29 April 2026

5 min read

Compliance: Cost or investment? How to optimize the implementation of IT regulations

Bartosz Pyrczak

Head of Growth

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Compliance: Cost or investment? How to optimize the implementation of IT regulations

The increase in the number of cyberattacks in recent years is an undeniable fact – both in the private and public sectors. Industry reports show that the scale of threats is growing not only in the number of incidents but also in their complexity and financial consequences. In 2023, global losses related to cybercrime exceeded $8 trillion, and forecasts for the coming years indicate a further escalation of this trend.

In this context, IT compliance is no longer just a matter of meeting regulatory requirements but is becoming a fundamental element of risk management strategy in organizations. New regulations, such as NIS2, DORA, and GDPR, force companies to implement advanced mechanisms for data protection, threat monitoring, and business continuity.

Compliance as an element of strategic risk management

Regulations are not only a reaction to the growing number of incidents but also an attempt to unify safety and data protection standards on a global scale. Organizations that implement compliance strategically gain measurable operational and financial benefits, including:

  • Reduction of the risk of sanctions and financial losses – non-compliance can lead to high administrative fines and consequences resulting from security breaches. An example is the fines resulting from GDPR, which in 2022 reached as much as 1.2 billion euros for a single company.
  • Increase in customer and business partner trust – compliance with standards such as ISO 27001, SOC2, or GDPR often becomes a prerequisite for cooperation with large organizations and financial institutions.
  • Optimization of operational costs – well-designed compliance systems, based on automated monitoring, reporting, and risk management, allow for the reduction of costs associated with manual oversight of IT processes.
  • Increased organizational resilience to cyber threats – a proactive approach that combines compliance with cybersecurity enables faster detection and neutralization of attacks before they lead to serious losses.

NIS2 and DORA – New challenges for companies

The NIS2 directive imposes new obligations on essential and important organizations regarding risk management and incident reporting. This applies not only to critical infrastructure companies but also to IT service providers, cloud operators, and even entities providing courier services.

On the other hand, DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) introduced uniform rules for digital resilience for financial institutions in the European Union, entering into force on January 17, 2025. Key requirements include business continuity, infrastructure resilience testing, and IT supplier risk management. Companies in the fintech, banking, and insurance sectors must adapt their processes to new regulations to avoid penalties and operational restrictions.

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How to implement compliance effectively?

1. Infrastructure audit and risk assessment

Every compliance implementation should begin with a detailed analysis of the IT infrastructure and a risk assessment. Companies that have neglected this stage often struggle with unexpected costs and the necessity of later corrections.

What does an audit include?

  • Review of security policies and IT procedures.
  • Analysis of compliance with applicable regulations (GDPR, NIS2, DORA).
  • Assessment of the level of personal data protection and critical systems.
  • Penetration tests and cyberattack simulations.

Enterprises that performed audits in advance avoided the chaos associated with last-minute compliance implementation and optimized implementation costs.

2. Compliance Cost Optimization

Effective implementation of compliance with the NIS2 directive does not have to involve high costs, provided it is properly planned and optimized. There are a number of strategies that allow for a significant reduction in expenditures while maintaining a high level of security.

  • Prioritize actions – not all requirements must be implemented simultaneously, so it is crucial to focus first on areas that are most critical from a risk perspective.
  • Utilize existing IT infrastructure – many organizations already possess solutions that, after appropriate configuration, can meet NIS2 requirements, eliminating the need for expensive investments.
  • Phased implementation – breaking the implementation into stages is another way to optimize the budget; spreading actions over time allows for better resource management and avoids a one-time financial burden.
  • Process automation – applying automation to processes such as compliance monitoring, incident management, or report generation significantly limits operational costs and allows teams to focus on higher-value tasks.

Automation and DevOps – The key to savings

Compliance automation is one of the most effective ways to reduce operational costs and shorten the time required for regulatory implementation. Companies that have implemented a DevOps and CI/CD approach achieve greater operational efficiency and lower administrative costs.

What tools are worth implementing?

  • SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) – threat analysis and automatic reporting.
  • XDR (eXtended Detection and Response) – real-time threat detection and neutralization on hosts, including user computers.
  • Automatic updates and patching – elimination of vulnerabilities in IT systems without IT team intervention.
  • Incident management – intelligent systems responding to attacks before they become a real threat.

Thanks to automation, organizations can reduce operational compliance costs by 30-50%.

The cloud as a compliance tool

More and more organizations are deciding to migrate to cloud computing as a way to simplify compliance management with regulations such as NIS2 or GDPR. Platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud offer a range of built-in mechanisms supporting compliance, which significantly speeds up and automates many processes.

The most frequently used functions include:

  • Automatic compliance reporting, enabling log analysis, audit generation, and real-time non-compliance detection.
  • Data encryption, which ensures compliance with information protection requirements.
  • Advanced access management and user activity monitoring, allowing for full control over actions in the IT environment.

Many companies that decided to move infrastructure to the cloud noted not only a decrease in IT operational costs by up to 35% but also a significant improvement in the flexibility of scaling services and implementing security measures compliant with the latest regulations.

Security Operations Centre – Effective protection and compliance

Security Operations Center (SOC) services are becoming a standard in companies striving for compliance. Through SOC outsourcing, you can reduce the costs of internal IT teams while ensuring 24/7 security monitoring.

  • Real-time detection and threat neutralization
  • Automatic compliance reporting (NIS2, DORA, GDPR)
  • Continuous security optimization

Implementing an external SOC allows companies to save up to 60% of costs associated with IT security management.

Compliance as an element of business strategy

Managing IT compliance is not just about meeting regulatory obligations but is a key element of security and risk management strategy. Organizations that implement compliance strategically increase their operational resilience, reduce risk, and improve their competitiveness on the market. In the coming years, an approach based on the automation of compliance processes and integration with cybersecurity will become the standard for companies that want to operate effectively in the digital world.

If your organization is facing the challenge of implementing IT compliance and you are looking for the best solutions tailored to your needs, contact us to discuss a strategy adapted to your business.

Author

Bartosz Pyrczak

Head of Growth

Head of Growth at Tenesys. Connects people, builds relationships, and ensures the company grows in the right direction. Convinced that in IT sales, the one who listens better than they speak wins. Privately a traveler and cyclist.

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