Cybersecurity and compliance: Navigating the complex landscape

Every week, new reports of data breaches are making headlines. Panic over online privacy has never been higher. This has left both small and large businesses facing mounting pressure to comply with cybersecurity regulations and, in turn, a gap in the market for skilled professionals who can navigate the regulatory environment.

If you’re curious about the intersection of cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks, keep reading to learn about the career opportunities this niche offers and how best to take advantage of it. We’ll answer all your questions on how to become a cybersecurity compliance professional, the different roles available, earning potential, and more.

What is cybersecurity compliance?

Cybersecurity compliance encompasses a vital set of responsibilities. Let’s take a closer look:

The role of compliance in cybersecurity

For years, how businesses approached cybersecurity was up to them to decide. As cybersecurity risks have increased, however, various organizations and governments have created requirements to standardize things with the intention of better protecting data and IT systems.

Compliance in cybersecurity is all about ensuring that organizations adhere to these standards. In practice, this means setting up protocols and systems that meet regulatory guidelines so that compliance is met, not just for compliance’s sake, though, but to ensure that data and infrastructure are adequately protected from cyber threats.

Key regulations you need to know

While there are various standards and regulatory bodies, these tend to be the most significant in the world of cybersecurity:

• GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation is a legal framework that focuses on data privacy for EU residents. It’s also been used as the basis for laws such as the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy).

• PIPEDA: Like the GDPR, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act also relates to data privacy, but specifically for organizations that operate within the country.

• HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a US-based set of standards governing the protection and integrity of health information.

• PCI-DSS: Created by a council of credit and payment providers that include MasterCard and American Express, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is centred on protecting payment data and online payments.

Why compliance is critical for business

To understand the impact of compliance, it’s worth looking at the flip side of the issue and the consequences that tend to result from non-compliance:

• Fines and legal penalties. Ignoring proper compliance can lead to expensive, time-consuming legal issues.

• Damage to a company’s reputation and perceived trustworthiness in the eyes of everyday customers, as well as business partners.

• Heightened risk of cybercrimes and the fallout from that in terms of public perception and general operational continuity.

This final point is particularly important. Even when a company’s compliance isn’t compulsory, it’s critical that they still take part in the process as it can support a broader cybersecurity strategy and mitigate against the risk of data breaches, etc.

Cybersecurity compliance as a career path

The legal, financial, and reputational benefits of proper cybersecurity compliance have opened the door for careers in the industry, but it takes a specific set of skills and interest to truly succeed in it:

What does a cybersecurity compliance professional do?

The key responsibilities of a cybersecurity compliance professional include:

• Conducting risk assessments and audits: This involves running scans and auditing software, as well as speaking to relevant IT staff.

• Developing and implementing security policies: These controls need to be aligned with the relevant standards while also taking into account any risk factors found that are specific to the company being audited.

• Ensuring compliance: Making sure that organizations comply properly comes down to policy implementation and proper training of relevant staff members so that everyone knows their role and understands how to maintain compliance.

• Reporting on compliance to regulatory bodies and senior management: Everything a cybersecurity compliance professional does needs to be well-documented in a manner that suits regulatory bodies, but they’ll also need to check in with senior management throughout the process to keep things streamlined.

Essential skills for cybersecurity compliance roles

As you can likely gauge from the above, cybersecurity compliance careers require professionals to have a range of technical and non-technical skills at the ready, many of which are transferrable from other fields. These include:

• Risk management and incident response planning: The ability to see ahead and plan accordingly is a major part of successful compliance.

• Knowledge of cybersecurity regulations and frameworks (GDPR, ISO 27001, etc.): It’s not just what these regulations cover that’s important, but how best to apply them to different organizations and industries.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: More often than not, audits will expose cybersecurity gaps that compliance professionals then need to help close.

• Excellent communication skills: Great reporting and policy documentation is all about communication. Those in cybersecurity compliance roles need to be confident in the more technical and legal jargon of regulators while also being able to simplify things for non-IT professionals during the implementation process.

Who is this career path for?

Detail-oriented people with analytical mindsets thrive in cybersecurity compliance careers. There’s a lot of policy work, which some might find dry, but it can be deeply rewarding for anyone passionate about data privacy and bettering the cybersecurity landscape.

It’s also a career path well suited for those who want to get into the world of cybersecurity without necessarily having a technical background. IT knowledge and an understanding of cybersecurity systems are needed, but the job leans more heavily on governance and policy issues.

Common cybersecurity compliance career roles

In bigger operations, there’s rarely one person who will do all the compliance work alone. Here are some of the different routes available within the world of cybersecurity compliance careers:

Compliance Specialist

This role is focused on interpreting the more technical side of compliance regulations. Compliance Specialists conduct audits to check how aligned organizations are with regulations and whether proper, up-to-date cybersecurity policy is being enforced. They’re also tasked with the work of improving policies for better compliance.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Analyst

As the title suggests, governance and risk management are the main responsibilities of this role. That involves ensuring that cybersecurity practices match up with business goals and that neither places the organization at undue risk of issues like data breaches. Strategizing and problem-solving are paramount.

