“Compliance Essentials is the core platform that we use for delivering our compliance services as well as for customers to manage their compliance requirements.”

The rapid advancement of technology introduces new compliance challenges. In addition, with the rise in data breaches and privacy concerns, governments and regulatory bodies have introduced stricter data protection regulations such as FedRAMP in the United States, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Compliance with these regulations requires organizations to implement robust data protection measures, conduct privacy assessments, and ensure the secure handling of data, adding complexity to their compliance efforts. Understanding the regulatory implications of the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and implementing adequate controls can be complex, especially when regulations are lagging behind technological advancements. As compliance requirements become increasingly complex, Coalfire—a cybersecurity advisor and compliance assessment company—delivers automated compliance management solutions. In a nutshell, Coalfire is a leading cybersecurity company that specializes in providing independent compliance and risk management services. Based out of Greenwood Village, CO, Coalfire assists organizations across various industries to meet regulatory requirements and assess and manage their cybersecurity risks, while enabling them to enhance their overall security posture.

The company offers a variety of services, including compliance audits and advisory services, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments, and security program development. They leverage a team of experienced security professionals who possess deep expertise in different domains of cybersecurity, ensuring comprehensive and tailored solutions for their clients Coalfire provides everything a business need to achieve FedRAMP authorization, along with the customization to fit the unique requirements of a business. “Our portfolio is broken down into three basic segments: compliance assessments, penetration testing, and cyber and compliance advisory services. Coalfire’s compliance services are the most comprehensive in the industry to help customers consolidate compliance efforts and reduce time, cost, and fatigue,” begins Adam Shnider, EVP, Compliance Services, Coalfire.

With a focus on streamlining compliance operations, Coalfire created Compliance Essentials, an automated compliance management platform designed to drive compliance maturity across more than 50 frameworks, eliminating duplicate evidence requests and allowing businesses to easily scale their compliance program. Compliance Essentials uses Coalfire’s evidence-based mapping to harmonize multiple compliance frameworks and controls. The solution’s industry-leading automation, in partnership with anecdotes, reduces manual evidence collection. This is in addition to the integrated guidance that helps ensure more successful audits while dashboard visibility reduces crunch time efforts. Compliance Essentials is built using industry-accepted best practices and technologies, including data encryption at rest and in transit, robust access controls, system monitoring and alerting, system hardening, and more. It is included in Coalfire’s SOC 2 Type 2 Report, as well as ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 27701:2019 Certifications. Compliance Essentials is based on Coalfire’s thousands of assessments and over one million cumulative assessment hours across a team of 600+ compliance experts. “Compliance Essentials is the core platform that we use for delivering our compliance services as well as for customers to manage their compliance requirements throughout the year,” explains Shnider.

Coalfire’s FedRAMP assessment and advisory services is a great example of their leadership role in the industry, providing services to more than 70 percent of FedRAMP-authorized cloud services providers, including more than 100 assessment customers.

Since opening its doors in 2001, Coalfire has been at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge technology to help public and private sector organizations solve their toughest cybersecurity problems and fuel their overall success. As a company, Coalfire's roots are in compliance and risk assessments related to industry standards and regulatory frameworks such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), ISO 27001, AICPA Service Organization Controls (SOC) reports and others. The company’s highly skilled and experienced team of experts works with clients to evaluate their systems, processes, and controls against these standards, identifying areas of non-compliance and recommending remediation measures.

Over the years, the company has been creating success stories for an unmatched number of clients around the globe. This achievement is with a diverse team of experts with backgrounds in cybersecurity and cyber compliance and leaders that understand the challenges customers face. Coalfire's clients include organizations of various sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises, across industries such as healthcare, financial services, government, technology, and more. By providing independent assessments and guidance, Coalfire helps organizations enhance their security, protect sensitive data, and maintain compliance with relevant regulations and industry best practices. “Coalfire works with the top five cloud service providers and 9 of the top 10 SaaS providers as well as many household names that most people and companies come across every day,” concludes Shnider.