What Does It Mean for My Business to be ITAR Compliant?

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If you have been wondering whether or not your business will be affected by ITAR compliance and what that means for you, then you should be aware of which items you are selling could be affected. While selling arms to the United States government is the most obvious type of sale that should be protected, there are several other items that need to be considered, as well.

Here’s what you need to know about ITAR compliance and how it can affect storing your data.

You need to have security in place

Depending on what you sell, you need to make sure that you have some security measures in place. When you use cloud storage, then you have to be extra cautious about what you make available on the web.

Because ITAR compliance relates to stolen information, if your cloud is hacked or someone is able to access your computer remotely then you can see some big problems as a result. Make sure you have a cloud that is monitored or that has high-end encryptions as a service.

Several items fall under ITAR compliance

Basic arms like guns are not the only items that require ITAR compliance. You also want to make sure that any blueprints you have or if you have sold other products (such as hazmat suits or missiles) are covered under your ITAR compliance checklist.This of course would include ammo such as 9mm and 5.56 ammo, as well as other ammunitions. If you are unsure, it’s worth taking a look at a comprehensive lists of items that fall under these guidelines so you don’t end up suffering the repercussions later.

Make sure emails are encrypted

Your cloud should not be the only aspect of your technology that you make sure is covered by encryption. If you have sent any invoices or orders through your email. In fact, the easiest thing for hackers to gain access to is usually email—and your messages is often where they can find attached files or information that they can exploit. The easiest way to make sure this doesn’t happen is through encrypting your emails. Look into which software provides workpuls monitoring and can alert you to when you might have had a break in security.

Cover all of your bases

Because the fines can be so high and you can even end in jail time if you aren’t careful, it’s extremely important that you know where all of your files are located so you can easily trace back if something is lost. Make sure former employees no longer have access to your files and that you can limit who has access to what so you can keep your most important information under lock and key.

When it doubt, you can hire a security expert to step in and see if there are any holes that hackers could exploit.

In summary

ITAR compliance is completely necessary if you have done any deals with the U.S. government in the past few years. By looking into how you can follow protocol, you are saving yourself from having to deal with some pretty heavy fines and up to 10 years in jail.