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# Use Automation to Maintain Compliance in the Cloud

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By [Tighe Schlottog](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/tighe-schlottog/?ts=markdown "Posts by Tighe Schlottog")  
Oct 15, 2018  
3 minutes  
[Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown)  
[Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown)  
[Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)  
[Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/cloud-security/?ts=markdown)  
[Cloud Security for Compliance](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/cloud-security-for-compliance/?ts=markdown)

Too often, organizations make the move to the cloud without considering the impact to compliance. Cloud compliance is an issue for any organization using cloud storage or backup services. You can ensure that your organization achieves compliance in the cloud for PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC2 and other regulatory requirements, but it takes investigation and persistence to get the answers and documentation you need to prove it. Herein lies the challenge, especially as more data retention and protection rules are introduced around the globe.

Much of the heavy-lifting in regulatory IT compliance comes from ensuring that proper controls are in place over system and data access. During ![](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/JH_Picture1.png) an audit, an organization must be able to prove the level of access that each user has and how those levels are maintained. This is no small feat. Preparing for an audit, without leveraging automation, may take an organization the better part of a year. The worst part is that compliance is not measured at a point-in-time but your audit is, so if your process is not continuous you can fall out of compliance as soon as auditor finishes their report. For example, today's deployment release has changed the configuration of a service within one of your cloud accounts and boom, you're right back at square one.

A surprising trend is starting to emerge among organizations who are progressing through the cloud maturity lifecycle: major improvements in revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and mission success are being directly attributed to improvements in security and compliance. Companies are gaining and retaining loyal customers by providing verifiable proof that confidential data and personal information is continuously stored safely and securely. Once thought of as road blocks in the journey to the cloud, security and compliance are now considered critical ingredients that help organizations differentiate their offerings in the market, win more deals, and achieve mission-critical goals faster.

It doesn't need to be hard to be compliant in the cloud --- you should just take steps to prepare and share the work across the organization to ensure compliance is maintained. We can help you get started. Join our webinar on **Thursday, Oct. 18**where cloud security and compliance experts will discuss common cloud compliance misconceptions and walk you through how to automate the time-intensive task to save your teams valuable time and allow them to focus on what matters to the business. We'll share practical advice to get your cloud compliance program in the best shape possible, including:

* *Where to start, whether you're starting from scratch or modifying your existing program*
* *Who to involve and when*
* *How to manage reporting, audits, and communication*

**I invite you to register now while spaces are still available. [Click here to register](http://go.paloaltonetworks.com/ComplianceTeamSport).**

By the way, you can get started measuring your cloud compliance now. Evident offers a simple, one-click compliance report that will show you how your cloud infrastructure measures up. [Sign up for a trial](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/evident-multi-cloud-security-trial.html) here.

*** ** * ** ***

## Related Blogs

### [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### Four Cloud Security Concerns (and How to Address Them)](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2019/05/cloud-security-concerns-address/)

### [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### Six Essentials for Your Cloud Security Program](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2019/04/six-essentials-cloud-security-program/)

### [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Events](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/events/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### Positively Fanatical: AWS re:Invent](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/11/positively-fanatical-aws-reinvent/)

### [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### Cloud Compliance: The Cheeseburger Principle](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/10/cloud-compliance-cheeseburger-principle/)

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### It's Time to Bring Together Cloud Compliance and Security Analytics](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/10/time-bring-together-cloud-compliance-security-analytics/)

### [Cloud Computing](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-computing-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-cloud/?ts=markdown)

[#### Microsoft Ignite: Showcasing Our Cloud Offerings and the Depth of Our Microsoft Partnership](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/09/microsoft-ignite-showcasing-cloud-offerings-depth-microsoft-partnership/)

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