Alright, you get why compliance matters (or at least why you can't ignore it). Now, let's cut through the alphabet soup of specific frameworks. SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, CMMC... the list goes on. They all sound intimidating, complex, and designed by people who've never written a line of code.

This chapter breaks down the big players. We'll give you the developer-focused lowdown on each one: what it actually requires (minus the consultant-speak), how it impacts your tech stack and workflow, common pitfalls to avoid, and what auditors really look for. No fluff, just the practical stuff you need to know to navigate these mandatory hoops without losing your sanity or derailing your roadmap.

Let's decode the most common frameworks you'll likely run into. But first, here’s a clean overview.