SaaS Compliance Frameworks serve as the bedrock of trust in the digital economy. This comprehensive guide accelerates your path to market by decoding the complex intersection of AI with global regulations, Cloud Governance, and “Compliance as Code.”
Whether you are navigating the stringent requirements of HIPAA, FedRAMP, or the EU’s NIS2, our master glossary provides the technical depth and strategic clarity required to transform regulatory hurdles into a powerful sales engine.
📘 Comprehensive SaaS Compliance, Governance, and Implementation Glossary
🔑 Foundational Terms for SaaS Governance
- AUP (Acceptable Use Policy): Legally binding document defining how users can/cannot interact with your SaaS.
- DPBP (Data Protection by Design & Default): The requirement (under GDPR Article 25) to build privacy into the system architecture, not as an add-on.
- Data Residency vs. Sovereignty: Residency is the physical location of the data (e.g., AWS Region). Sovereignty is the legal jurisdiction the data is subject to (e.g., EU laws vs. US CLOUD Act).
- Shared Responsibility Model: The fundamental cloud contract. Your provider (CSP) secures the “Cloud” (physical servers/cables), while you secure what is “In the Cloud” (code, data, and access).
🏥 Healthcare, Pharma, & Medical Devices (FDA/EMA Focus)
| Term | Description | Context |
| SAMD | Software as a Medical Device | SaaS that performs medical functions without being part of hardware. |
| 510(k) | FDA Premarket Submission | Demonstrating a device is safe/effective before US market entry. |
| PMA | Premarket Approval | The most stringent FDA process for Class III medical devices. |
| eCTD | Electronic Common Technical Document | Standard format for submitting applications to health authorities. |
| VMP | Validation Master Plan (Life Sciences) | High-level document outlining the testing/validation strategy for software. |
| HIPAA Security Rule | US Health and Human Services Technical Safeguards | Specifics on encryption, audit controls, and integrity for SaaS. |
🏛️ Government & Public Sector (Global Standards)
| Region | Standards / Policies | Focus |
| US Federal | CMMC (Department of Defense. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) | Mandatory for DoD contractors; secures the supply chain. |
| US Federal | ITAR / EAR International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations | Export controls for defense-related data and software. |
| Canada | ITSG-33 / PBMM | Protected B, Medium Profile for Canadian Gov cloud data. |
| France | SecNumCloud ANSSI | High-security cloud certification by ANSSI. |
| Spain | ENS (Esquema Nacional de Seguridad) | National Security Framework for public sector tech. |
🛠️ Operational Governance: DevOps, SecOps, & IT
Compliance is no longer a “paper exercise”; it is implemented via code.
🛡️ SecOps & Cybersecurity
- SOC 2 (Type I & II) – The “Gold Standard” for SaaS. Type I is a point in time; Type II measures effectiveness over 6–12 months.
- IAM / CIAM – Identity and Access Management (Internal vs. Customer-facing).
- SIEM / SOAR – Security Information & Event Management / Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response.
- DLP – Data Loss Prevention (Tools to prevent PII/PHI from leaving the secure perimeter).
- PenTest – Penetration Testing (Annual requirement for almost all frameworks).
- VDP – Vulnerability Disclosure Program (A “Bug Bounty” or path for researchers to report flaws).
♾️ DevOps & Engineering Best Practices
- SDLC – Software Development Life Cycle (Must be documented for ISO/SOC2).
- CI/CD Pipeline – Automated testing and deployment; essential for maintaining a “Validated State.”
- IaC – Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CloudFormation). Allows for “Compliance as Code.”
- Change Management – The process of documenting every code change (Required for SOX/GxP).
- DR / BCP – Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning (Testing RTO/RPO).
👥 HR & Corporate Governance
Regulatory bodies look at the “Human Element” as much as the “Software Element.”
- L&D – Learning and Development (Mandatory annual Security/Privacy awareness training).
- Background Checks – Requirement for employees with access to production data (GDPR/SOC2).
- Access Revocation – HR process to remove system access within X hours of termination.
- Whistleblower Policy – Required for SOX and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance.
- DPO – Data Protection Officer (A required role under GDPR for companies processing large-scale data).
🌐 Expanded Reference Frameworks
🔧 Technical & IT Governance
- ITIL 4: Best practices for IT Service Management (ITSM).
- CSA STAR: Cloud Security Alliance registry for SaaS transparency.
- OWASP Top 10: Standard awareness document for web application security.
🇪🇺 European & Global Additions
- NIS2 Directive: New EU-wide cybersecurity legislation for “Essential Entities.”
- DORA: Digital Operational Resilience Act (Crucial for SaaS vendors serving the Financial Sector in the EU).
- ISO 27701: The privacy extension to ISO 27001 (Maps well to GDPR).
💡 Pro-Tip for Implementation
When building a SaaS for these sectors, aim for “Common Controls.” Instead of building one process for HIPAA and another for GDPR, use a framework like NIST 800-53 to satisfy 80% of the requirements for both simultaneously.
Other SaaS Compliance Frameworks
- AICPA & CIMA | AICPA & CIMA
- Cybersecurity and Privacy Reference Tool Update | CSRC
- FedRAMP – Glossary | CSRC
- Getting Ahead of Global Regulations
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
- GRC for SOX Compliance – Reduced Burden
- GRC Industry Reference Matrix
- HR Compliance Issues: Challenges U.S. Employers Face Today?
- IRM SOX FAQs
- ITIL Service Management
- Certified Identity and Access Manager (CIAM)® – Identity Management Institute®
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Security Operations (SecOps)
- Security-Operations GRC Glossary
