3 Steps To Designing A Security Policy
The Importance of Planning
Coming up with your security policy needs a shut analysis of employee behavior in several job roles and is also the time for company security goals to be articulated. Having problems and goals evaluated simultaneously makes it easier to come up with all-encompassing solutions that can be effective and advantageous for all. A good rule when coming up with a security policy is to base the policy around risks instead of technology. A policy should not amendment as the technology changes.(1)
The Planning Stage helps to handle this, by specializing in employee behavior. This can be crucial as a result of, changes in policy usually begin with changes in procedure. "Organizations need to perceive that much of knowledge security and privacy work that needs to be done are people-based [regarding] policies, procedures, training, awareness [and] response activities."(a pair of)
Planning Your Security Policy
There are 3 factors to stay in mind when designing your policy. The primary needs you to precise the goals of your policy. What are you attempting to accomplish? What are you trying to guard? The second step requires you to scan the work surroundings and establish vulnerabilities that exist within current processes. The ultimate step asks you to create a plan of action that will help alleviate the flaws. All are equal contributors to planning success.
Step one: Setting Goals for Your Security Policy
Your security policy goals should run parallel with the goals set for your company. As an example, if your company is customer oriented, then a goal of your security policy should be to safeguard your client and their information through use of encryption and network security.
Furthermore, all parties should play a role in goal setting. This is often crucial because if a security breach was to occur, each department plays a different role in the recovery process, with in re-evaluating procedures for policy improvement. International involvement allows each department time to invest in the policy, making certain a higher level of cooperation when the time involves implement the policy.
Step two: Identifying Security Vulnerabilities
A company should examine existing procedures and establish all processes that cause a security risk. For example, policies regarding information management; how data is protected during storage, how long it is kept and correct strategies for knowledge deletion are common pains in the corporate world. Some questions that will help identify such vulnerability embody:
? What types of sensitive information will your company handle?
? That department handles each piece of sensitive information?
? Is sensitive info stored with non-sensitive info?
Such queries should spur some thought on what changes want to be created in order to start assuaging the risks that accompany current processes at intervals departments.
Step 3: Creating a Set up of Action
After identifying which processes require change, create a arrange of action for mitigating these risks. Each set up should consider how long it will take for the every amendment to occur, what type of training is necessary for each individual/department to fulfill the newly adopted standards and additionally what responsibilities every individual/department can be held in control of (i.e. how usually are gap analyses(three) regarding security conducted and who conducts them?)
Other challenges include budget limitations and optimizing upon security measures while still adhering to auditing standards. Such measures ought to be traceable from one document to another so that audits will easily verify that policies are being enforced.(4) If technology solutions are an possibility, comparing completely different products could be helpful.
When procedures are established, call manufacturers should be ready to spot which personnel roles are responsible for that activities, which activities need to be logged, [and] how often inspections and reviews are done internally.(5) They ought to additionally have followed up with a procedure for creating further changes to the policy within the future.
Security Policies to the Rescue
Security policies are a necessary element to forestall your business from facing disaster. Information security and privacy cannot be a band-aid-add-on once a product or system has been launched; it must be incorporated into the mindset of all personnel,(half-dozen) with ample time and training provided to confirm internalization.
Currently that you have your security policy sort out, its time for policy implementation. However before you try putting your security policy into action, browse Implementing Your Security Policy to get some implementation tips.