IT Compliance Requirements by Industry: HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and More

IT compliance is not optional. Regulatory frameworks mandate specific technical controls, and failure to comply means fines, lawsuits, and lost business. Here is what each major framework requires from your IT infrastructure.

Required IT Controls: - Access controls: unique user IDs, automatic logoff, encryption of PHI at rest and in transit - Audit controls: log all access to systems containing PHI - Integrity controls: mechanism to authenticate electronic PHI - Transmission security: encrypt PHI transmitted over networks - Backup and disaster recovery: maintain recoverable copies of PHI - Business Associate Agreements (BAAs): require from all vendors who touch PHI - Risk assessment: conduct annually and document findings - Security awareness training: train all workforce members

Penalties: $100–$50,000 per violation, up to $1.5 million per year per violation category.

Required IT Controls: - Network segmentation: isolate cardholder data environment from general network - Firewall configuration: restrict inbound and outbound traffic to payment systems - Encryption: encrypt cardholder data at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+) - Access control: restrict access to cardholder data on a need-to-know basis - Vulnerability scanning: quarterly internal and external scans - Penetration testing: annual pen test of cardholder data environment - Log monitoring: review security logs daily - Antivirus/anti-malware: deploy and maintain on all systems - Patch management: apply critical patches within 30 days

Penalties: $5,000–$100,000 per month of non-compliance from payment brands.

Required IT Controls: - Logical access controls: MFA, role-based access, regular access reviews - Change management: documented and approved change processes - Incident response: documented plan with regular testing - Monitoring and alerting: continuous monitoring of systems and infrastructure - Data encryption: at rest and in transit - Vendor management: assess and monitor third-party security - Business continuity: documented DR plan with defined RTO/RPO

Note: SOC 2 Type I assesses design at a point in time. SOC 2 Type II assesses operating effectiveness over 6–12 months. Type II is the industry standard that customers expect.

• Level 1: 17 basic practices (antivirus, passwords, access control)
• Level 2: 110 practices aligned to NIST SP 800-171 (most contractors need this)
• Level 3: Advanced practices with government-assessed validation

IT requirements: - Data mapping: know what personal data you collect and where it resides - Access request handling: respond to consumer requests within 45 days - Data deletion capabilities: ability to delete consumer data on request - Reasonable security: implement appropriate technical safeguards - Vendor contracts: ensure vendors protect consumer data

Common Requirements Across All Frameworks:

Regardless of industry, these controls appear in virtually every compliance framework: 1. Multi-factor authentication 2. Encryption at rest and in transit 3. Network segmentation 4. Regular vulnerability scanning 5. Documented incident response plan 6. Employee security awareness training 7. Access control with least privilege 8. Backup and disaster recovery with testing 9. Security logging and monitoring 10. Vendor/third-party risk management

Summit DNC helps businesses achieve and maintain compliance across HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and CMMC frameworks. Our compliance-aware managed IT plans include the technical controls, documentation, and audit support required by these standards. Contact us for a compliance readiness assessment.