Pathway Communications provides a suite of customizable and innovative technology solutions to keep some of the world’s largest businesses running smoothly. As a one-stop-shop for data center, cloud, telecom, and IT services, they rely on important compliance audits and certifications to keep their summit secure and protect their business and their clients.  

When the time came to select the right guide to lead them through their complex auditing requirements, Pathway Communications turned to the experienced team at A-LIGN. Like every ascent, however, that journey began with the realization that their tactical approach to compliance certification wasn’t meeting the challenges of their current business needs.

The Challenge

Prior to working with A-LIGN, Pathway Communications utilized a different compliance firm to perform ten different assessments for years. Over that period, however, they noticed a drop in service quality. Communication deteriorated as requirements and expectations grew increasingly clouded. Worst of all, the audits themselves became more troublesome and took longer to complete. Each audit was treated as a single, transactional event, with no strategic framework in place to connect common requirements for a more efficient process.

The team at Pathway Communications decided to search for a new compliance partner but quickly realized very few firms possessed the combination of expertise and service offerings they required. Some could only perform SOC examinations, while others had no knowledge of PCI DSS or weren’t even registered certification bodies. The few firms that met their expectations provided much steeper quotes than anticipated, even after being given an agreed-upon budget. Pathway Communications felt that many of these firms weren’t listening to their needs and pressuring them to sign up for unnecessary assessment services. 

What they needed was a partner with a strategic approach to compliance that could leverage technology to create a continuous and connected audit with a 360° view of their enterprise. As an organization with a very specific scope, limited resources, and certain expectations and needs, Pathway Communications was losing hope that they’d find a responsive, knowledgeable, and flexible compliance firm that understood the unique requirements of their industry and could consolidate those standards into a single, streamlined framework.

The Solution

That’s when A-LIGN entered the picture. Unlike previous auditing partners, A-LIGN saw the value of strategic compliance, providing the technology tools and the methodologies needed to create a dynamic auditing ecosystem that synthesized multiple auditing needs into a single compliance ecosystem. A-LIGN stood out immediately by introducing Pathway Communications to a knowledgeable, in-house team of auditors who explained the process from start to finish. 

Additionally, A-LIGN provided documentation detailing the timeline, milestones, and expectations for every audit. Pathway Communications felt that A-LIGN was respectful of their team and worked closely with them on an agreement that met their needs and their budget. 

Partnering for the Climb

A-LIGN shifted the company’s focus away from reactionary audits to adopt a more proactive approach for strategic compliance. Rather than preparing for each audit on an ad hoc basis, A-LIGN elevated Pathway Communications’ preparedness by consolidating multiple compliance workflows into a single, comprehensive standard. By utilizing sophisticated software to automate key tasks and collect necessary compliance information, A-LIGN made it easy for Pathway Communications to build off of each assessment to create a more secure environment for their clients. This strategic approach to compliance allowed them to build trust with customers and capitalize on opportunities faster than ever before.

The staff at Pathway Communications found A-LIGN’s auditors to be patient, friendly, and respectful of their time. And thanks to A-LIGN’s policy of responding to every communication within 24 hours with feedback and guidance, Pathway Communications was able to wrap up audits in a timely and efficient manner. The days of not hearing from their auditing partner were far behind them.

That transparency and close contact continued throughout the relationship. Whenever there was a change to compliance standards or auditing requirements, an auditor from A-LIGN would reach out to Pathway Communications to explain the changes and how they planned to address them. This allowed the company to take a proactive approach to new security guidelines, allowing them to implement changes ahead of competitors and turn strategic compliance into an engine of growth.

Securing the Summit

With the right people, process, and platform in place, Pathway Communications underwent a consolidated compliance audit to ensure they were providing a strong security environment, which included SOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3, CSAE 3416, HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS (a full listing of their certifications can be found here). As part of the ongoing commitment to strategic compliance, A-LIGN continues to provide ongoing penetration testing to help Pathway Communications keep the summit secure.

Thanks to A-LIGN’s guidance and tech-enabled compliance services, Pathway Communications finally has the proactive auditing framework in place to enable true digital transformation. By centralizing, consolidating, and standardizing the auditing process, the company can focus on its long-term growth objectives without compromising short-term security priorities. That proven approach to governance, risk, and compliance management continues to help Pathway Communications attract new and larger clients looking for vendors with a strong security posture capable of delivering peace of mind.

Next steps

To learn more about how A-LIGN can help your organization through a variety of cybersecurity compliance assessments and audits, please visit www.a-lign.com/services or complete this form and an A-LIGN expert will reach out to you within 24 hours.