Compliance, a complex subject, stirs varied emotions in businesses. First-timers find it overwhelming, juggling complex requirements and legal jargon. Ensuring everything gets done is easier said than done, but compliance memes add a touch of humor to the challenge.
Some also see compliance as a mere checklist item—a necessary endeavour that is largely prompted by customer requests. And then there are the select few who understand the benefits of a strong compliance program and truly reap long-term returns of the cultural shift it creates.
But we’re not talking about any of that. Today, we attempt to bring out the funny side of cybersecurity with some compliance memes. After all, it’s not every day you get to share a laugh about a serious subject.
Compliance Management
At first, a lot of companies don’t get the difference between security and compliance. One is the process of adhering to laws and regulations that specifically apply to an organization and the other entails the process of getting measures in place to protect data and assets from unlawful access and use.
Meanwhile Phineas: He dare not call my security marvels as compliance wonders
Security and compliance are closely intertwined. So an auditor, in essence, assesses both aspects and how they integrate.
So how’s your compliance and security posture? Company: Well, it’s lit…LITERALLY!
Misrepresenting your compliance status can have severe consequences.
Compliance is often an unsung hero but today we choose to change the narrative!
Compliance is a sales enabler. Not only does it unlock growth opportunities but can lend a lot of confidence while entering sales conversations.
I attribute all my wrinkles to this stressful compliance journey
Compliance is complicated. It has a lot of moving parts and managing everything manually can quickly become an uphill task. And like every endeavour, compliance can greatly benefit from the use of technology.
Audit
Audits can get frustrating—compliance teams often engage in a lot of back-and-forth conversations with the auditor if they don’t have all the evidence handy.
When you expected a digital audit trail but documentation is as ancient as hieroglyphics!
Ensure that mandatory or necessary documents are compiled and indexed before the audit.
When auditors channel their inner Liam Neeson, the risk assessments can run but not hide!
Imagine getting fined for someone else driving the car recklessly. Suffering through a data breach because of a third-party vendor feels just as unfair. Take vendor risk assessments seriously.
Grab your binoculars, Mr. Auditor. My documents are migrating!
Impressing an auditor 101: Have all documents at a centralized place to make them easy to access and facilitate better collaboration.
Auditor writing his opinion: Had a bumpy tour and many unexpected detours!
Hiding all the clutter before the guests arrive? Well, you can’t fix your compliance status right before the audit and move towards security maturity. Compliance is an ongoing activity.
Risk Management
You knock down one compliance risk and another pops up. Compliance risk management is a never-ending chase.
Expecting a superhero cape from the compliance officer for Secret Santa
If you report a security incident on time it reduces the probability of it spiralling into chaos. And for that, your compliance officer will owe you.
When your cybersecurity game is not on point, you leave yourself vulnerable
It’s like holding a top-secret party with the back door wide open! Companies need to ensure continuous compliance to keep threats at bay.
I’ve always been an emotional fool thinking everyone has my back.
Well, you don’t keep the spare house keys at the same place, do you? You must have multiple backups in locations other than the primary one such as cloud backups, secondary data centers, backups in physical devices such as hard drives and an offsite backup.
Self-sabotaging my tech controls so I can make them stronger to face the tough world outside
Penetration tests are like building fire drills that test how you respond in case of a real fire. These are authorized tests by ethical hackers who use the same tools and techniques used by malicious actors to identify system weaknesses.
Changing my data costume for a little digital makeover
Anonymizing, encrypting, or obfuscating data during transmission helps ensure its confidentiality. It is especially done for sensitive information such as PHI, cardholder information, and other personal data.
Me trying to channel my inner Einstein
Try using a risk matrix maybe? It’ll help you clearly communicate the likelihood and impact of risks and prioritize them based on criticality.
I am away from the cyber chaos yet I can’t meditate. I think I miss my cyber NETWORK.
After a cyber incident, the affected networks are isolated to contain the damage and minimize the impacts of the malicious activity.
*Signs up for inner digital child healing sessions with the therapist*
Encryption adds a layer of security to critical data by transforming it into a code or an unreadable format.
Vulnerabilities and Threats
Never found time to visit the dentist and get the tooth gap filled but sure you have been closing the vulnerability gaps! Take a break and let these vulnerabilities and threat memes bring a smile to your face.
That’s where my email trust issues began
Email phishing attempts are common. Organizing a ‘Spot the phish’ contest may be a great idea.
Cyber attack to other friends: hey come in, we are having a party tonight!
Misconfigurations are like security guards who let the uninvited troublemakers in.
My friendly face does give me the benefit of doubt
You can either strategically place the ‘I see you’ signs everywhere in the office or handle discontented employees with care.
Security loopholes are often the data assassins! BEWARE!
Conduct regular vulnerability scans and follow security best practices to fortify your defenses. Your data processes will thank you.
SOC 2
SOC 2 is a popular compliance standard especially in the U.S. If you are dealing with SOC 2 or are yet to receive the report, the lead up to certification can be nerve-wracking.
When customers behave like girlfriends that need a solid assurance
Sure your product is great. But getting SOC 2 compliant showcases your commitment to strong security and control implementation.
I was always a class topper and nobody ever ditched me for a certificate!
SOC 2 isn’t a certification, it is a report. AICPA does not issue any formal certification for SOC 2 even though it’s common for businesses to say they are SOC 2 certified.
The same superheroes working across the cybersecurity WEB
SOC 2 has almost a 90% overlap with ISO 27001. With a little extra effort, you can achieve audit-readiness for both frameworks simultaneously.
Security Questionnaire
Having a compliance certification may not remove the need to answer security questionnaires but it can reduce the effort needed to answer them significantly.
“My certification will now do the talking for me”
Nobody wants to spend long-hours on filling a security questionnaire after getting compliant. Well, the good news is it gets better.
Filling ‘Yes’ for every answer in the security questionnaire with confidence
You must answer security questionnaires correctly and refrain from hiding any discrepancies about your security posture. Doing this can have severe consequences.
Cybersecurity Training
Employees are often targeted with phishing scams, password attacks, malware, and more. Cybersecurity training plays a crucial role here to raise awareness and build a security conscious culture.
Not a bad idea to make an evening out of it.
Make cybersecurity training sessions creative. Be sure to involve key stakeholders. We’re of course kidding about making it a holiday special.
Since then, my life has been full of cyber drama!
Educate employees about phishing attacks through training programs and simulation exercises to avoid potential disasters.
Let me keep a mathematical equation I haven’t used in years as my complex password
Complex passwords involve using a combination of upper case, lowercase and special characters. But it’s also important you’re able to remember it when necessary. So save the maths equations for the classroom.
The pets: “Let’s solve it for once and for all. Who is going to be your cybersecurity guardian?!”
Adding a security question ensures layered security. There are many methods to layer your security—two-factor authentication being the most common.
Wrapping up
We hope that in a world full of monotonous and daunting compliance advice, this blog was a breath of fresh air. Beneath the cybersecurity memes and all the fun, compliance is labor-intensive and time-consuming. But with automation tools like Sprinto, you can put compliance on autopilot.
Sprinto’s streamlined workflows take the manual burden off your shoulders and lets you focus on the things that matter. The platform has out-of-the-box compliance programs, supports 15+ frameworks, and enables granular-level control of your security efforts.
Let’s show you how it’s done. Also do share these compliance memes with anyone you want to make laugh.
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