EPA
Federal standards for air, water, waste compliance
MAS TRM
Singapore guidelines for technology risk management in finance.
Quick Verdict
EPA enforces environmental standards across US industries via permits and monitoring, while MAS TRM guides Singapore FIs on technology/cyber risks with proportional controls. Companies adopt EPA for legal compliance; MAS TRM for supervisory assurance and resilience.
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Standards
Key Features
- Systems-based standards with permits, monitoring, enforcement
- Evidence-driven compliance via QA/QC and reporting
- Hybrid technology- and health-based performance limits
- Layered federal-state implementation and permitting
- Dynamic rulemaking through Federal Register dockets
MAS TRM
MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines 2021
Key Features
- Board and senior management accountability for TRM
- Proportional, risk-based control implementation
- Comprehensive third-party risk management
- Annual penetration testing for internet-facing systems
- Integration of TRM into enterprise risk management
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
EPA Details
What It Is
EPA standards are a family of legally binding regulatory requirements under U.S. statutes like Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Codified primarily in 40 CFR Title 40, they form a multi-layered framework for environmental protection across air, water, and waste media. Primary purpose: protect human health and environment through performance standards, permits, and enforcement. Approach combines technology-based controls (e.g., MACT, effluent guidelines) with health/risk-based endpoints (e.g., NAAQS, WQS).
Key Components
- Statutory mandates, regulations, numeric/narrative limits, permitting (NPDES, Title V).
- Monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting (DMRs, QA/QC).
- Enforcement pathways (civil penalties, SEPs). Built on federal-state implementation; no central certification, but permit compliance audited.
Why Organizations Use It
Mandatory for regulated entities to avoid penalties, shutdowns, liabilities. Drives risk management, operational efficiency, ESG alignment. Builds stakeholder trust via transparency tools (ECHO, ICIS).
Implementation Overview
Phased: gap analysis, controls, training, digital reporting. Applies to industries nationwide; high complexity due to state variations. Ongoing audits, adaptive to rulemakings.
MAS TRM Details
What It Is
MAS Technology Risk Management (TRM) Guidelines (January 2021) are supervisory guidelines from Singapore's Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for financial institutions. They provide a risk-based framework for managing technology and cyber risks across governance, operations, and resilience, emphasizing proportionality to FI complexity.
Key Components
- Covers 15 sections: governance, asset management, SDLC, ITSM, resilience, access control, cryptography, cyber operations, testing, and audit.
- 12 synthesized core principles like board accountability, secure-by-design, third-party oversight.
- No fixed controls; focuses on outcomes for CIA triad.
- Compliance via supervisory review, no formal certification.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mandatory for MAS-regulated FIs to avoid fines, license actions.
- Enhances resilience, reduces systemic risks, integrates with ERM.
- Builds trust, enables digital innovation securely.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: governance setup, asset inventory, controls, testing.
- Targets banks, insurers, fintechs in Singapore.
- Involves audits, metrics, board reporting; 12-18 months typical.
Key Differences
| Aspect | EPA | MAS TRM |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Environmental statutes, air/water/waste standards, permitting/enforcement | Technology/cyber risk governance, controls, resilience in finance |
| Industry | All industries, multi-sector US-wide environmental compliance | Singapore financial institutions (banks, insurers, fintechs) |
| Nature | Mandatory federal regulations with civil/criminal enforcement | Supervisory guidelines, proportional observance considered in supervision |
| Testing | Monitoring, sampling, inspections, self-reporting (DMRs) | Vulnerability assessments, annual pen testing, DR exercises, red teaming |
| Penalties | Civil penalties, criminal liability, settlements (millions/billions) | Fines, license revocation, executive prohibitions |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about EPA and MAS TRM
EPA FAQ
MAS TRM FAQ
You Might also be Interested in These Articles...
CIS Controls v8.1 for Cloud & Kubernetes: A Practical Implementation Playbook (AWS/Azure/GCP + IaC)
Translate CIS Controls v8.1 to cloud-native: Kubernetes patterns for IAM, logging, vuln mgmt, hardening on AWS, Azure, GCP + IaC. Practical playbook for teams.
Measuring CIS Controls v8.1 in the Real World: KPIs, Dashboards, and Automated Evidence for Continuous Assurance
Master CIS Controls v8.1 measurement with essential KPIs, executive-ready dashboards, and automated evidence collection for continuous assurance. Make complianc
Top 10 SOC 2 Mistakes Startups Make (and Fixes with Automation)
Avoid top 10 SOC 2 mistakes like scope creep & evidence gaps. See fail/pass visuals, client quotes, Vanta/Drata automation fixes for bootstrapped startups. Quic
Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM
Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform
Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.
Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages
NIST CSF vs EU AI Act
Compare NIST CSF vs EU AI Act: Discover NIST CSF 2.0's governance & risk functions aligning with EU AI Act high-risk rules. Key diffs, synergies for cyber-AI compliance. Explore now!
ISO 26000 vs IATF 16949
Compare ISO 26000 vs IATF 16949: Guidance on SR meets automotive QMS rigor. Unlock integration for sustainability, quality excellence & compliance. Optimize now!
HIPAA vs AS9120B
Compare HIPAA vs AS9120B: Healthcare privacy/security rules vs aerospace distributor QMS. Uncover key differences, compliance tips & risks for regulated ops. Dive in now!