Cybersecurity & Compliance Insights Archive | Heights Consulting Group

What is cyber risk? Explore risk types, detection strategies, impacts on healthcare, compliance standards, and management best practices for executives.

A cybersecurity maturity assessment dives into your defenses across three core pillars: governance, workflows, and controls. It’s more than a checklist—it shines a light on hidden gaps before they become crises. Executives and vCISOs count on these evaluations to speak a common language, smoothing budget conversations and aligning IT, risk, and compliance teams. Defining Cybersecurity

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is your organization’s hub for spotting and neutralizing cyber threats before they escalate. Picture it as an airport control tower, scanning endless data streams and guiding security teams into action. Overview Of Security Operations Center A SOC brings together logs and alerts from firewalls, endpoints, applications, and more. This unified

A Chief Information Security Officer’s world revolves around one core mission: building and running a strategy to protect the company's data, assets, and technology from the ground up. This isn't just about managing cyber risk; it's about navigating the labyrinth of regulatory compliance and leading the charge during an inevitable incident response. At its heart,

Let's be honest, the term "cyber resilience" gets thrown around a lot. Too often, it's treated as just another buzzword for cybersecurity. But that’s a dangerous oversimplification. Cybersecurity is your fortress—the walls, the moat, the sentries on watch. It’s absolutely essential for preventing attacks. But cyber resilience is what happens when a spy slips past

Think of a risk governance framework as your company's strategic blueprint for handling uncertainty. It's the master plan that defines the roles, rules, and routines you need to make smart, risk-aware decisions. In essence, it’s the complete navigation system for your business as it sails through unpredictable waters. What Is a Risk Governance Framework Really?

Think of remote managed IT services as outsourcing your entire IT department to a team of dedicated experts. Instead of hiring an in-house team, you partner with an external provider who proactively manages, monitors, and maintains your whole technology stack from a distance. This isn't just about fixing computers when they break; it's a completely

For healthcare executives, the real challenge isn't just about the technology itself. It’s about the constant, high-stakes balancing act between delivering exceptional patient care and navigating a minefield of cybersecurity risks and complex regulations. Healthcare managed services offer a way out of this dilemma, providing a strategic partnership that lifts the day-to-day burden of IT

Let's cut right to it. Threat intelligence isn't just a pile of security data; it's what happens when that data is collected, refined, and analyzed to give you a clear, actionable picture of real-world threats. Think of it this way: knowing it's cloudy is just data. Having a meteorologist tell you a hailstorm is forming

When we talk about a Managed Service Provider (MSP) in healthcare, we’re talking about an outsourced partner that takes the reins of your entire IT infrastructure. It’s crucial to know this has nothing to do with the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSP). A healthcare MSP is your dedicated technology crew, working behind the scenes to

Learn the essential 7 steps for a cybersecurity compliance checklist tailored for healthcare CISOs and IT managers to improve data protection and reduce risks.

This cybersecurity governance guide provides a step-by-step process for CISOs to align security, compliance, and business goals, ensuring robust protection and regulatory adherence.

Why perform security assessments: discover types, regulatory drivers, risk mitigation, and CISO priorities in US healthcare cybersecurity strategy.

Explore our managed security services comparison featuring 4 top providers, helping you choose the best for your cybersecurity needs in 2026.

Vulnerability management protects business assets, ensuring compliance, reducing cyber risk, and aligning with US regulations and executive priorities.

Discover essential cyber risk management steps. Follow a clear, practical process to protect your organization, improve security posture, and achieve compliance.

Discover how to achieve soc 2 compliance with a step-by-step guide tailored for executives and security leaders, ensuring complete verification and certification.

Risk management empowers organizations to identify, assess, and minimize threats. Learn types, key processes, responsibilities, and compliance impact.

Compliance in financial services is all about playing by the rules—the complex web of laws, regulations, and guidelines that keep the industry honest and stable. But it's so much more than a checklist. Think of it as the bedrock that protects consumers, stabilizes markets, and ensures your institution operates with integrity. Get it wrong, and

Discover 7 types of cyber risk assessments every executive should know. Learn which assessments can improve security and meet compliance in your business.

Role of executive cybersecurity leadership—discover core responsibilities, compliance integration, leadership skills, common pitfalls, and business impact.

