Compliance Framework Database Updated

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 03/31/08

Consulting and publishing firm Network Frontiers has released the Q1 2008 Unified Compliance Framework (UCF), a database used in compliance management systems. UCF maps hundreds of regulations, including privacy information, HIPPA, PCI-DDS and Medicaid/Medicare mandates, into a master hierarchal framework. This latest version of the UCF consolidates cross platform configuration management controls into a single set of controls.

"The UCF harmonizes IT controls from over 400 international regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines from both technical and legal perspectives," said Dorian Cougias, CTO of the company. "Rather than testing and asserting compliance for each individual regulation, IT organizations use the UCF to save...time and money by distilling compliance requirements to their essence and asserting compliance across multiple authority documents simultaneously."

Created by law firm Latham and Watkins, UCF was first introduced to the market in 2006 and has been integrated into products from Computer Associates and NetIQ. The framework has been used by multiple education institutions, including the University of Delaware, the University of Fairfax, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Utah, and the University System of Georgia.

"CA GRC Manager integrates the Unified Compliance Framework as an essential resource for the mapping of current controls and regulations as well as the rapid support of future compliance requirements," said Marc Camm, VP of governance, risk and compliance products at CA. "Since the UCF harmonizes thousands of controls, our customers are able to simplify compliance and proactively address new and updated regulations."

"We selected the Unified Compliance Framework because it is the standard for integrated compliance," said Matt Ulery, director of product management at NetIQ. "The UCF allows us to deliver the leading controls content and focus on our core competency of delivering IT and security management solutions."

The UCF organizes real-world IT processes into 12 "IT Impact Zones," each dealing with one area of policies, standards, and procedures, such as audits and risk management. Within each zone, a company can map the overlap between multiple authority documents, create a control list for each zone and clarify any conflicts created by overlapping authority documents.