What is Security Compliance?
Definition
Adherence to security standards, certifications, and regulatory requirements to protect data and systems. Security compliance encompasses obtaining and maintaining certifications like SOC 2 and ISO 27001, implementing required security controls, meeting industry-specific regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS), and demonstrating ongoing security program maturity through audits and assessments.
Why This Matters
Security breaches cost organizations millions in fines, remediation, and reputation damage. Without verified security compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), you're accepting unquantified risk. 62% of RFP evaluators cite security compliance as a dealbreaker requirement. This isn't optional—it's table stakes for enterprise software selection and protects your organization from liability.
Related Terms
Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.
Essential Connections
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.
GDPR
Security & Compliance
General Data Protection Regulation - European Union law protecting personal data privacy and giving individuals control over their information.
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 Audit
Security & Compliance
Independent examination of security controls, policies, and practices verifying compliance with standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or industry regulations.
Data Security
Security & Compliance
Protection of information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction through encryption, access controls, monitoring, and security policies.
Penetration Testing
Security & Compliance
Simulated cyber attacks testing security defenses by attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in applications, networks, or systems.
Security Controls
Security & Compliance
Technical and procedural safeguards implemented to protect data, systems, and infrastructure from unauthorized access, breaches, and threats.
Security Questions
RFP Fundamentals
20-40 RFP questions assessing data encryption, access controls, compliance certifications, incident response, backup procedures, and vulnerability management.
Vendor Qualification
Vendor Management & Evaluation
The process of verifying vendors meet minimum requirements for financial stability, industry experience, customer references, security certifications, and regulatory compliance before allowing RFP participation.
Risk Assessment
Security & Compliance
Systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating potential risks associated with a vendor or software solution.
Showing 11 semantically related terms ·Browse all 200 terms
Related RFP Templates
Explore our top RFP templates - all 75 templates include questions about security compliance