The rapid migration to cloud environments has unlocked unprecedented agility and scalability for organizations, but this transformation introduces complex security challenges. If left unaddressed, misconfigurations, identity compromises, and sophisticated threats can lead to catastrophic data breaches and operational disruption. These are no longer abstract risks; they are daily realities for businesses of all sizes. To

Getting Zero Trust right means throwing out the old “trust but verify” playbook. We’re moving to a much stricter model: “never trust, always verify.” This isn’t just a new tool; it’s a fundamental shift in how we approach security. The core idea is to stop giving anything—a user, a device, an application—the benefit of the

Before you even think about firing up a scanner, you have to lay the groundwork. A solid vulnerability assessment doesn't start with technology; it starts with strategy. Skipping this foundational work is a surefire way to waste time, miss critical vulnerabilities, and produce reports that nobody acts on. Think of it as building a house.

When it comes to HIPAA, a data breach isn't just a technical problem—it's a critical event that can shatter patient trust. The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule is your playbook for what to do next. It forces healthcare organizations to report any unauthorized use or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI), unless you can prove there's

In an era where billions of devices connect to the internet, securing the Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer optional-it's a critical business imperative. From industrial control systems and healthcare monitors to smart office sensors and consumer gadgets, each new connection point introduces potential vulnerabilities. Ignoring these risks can lead to devastating data breaches,

A HIPAA Security Risk Assessment isn't just another item on a compliance checklist. Think of it as the bedrock of your entire security program—a mandatory, deep-dive analysis required by federal law to pinpoint and address any and all risks to electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). For any healthcare organization, this is ground zero for protecting

The HIPAA Security Rule sets the national standard for protecting electronic personal health information (ePHI) that healthcare organizations create, receive, use, or store. At its heart, the rule is all about maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of that sensitive patient data. Think of it as the blueprint for building a digital fortress around your

Hybrid cloud security is all about protecting your data, applications, and infrastructure, no matter where they live. It’s about creating one consistent security strategy that works seamlessly across your own private data centers and the public cloud services you use. Understanding the New Security Frontier Securing a hybrid cloud isn't just an evolution of traditional

When we talk about the core IoT security concerns, we're really talking about a fundamental truth: every single device you connect to your network is a new door for an attacker to try and open. Too often, these devices are designed for convenience and cost, not security, creating vulnerabilities that can lead to disastrous operational,

Think of a cybersecurity risk assessment service as a full physical for your company's digital health. It’s not just about taking your temperature with a quick scan; it's about understanding the entire system—what matters most, where the weak spots are, and what could actually make you sick. The goal is to answer real-world business questions:

A SOC 2 readiness assessment is essentially a dress rehearsal for your official audit. It's a proactive step where you identify—and, more importantly, fix—any gaps in your security controls before the auditors show up with their clipboards. Getting this right from the start saves a massive amount of time, money, and stress down the line.

When done right, phishing awareness training can turn your team from a potential liability into your single greatest security asset. It’s not about a single webinar; it’s a constant process of building a human firewall by teaching everyone how to spot, sidestep, and report the clever attacks that sneak past our technical defenses. Why Your

If your company handles Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) for the Department of Defense, CMMC Level 2 is the new benchmark you have to meet. This level isn't optional—it requires you to fully implement all 110 security controls found in NIST SP 800-171. This is now the standard for protecting sensitive government data, and you'll need

In a high-stakes regulatory environment, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance stands as a critical pillar of corporate governance and financial transparency. The integrity of your financial reporting is directly dependent on the robustness of your IT General Controls (ITGCs). An inadequate or poorly documented control framework is not just a compliance gap; it's a direct threat that

If you’re in healthcare, getting a handle on PCI and HIPAA isn’t just a good idea—it’s a fundamental part of staying in business. These are two separate but often intersecting sets of rules that dictate how sensitive data must be protected. HIPAA takes care of patient health information, while PCI DSS is all about locking

In today’s complex threat landscape, a Security Operations Center (SOC) is the nerve center of an effective defense strategy. Simply having a SOC, however, is not enough. To transition from a state of constant alert fatigue to one of strategic resilience, organizations must implement proven security operations center best practices. An optimized SOC moves beyond

HIPAA compliance isn’t just about following federal law to protect patient health information. It’s a foundational promise you make to your patients—a commitment to keep their most sensitive data safe using specific administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. This isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about maintaining the trust that is the very cornerstone of healthcare.

