hear.

Allowing a third party to analyze the threats inside your organization provides you with a thoroughly unbiased perspective on where your risks lie.

DIY vulnerability tools vs third-party vulnerability and penetration tests

See HOW CYBER LIABILITY GUARDIAN WORKS here...