Increasing cybersecurity and meeting certain cyber compliance standards are valuable undertakings for any creative agency—and we have 9 compelling reasons why. Whether you’re an agency looking to upgrade or a leader looking to hire creative agencies, we’ve got the tips for you.
So prepare your standard operating procedures (SOPs), contact your information technology (IT) department, and get ready to learn our top evidence for the advantages of increasing your agency cyber compliance.
What is Agency Cyber Compliance?
Simply put, cyber compliance is meeting certain official standards in order to process certain data, protect that data, and provide services to a larger group of clients. Some of these standards intersect with fields outside cybersecurity and are familiar to even those in fields other than technology: examples include PCI DSS, HIPAA, and FINRA. In more targeted cybersecurity context, this includes standard organizations like NIST—designed to safeguard the information of federal agencies and U.S. industry.
For creative agencies, cyber compliance may mean investing in better IT infrastructure to meet a client’s creative needs. For potential clients, looking at an agency’s cyber compliance achievements may tell you when you’re working with a more trustworthy partner.
Note: Cyber compliance and cybersecurity are different concepts. Just because a company has met cyber compliance standards doesn’t guarantee its overall cybersecurity is up to par—but it’s usually a good indicator.
Why invest in cyber compliance?
Let’s get into it. Below, find our top reasons to invest in, or look for, great agency cyber compliance.
You gain access to high-level contracts
As part of our DoD contract work for video training with the U.S. Air Force (USAF), The DVI Group had to work towards NIST SP 800-171 compliance. NIST-compliant companies have scalable processes, 2-form authentication, segregated wireless, and other high-security characteristics that the government requires.
You’ll meet updated standards in a constantly changing world
Cybersecurity standards are often updated frequently to meet and defend against new threats using new technology. NIST SP 800-171, for example, was first created in 2015, but it’s been frequently updated since. To keep our compliance, we’ll have to meet standards as they change—but in return, we’ll gain the assurance that our processes meet a high standard.
You can open doors to different industries
Whether your creative niche could include hospital brands, SaaS startups, or high-value wealth management firms, you’re bound to come across a field that needs you to protect it and its customers’ data aggressively. Meeting compliance standards can open an entirely new creative niche or vertical.
You’ll increase awareness to catch threats
According to our IT specialist, Gustavo Centeio of GC Network Solutions, hackers are getting more sophisticated by the day. Some victims can’t tell that their systems have been hacked until it’s far too late—and some types of hackers don’t leave a trace of their presence, collecting information on companies for years without anyone’s knowledge. When you meet higher compliance standards, you create awareness and protocols that can help you identify these threats sooner. Everyone stays safer, and you benefit.
“Most companies are not aware. They think that everything is okay because they haven’t had a virus that they know of, saying, ‘We don’t need cybersecurity—we haven’t had issues.’ The fact that you don’t have any issues that are visible doesn’t mean you don’t have a threat that’s going on in your network.” -Gustavo Centeio, GC Network Solutions
You have help
Work with your IT department or provider to create a custom plan for improving your cyber standards. IT providers are used to creating SOPs, guidelines, and protocols to best fit your needs. If you’re a creative agency that’s just starting on this path, don’t worry: you can find resources that will help you improve in the most efficient way.
“I like to be very transparent….It’s a relationship—the IT partner and the customer. I look at it as a relationship that’s long-term.”
You can involve your people
Meeting cyber compliance often involves the entire organization. From how employees save documents to whether they can take USB drives offsite (hint: according to Centeio, they shouldn’t), creating new standards helps create buy-in from your entire team. No one wants their data or their clients’ data stolen, and most employees are more than willing to follow clear guidelines for protection.
You’ll gain better server protection
Centeio notes that a key aspect of meeting cyber compliance for DVI was improved firewalls—ones with gateway-level security. Installing such security may represent a significant investment, but it protects your servers in a way that home solutions simply can’t. This type of enterprise level security puts one more step between the cybercriminals and your business by detecting ransomware, malware, and the like.
You ensure business continuity
Perhaps most enticing among our reasons for meeting compliance is the assurance that you can continue business as usual even in the face of a threat. With the proper standards in place, you’ll be impervious to threats, allowing your people to meet deadlines and continue work without costly hang-ups.
You’ll stop attacks before they start.
Recently, we covered some tips for how to insure against cyberattacks once they happen. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When an agency meets cyber compliance standards, they preemptively defend themselves against the unthinkable—and that level of defense is worth the investment.
“You need to have the right plan in place and the right tools to monitor, track, and collect information and analyze the threats that may be in your network.”
Agency Cyber Compliance as a Necessity
We live in a digital age, and with digital advantages come increased cyber threats.
At The DVI Group, we strive to meet the highest cyber compliance standards possible in order to keep our clients’ information safe, and we encourage other creative agencies to do the same.