What is a Compliance Standard?
Definition
Established requirements organizations must meet to demonstrate compliance with regulations or industry expectations. Compliance standards define required controls, processes, and documentation. Examples include PCI-DSS for payment processing, SOC 2 for service organizations, and ISO 27001 for information security. Standards provide frameworks for implementing compliance programs and benchmarking security maturity against industry practices.
Why This Matters
Compliance standards define required controls and provide frameworks for compliance programs. Standards (PCI-DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001) enable organizations to benchmark security maturity against industry practices. Following recognized standards demonstrates due diligence and provides structure for compliance program implementation. Multiple standards often share common control requirements enabling efficient multi-standard compliance.
Related Terms
Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.
Essential Connections
Compliance Certifications
Security & Compliance
Official attestations proving adherence to security and regulatory standards including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, or industry-specific certifications.
Security Standards
Security & Compliance
Industry frameworks for security practices and controls, such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, and ISO 27001.
Regulatory Compliance
Security & Compliance
Adherence to laws, regulations, and industry requirements governing data protection, privacy, and operations.
Security Compliance
Security & Compliance
Adherence to security standards, certifications, and regulatory requirements to protect data and systems.
Compliance Standards
Security & Compliance
Multiple compliance frameworks and regulations organizations must satisfy simultaneously.
SOC 2
Security & Compliance
Service Organization Control 2 - an auditing standard for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customer data in cloud services.
ISO 27001
Security & Compliance
International standard for information security management systems specifying requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving security controls.
PCI DSS
Security & Compliance
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard - requirements for organizations handling credit card data including network security, access control, encryption, monitoring, and testing.
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