A report from a CPA firm on how a company protects customer data. Customers ask for it before they sign; there is no certificate, only the report.
Checked by: A licensed CPA firm (independent certified public accountants) performing the examination…Understand the rules your business has to follow, and how to meet them.
Compliance comes down to three things: rules someone wrote, people who check that you follow them, and the proof you keep. This site explains each standard, regulation and certification in plain words. What it is, whether it applies to you, what you have to write down, who checks it, and who can help. Every page names its sources.
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Policy Acknowledgment Proof
Acknowledgedv3.2 14:02by name, on record
The Proof is Yourswith AllyMatter
Prove It the Modern WayEvery policy this site tells you to write, acknowledged by name
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Approve it, lock the version
Non-author approval, obsolete copies blocked
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Every name on record
Version-bound, re-collected on change, survives departure
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Walk in with the trail
From $29/mo, 20 editors, unlimited staff (published)
Four questions, in order.
Every section answers one of them. Start wherever you are.
1 · What applies to me?Obligations: 70 federal and industry rules for 11 kinds of US business, plus all 50 states and DC.
2 · What do I have to write?Policies: the 46 documents a rule makes you keep, who must have each one, and how often it is reviewed.
3 · Which standard, and who checks it?Frameworks: 134 standards explained, what the assessor asks to see, who is allowed to assess.
4 · Who can help?Directory: 209 tools, 1546 consultants and 48 assessors on public registers, verified listings first.
The standards people ask about most.
Eight names that come up in almost every contract, audit or customer questionnaire. Each explainer says what the standard is, who has to follow it, what you must write down, and who checks it.
The international standard for running information security as a managed system. An accredited registrar certifies it; consultants help you build it.
Checked by: An accredited certification body (registrar) operating under ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC…US rules for protecting patient health information. There is no certification; the Office for Civil Rights checks your policies and records after a complaint or breach.
Checked by: Government enforcement only. OCR investigates complaints and breach reports, conducts…The quality management standard customers most often ask suppliers for, in any industry. Certification is optional; if you want it, an accredited registrar audits you and issues a three-year certificate.
Checked by: Accredited certification body (registrar) accredited to ISO/IEC 17021-1 for quality…The card brands' security rules for anyone who takes card payments. Small merchants self-assess; larger ones use a qualified assessor.
Checked by: A PCI SSC qualified Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) company with certified QSA…The Department of Defense's cybersecurity requirement for contractors that handle controlled information. Assessed by accredited third parties from late 2026.
Checked by: Level 1 and Level 2 (self): the organization's own assessment with senior official…The safety plans US employers must keep in writing, such as hazard communication and emergency action. Inspectors ask for the document and the training records.
Checked by: OSHA compliance safety and health officers, or State Plan inspectors (government…The European Union's data protection law. It applies to any business that handles EU residents' data, wherever the business sits.
Checked by: No mandatory assessor. Supervisory authorities (for example CNIL, the Irish DPC, the…Cost, independence, and how to choose.
Why does a category with 16 tools publish only 3 prices?
Dedicated policy managers and GRC suites sell through quotes so the price can follow the deal size. Each listing records whether the vendor’s own pricing page shows a number, with the date it was read.
Does an acknowledgment count as a signature?
Not automatically. An acknowledgment record ties a named person to a document version at a time. Some obligations, such as FMCSA 382.601, ask for a signed receipt. Profiles state which of the two a tool actually captures.
Can my consultant also certify us?
No, for accredited certifications. A certification body cannot certify a management system it helped build. Directory profiles for assessors carry an independence line for this reason.
How does a firm get verified?
The record is checked against the firm’s own site and public filings, and the check is dated. It repeats as often as it needs to, not on a fixed schedule, so the date shown is what to trust. Firms can confirm their own listing and supply the fields we could not.
List your firm, your tool or your news.
AdvertiseConsultant listings, tool listings and the primary spot. Flat fees, paid in advance, and every placement labeled.Prices and rules →
Design examplesEvery placement drawn at full size, with its sizes and word limits.See the examples →
Press releasesRead announcements from firms and tools, or publish your own. Each one is labeled as paid.Press releases →
ISO 9001 tools guideA downloadable guide to ISO 9001 tools, emailed to you when it is published.Get the guide →
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Keep Your Written Policies in One Place
Whatever you are working toward, AllyMatter gets your policies approved, keeps every version and records who has read each one.
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