Kaksi henkilöä neuvottelutilassa post-it lappujen äärellä
Kaksi henkilöä neuvottelutilassa post-it lappujen äärellä

Web service compliance - what does it mean?

"Compliance is not just an obligation - it's part of a high-quality and reliable online service," says Saara Perho of Lawder Ltd.

Compliance requirements for online services

Compliance for online services means that the service meets the requirements set by legislation and regulations. Businesses and public administrations need to ensure that their services comply with regulations, as failing to do so can lead to significant penalties.

Saara Perho, CEO of Lawder, a sister company of Citrus Solutions, has specific expertise and experience both in the areas of web services business as well as legal and regulatory compliance. Saara will open up the compliance aspects:

"Compliance for web services covers many different areas, including data privacy, data management, accessibility and cybersecurity. Services must be designed and implemented to comply with existing legislation and other regulatory requirements."

The starting point for compliance requirements for web services is the laws and regulations laid down at EU level. Key regulations affecting compliance for online services include:
  • GDPR - rules on data protection and processing of personal data
  • AI Act – regulation of AI components
  • Data Governance Act - rules on data management and sharing
  • Digital Services Act - governance and transparency of online content
  • Data Act - data use and ownership
  • eIDAS - electronic identification
  • NIS2 Directive - cybersecurity requirements
  • Information Society Code & Act on the Provision of Digital Services - national requirements for accessibility of online services and digital services

Ensuring compliance of a web service

Verkkopalveluiden sääntelymukaisuuden varmistaminen vaatii laaja-alaista asiantuntemusta – lakituntemuksen ja teknologian yhdistämistä. Monet organisaatiot hyödyntävät Compliance Officer -palveluita, joissa asiantuntijat kartoittavat verkkopalveluiden sääntelymukaisuuden ja tarjoavat kehitysehdotuksia. Suunnittelun lisäksi palvelu voi sisältää myös jatkuvaa ylläpitoa ja prosessien optimointia, jotta verkkopalvelut pysyvät ajan tasalla alati muuttuvassa sääntely-ympäristössä. Käytännön tasolla compliance-vaatimusten varmistaminen tarkoittaa:
  • Regular analysis of the compliance status of web services
  • Developing user-friendly and secure services
  • Ensuring secure and safe service provision, including the integration of privacy features at the design stage (Privacy by Design)
  • Ensuring transparency and auditability of AI components
  • Kyberturvallisuusmekanismien, kuten TLS-salauksen ja audit trail -ominaisuuksien, implementointia
  • Implementation of cybersecurity mechanisms such as TLS encryption and audit trail features
  • Regular testing and development of accessibility (e.g. according to WCAG 2.1)
Developing web services based on regulatory compliant and user-friendly solutions does not require reinventing the wheel, but can build on best practices that work across a wide range of contexts.

Privacy by Design from the beginning

Privacy by Design -periaate tarkoittaa sitä, että compliance-ajattelu rakennetaan osaksi verkkopalvelun teknistä toteutusta jo suunnitteluvaiheessa. Saara painottaa, ettei sääntelyvaatimusten huomioiminen saa jäädä jälkikäteiseksi tarkasteluksi.

“Compliance must be integrated into the development process even before any service path or content has been designed for the web service."

Privacy by design not only reduces risk and ensures a better user experience, it also helps ensure that the online service is sustainable in the face of changing regulations. Proactive design reduces risk and helps ensure regulatory compliance throughout the lifecycle of the service.

Compliance as competitive edge

Sääntelymukaisuus ei ole vain juridinen velvollisuus, vaan se myös parantaa palveluiden laatua ja lisää käyttäjien luottamusta. Läpinäkyvät, turvalliset ja saavutettavat verkkopalvelut erottuvat edukseen ja voivat toimia organisaatioille kilpailuetuna. Citrus Solutionsin Chief Operating Officer Joni Pinomäki suositteleekin Privacy by Design -periaatteen soveltamista kaikkeen verkkopalveluiden kehitykseen – ei ainoastaan tietosuojan osalta, vaan myös tekoälyn, datan hallinnan, saavutettavuuden ja kyberturvallisuuden näkökulmista.

"Often compliance is seen only as an obligation, but compliance can also act as a competitive advantage. When it is part of the development of web services, it not only meets legal requirements, but also supports better business."

How can you ensure that your online service complies with the legal requirements? Contact us and let's build a regulatory compliant and future-proof online service together! Contact us ja rakennetaan yhdessä sääntelyvarma ja tulevaisuuden kestävä verkkopalvelu!

Also check out Lawder!

Henkilökuva: Joni Pinomäki

Joni Pinomäki

Chief Services Officer, Software Development

Ask me about Web Services, Software Development, and the scout activities.

Envelope Phone-square-alt Linkedin

More current topics

Kaksi miestä katsomassa yhdessä kannettavan tietokoneen näyttöä modernissa toimistoympäristössä.
Yleinen

Web-services of the future Are Built with Drupal

Drupal is a versatile and scalable content management system for advanced web-services. Citrus Solutions has more than a decade of Drupal experience, especially in projects with public administration that underline accessibility, security, energy efficiency and using AI.