Cloud compliance refers to the process of adhering to regulatory standards, international laws and mandates, and industry best practices (frameworks, benchmarks) in the context of cloud computing. It ensures that cloud services and the data they handle meet specific security, privacy, and operational criteria. Organizations must navigate various compliance requirements — such as MITRE ATT&CK®, CIS, NIST, and ISO — and regulations like the GDPR, FedRAMP, and HIPAA to build and maintain customer trust. Achieving cloud compliance involves implementing robust security measures, regular audits, and continuous monitoring to safeguard against breaches and ensure regulatory alignment.
The compliance landscape is rapidly changing, with new regulations, frameworks, and benchmarks being adopted to address various issues associated with the exponential growth of data collected by organizations. These regulations encompass not only data protection and privacy but areas such as cybersecurity, financial reporting, and environmental standards. Information technology is also evolving as organizations migrate from on-premises data centers to cloud-based infrastructure, presenting new challenges and opportunities in maintaining compliance across diverse operational domains. Consequently, many organizations face uncertainty regarding their compliance obligations and how to define cloud compliance. In most cases, however, the requirements remain consistent whether data is hosted on-premises or in the public cloud. In this post, we will discuss the importance of maintaining compliance, the challenges of cloud compliance, and mechanisms for ensuring best practices.