Third-party risk management (TPRM) is the formal process of identifying, analyzing, and controlling the risks that come with relying on outside vendors, suppliers, and partners. It's all about making sure their weaknesses don't become your catastrophes. Think of it as a critical defense system that shields your data, your reputation, and your day-to-day operations from

In an interconnected business environment, managing cyber risk has transformed from a siloed IT function into a fundamental pillar of corporate strategy. As threats from sophisticated ransomware operators, state-sponsored groups, and AI-powered attacks escalate in frequency and impact, a reactive, compliance-focused security posture is no longer sufficient. The most resilient organizations recognize this shift and

In an era of relentless cyber threats and tightening regulations, maintaining an effective in-house security program is a monumental challenge for any organization. The skills gap is widening, attack surfaces are expanding, and the cost of a data breach continues to climb into the millions. This constant pressure creates a state of deep uncertainty for

Navigating the complex market of cybersecurity partners is a critical, high-stakes decision for any organization. Selecting the right managed security service provider (MSSP) can mean the difference between a resilient security posture and a catastrophic breach. This guide is designed to cut through the noise, providing a direct, comprehensive roundup of the best managed security

A solid ransomware defense isn't just a checklist of technical fixes. It's a comprehensive strategy that weaves together technology, people, and processes into a resilient security posture. The goal is to build a program that can harden your systems, empower your people, and prepare you for the worst. Building Your Ransomware Defense Strategy Let's get

Securing a remote workforce isn't just about giving everyone a VPN and calling it a day. It demands a complete rethinking of how we approach security, moving away from the old office-centric mindset and toward a strategy that’s all about identity. The goal is to secure our people and our data wherever they happen to

Security risk management is all about getting ahead of the curve. It’s a structured way for a business to find, evaluate, and act on potential security threats before they turn into real problems. In simple terms, it's the formal process of protecting what matters most to your organization—your data, your technology, your reputation, and your

Think of a cybersecurity risk management framework as a strategic playbook for your digital defense. It's a structured set of guidelines, best practices, and controls that gives you a repeatable process for managing online threats. This isn't about guesswork; it's about moving your security from a frantic, reactive scramble to a calm, proactive discipline. Why

Hybrid cloud security isn't just a grab-bag of tools. It’s a unified strategy, a way to wrap a consistent layer of protection around your on-premises infrastructure and your public cloud services. Think of it as creating a single, unbroken security chain, making sure your data and applications are safe, no matter where they live. Navigating

A HIPAA risk assessment is so much more than a compliance box to check. It's the absolute bedrock of protecting patient data and your single best defense against a costly, reputation-damaging breach. Using a solid hipaa risk assessment template gives you a structured way to get ahead of threats and vulnerabilities to Protected Health Information

Achieving SOC 2 compliance is a critical milestone for any organization handling customer data, demonstrating a commitment to security, availability, and confidentiality. The path to a successful audit, however, is paved with complex controls and documentation requirements. Many businesses struggle with where to begin, feeling overwhelmed by the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria and the sheer

When we talk about IoT security issues, we're really talking about all the ways a smart, internet-connected device can be turned against you. From weak default passwords to unencrypted data streams, these design flaws create openings for attackers, turning a helpful gadget into a security nightmare. For any organization using IoT, getting a handle on

Information security policies are the bedrock of a resilient cybersecurity program. They translate high-level goals into actionable rules that govern how data is handled, systems are secured, and incidents are managed. Yet, creating a comprehensive, audit-ready policy set from scratch is a monumental task that drains internal resources and delays critical risk mitigation efforts. This

At first glance, PCI DSS and HIPAA might seem like two sides of the same coin—both are security standards, right? But the reality is far more nuanced. Their core purposes are fundamentally different: PCI DSS is all about protecting payment card data to stop fraud, while HIPAA is laser-focused on safeguarding patient health information to

Achieving and maintaining Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance is a non-negotiable cornerstone of modern business. Yet, many organizations treat it as a once-a-year scramble rather than an ongoing security discipline. With the full implementation of PCI DSS v4.0 now in effect, the stakes are significantly higher. The new standard demands a

So, what exactly is CMMC compliance? In simple terms, it's the Department of Defense's official way of making sure that any contractor handling sensitive government information has the right cybersecurity measures in place. It's a major departure from the old self-assessment "honor system," introducing mandatory, third-party audits to lock down the entire defense supply chain.

In the world of financial services, compliance isn't just about ticking boxes and following rules. Think of it as the bedrock of your entire operation—the foundation for trust, stability, and resilience. It's the essential navigation system that helps you steer through an incredibly complex and ever-changing sea of regulations. Get it wrong, and you're not