Data Privacy Officer (DPO)

Any organization that handles large amounts of data is likely in need of a DPO. Their focus is data privacy policies and overseeing the implementation of data protection regulations.

Security Auditor

Cybersecurity compliance isn’t just a one-time issue. Threats change and systems are always at risk of breaking down. Security Auditors are there to prevent issues from going unnoticed. They conduct regular checks of an organization’s cybersecurity controls to see that everything is functioning appropriately and complies with regulations.

Compliance Manager

This leadership role usually involves heading up a full team of cybersecurity compliance professionals and managing all aspects of an organization’s regulatory needs. It’s as much about managing a team as it is about communicating compliance issues with other executive, legal, and IT teams.

Certifications and education for cybersecurity compliance careers

Cybersecurity compliance careers are unique because whether you’re a recent graduate or already mid-career, there are plenty of routes into the industry:

Key certifications for compliance-focused careers

Depending on where you want to land in cyber compliance, here are the main certifications required:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): This certification is globally recognized and covers all the major parts of cybersecurity auditing, risk assessment, and control.

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): This is a broader cybersecurity certification than the above and is designed for leadership positions such as a Compliance Manager, for example, rather than a Security Auditor.

• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC): Those who complete this certification come out with a more specialized set of skills focused on risk and risk mitigation.

• Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE): Another more specialized certification, CDPSE homes in on privacy and data governance.

Educational paths to cybersecurity compliance

There’s no single pathway into governance, risk, and compliance jobs in cybersecurity. A foundational knowledge of cybersecurity and the relevant laws and regulations is the main thing that matters. At Lighthouse Labs, we offer a Cybersecurity Bootcamp that covers all these areas, as well as compliance frameworks and risk management approaches, so that no matter your previous education, you can quickly get up to speed.

Continuous learning

Industry standards and regulations are constantly evolving. The latest iteration of PCI-DSS only went into action this last year. Truly successful compliance professionals understand that learning never stops. They make an effort to update their certifications regularly and embrace the evolving nature of cybersecurity compliance and governance.

Demand for cybersecurity compliance professionals

Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand. Here’s why:

Why demand is growing

As the Washington Post aptly noted, the spike in cybercrime in the last few years has created a “booming” job market. It’s not just the increased concern around these crimes pushing demand but the uptick in regulations and standards that businesses now need to comply with.

More stringent data protection laws and increased public attention on the issue have meant that companies can’t ignore cybersecurity compliance anymore. The result? Thousands more cybersecurity compliance jobs appearing each year.

Industries with high demand

Certain industries are driving the demand for cybersecurity compliance professionals, including:

• Healthcare: HIPAA, the increase in telehealth, and the protection of personal health data have all placed higher demands on cybersecurity compliance in healthcare.

• Finance: Payment standards such as PCI-DSS and the importance of maintaining financial data security are why the banking sector and most financial organizations are now investing in cybersecurity teams.

• E-commerce: Any business selling online has to consider cybersecurity more strongly, thanks to concerns over customer data and payment safety.

• Government: The responsibility of safeguarding national infrastructure has meant that all public organizations now have major cybersecurity departments.

Salary expectations and career outlook

In the US, cybersecurity jobs tend to offer more than $120,000 per year. In Canada, the average salary for cybersecurity compliance is about $84,000, though it does depend on experience. We rarely see positions offering less than $65,000. Salaries tend to be highest in regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. The demand is often higher, which places greater value on these roles.

Because cybersecurity compliance is still fairly new and experiencing so much growth, career paths in the sector are expansive. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level role or seeking to move up from analyst roles to more senior, managerial positions, there’s plenty of opportunity. There are also various specializations that compliance professionals can choose to dive deeper into for more niche careers.

Steps to launch your career in cybersecurity compliance

Here’s how a successful compliance career gets started:

1. Assess your interests and strengths: There is a kind of greater good that cybersecurity serves in protecting businesses and individuals from data theft. Consider how interested you are in issues such as risk management, governance, and preventing cybercrime before pursuing this career.

2. Get the right certifications and education: Start simple with an Info Session or Lighthouse Labs Bootcamp on cybersecurity, and from there, build certifications.

3. Gain practical experience: Look out for internships or entry-level jobs that allow you to get stuck into the practicalities of performing risk assessments and compliance audits and developing cybersecurity policy.

4. Build a network in the industry: Conferences such as ISACA or IAPP are invaluable for building a network in the industry. Not only does this help with getting great job placements, but in learning about other sides of the industry and staying on top of the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity.

Conclusion: A rewarding career in a growing field

Cybersecurity compliance sits at the perfect intersection of security and regulation. It’s as much about protecting the legal and reputational standings of organizations as it is about better cyber safety for all. That, and the many career prospects available in the field, are what make governance, risk, and compliance jobs in cybersecurity so rewarding to pursue.

Take the first steps today on this potential career path by learning more about cybersecurity and compliance frameworks through courses like the Lighthouse Labs’ Cybersecurity Bootcamp. Our online course provides all the training needed to thrive in cybersecurity. Click here to register for an Info Session or here to see our curriculum package.

Next stop: a career in stopping cybercrime and getting a taste of one of the most innovative and opportunity-filled industries.