Executive Insight

Organizations operating in North America face an increasingly complex regulatory environment. From protecting controlled unclassified information (CUI) to safeguarding personal health data and financial records, compliance is no longer a one-time checkbox. It is an ongoing operational requirement.

Frameworks such as CMMC, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GLBA, and SOX impose strict obligations on how sensitive data is accessed, shared, monitored, and retained. At the same time, organizations must support digital transformation, cloud adoption, remote work, and AI-driven workflows without losing control of their data.

This white paper provides a practical overview of the most critical North American compliance frameworks and explains how a data-centric approach helps organizations meet regulatory requirements consistently, even as data moves across systems, users, and organizational boundaries.

Why Compliance is Becoming Harder (Not Easier)

Compliance challenges in North America are intensifying due to several structural shifts:

• Data sprawl across cloud platforms, SaaS tools, and third-party environments
• Extended supply chains and increased data sharing with partners and contractors
• Unstructured data growth, including documents, CAD files, spreadsheets, and emails
• Audit pressure requiring continuous visibility, not point-in-time evidence
• AI adoption, introducing new data exposure risks

Traditional perimeter-based security and repository-level controls struggle to address these realities. Once data leaves a specific system, visibility and control often disappear, creating compliance blind spots.

Key North American Compliance Frameworks: What They Require

While each compliance framework addresses a different industry and risk profile, they share a common expectation: organizations must maintain continuous control, visibility, and accountability over sensitive data, especially unstructured data.

Below is a practical breakdown of what each regulation actually requires and where organizations typically struggle.

CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)

• Who this matters to: Defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
• What CMMC is really about: CMMC is designed to ensure that Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is protected not only inside an organization, but across the entire defense supply chain, including partners and subcontractors.
• Key Requirements:
  • Identify and protect CUI wherever it exists
  • Enforce role-based and least-privilege access
  • Prevent unauthorized sharing or exfiltration
  • Maintain detailed audit logs for all CUI access and usage
  • Demonstrate compliance continuously, not just during audits
• Where organizations struggle:
  • Managing CUI stored as unstructured files such as documents, drawings, and emails
  • Maintaining control when files are shared with external engineering partners
  • Preserving visibility and auditability after files are downloaded or emailed
  • Collecting consistent compliance evidence across systems
• Why this matters: CMMC assessments increasingly focus on operational reality rather than written policy documents. Organizations that cannot prove continuous protection and traceability of CUI face certification delays or failure.