50+ Sample Information Security Policys

What Is an Information Security Policy?

Information security policy or also known as ISP, states and defines the set of rules and procedures of a company when it comes to data. These will be the preparatory measures in case of a security breach and loss of data. It is devised to make sure that everyone who has access to the information technology resources will abide by the regulations set forth by the management. This security policy presides over all the information going in and out of the company. In several digital companies, this is an effective tool in order to fully explain the non-disclosure agreement. This is sometimes also referred as information technology security policy.

Key Elements Included in an Information Security Policy

The purpose of the document: First and foremost, identify what the purpose of the document is. Whether you want to create a business model to approach security regarding sensitive and top-secret information or to protect and uphold the confidential information about your customers, it is important to them in the first part. Be clear about the goal and reasons as to why you are creating this document. The target audience: Identify who will be included under the security policy. This is a crucial section of information technology security policy. List out different categories or departments as to whom they can be applied.The security objectives: In general, there are 3 main objectives of a security policy. Together they are known as the CIA. The first one is C, which stands for confidentiality. You should also take a look at our Confidentiality agreement.The principle of confidentiality is designed in order to protect private pieces of information from malicious entry or unauthorized access. The second one is I, which stands for integrity. The principle of integrity is designed in order to make sure that the pieces of information available are worthy of trust. This principle prohibits unauthorized revision of the pieces of information. This is to make sure that they will continue to be true and accurate. The last letter is A, which stands for availability. The principle of availability is designed to make sure that the said pieces of information are available for access to anyone who is authorized. This principle makes sure that they are available whenever they are required. These will serve as a tool and reference in performing tasks and choosing difficult decisions.The authority and access control policy: This section is where you plan a hierarchical order. This is the section where you need to decide and select who will be the authorized person to make a series of decision for the good of the company. In addition to that, This is where you construct a plan for your access control policy. This means that you need to identify who has authority over security controls as well as the standards. Included also is the network policy which will determine who will have access to your servers.The classification of data: In this section, you will need to split up the pieces of information and allocate them to their respective categories. This ranking may be done by assigning levels. Examples of these categories are public information, private information and top-secret information. These categories will also separate the users depending on the level of their clearance. Users will not be able to access data which is above their level of authority.The support and operation of data: After breaking down the information and assigning them into their respective categories, identify how they will be handled and managed. In general, they will be divided into 3 main elements. The first one would be data protection regulations. This means that personal and sensitive pieces of information should be protected with utmost care. It is important to make use of the best approach of the company and to comply with security standards of the industry. The second one would be the requirements for data backup. This will identify how you will encode information so that only authorized personnel may have access. This will also require having help and preservation of the data and information. The last element would be the movement of data. This will state and explain how valuable information will be in communication. This will answer the question of how you will transfer data across different servers in a safe manner. Make sure to apply maximum security protocols in communicating sensitive pieces of information to avoid the breach of data.The security awareness and behavior training: In implementing the information security policy make sure that everyone in the company is aware of it. It is also important to conduct training in order for that staff and employees to have enough knowledge about the subject matter. This training will include 3 main elements. The first element is social engineering. This means that you have to focus your attention on teaching employees about cyber attacks. Give them some warning and guidelines on how they can spot and prevent these kind of attacks. The second element is the clean desk policy. Make sure that work laptops as well as desktops are locked with security passwords. Also, by the use of a shredder machine, shred important pieces of information to prevent leakage. The last element would be acceptable internet usage. Instruct employees not to use work devices for personal use. Also, you can block unwanted websites like social media. You can also make use of a firewall.

Step by Step Process in Creating an Effective Information Security Policy

How do you write and implement this kind of sensitive document? The templates are available above. However, it is still important to know the different steps on how to write it and tips on how to implement it.

Step 1: Know the Risks

The first step in writing an information security policy is risk assessment. This can be done by retrieving past documents or by going over evaluation reports. Also, monitor the different activities of the company. This may give you an abstract idea of what complications may happen in the future.

Step 2: Do an Extensive Research

It is important to know the different security policies. This will give you an idea of what to best utilize in your company. It is also a good idea to know problems other companies are facing.

Step 3: Policies Should Abide by the Law

The document you are creating is considered sensitive. This is especially the case when you are in charge of handling valuable and personal pieces of information. Make sure that your policy will comply with the legal standards.

Step 4: Keep it Balanced

In every aspect of life, stability will always be considered. The same goes for the company. Having a high level of security and complicated policy may result in low productivity. Complex policies may become an obstruction in the business operation questionnaire. Your security policy should be matched with the level of risks you are facing.

Step 5: Incorporate Every Personnel

In creating and implementing an effective policy it would be smart that everyone is aware and has knowledge about it. Include the staff and employees in the planning process so that it would be easier for them to comprehend it when it is time to execute the plan. This will also result in unity as they can also share their point of view about the subject matter.

Step 6: The Training Process

This is a crucial step because it prepares the staff and employees for future problems. It is not enough that they have knowledge about the possible risks, it is important also that they know the plan of action when it actually occurs.

Step 7: Everyone Should Comply

Just like in a policy and procedure, for it to be considered a success, everyone should willingly comply with the plan. It is important that the document be signed and dated to make it official.

Step 8: What Will Be the Repercussions

Once again, an IT security policy is a sensitive matter. It is important that everyone understands this. In the event that the policy is violated you should be prepared. What will be the equivalent consequences for the violators? Here, it is a good idea to incorporate the elements from above. Match the consequence with what data classification they violated. This will be an effective way of determining the appropriate consequence.

Step 9: Review and Update

There will always be changes in the company. It is important to go over the security policy regularly and check if it is still effective. If not, then revise the document to be able to live up with the goal action plan of the company and the legal standards. After revision, it is required to update the staff and employees.

Step 10: Necessary Tools

The last step would be to purchase and install all the required tools and equipment in order to protect your company from possible risks. This will be an effective countermeasure tool.

Your IT security policy should be able to answer 4 important questions.

Who will get access to the data?

What will be the penalty in case of violations?

What to do and when do you need to do it?

What are the requirements in able to meet the required standards?

FAQs

What is the difference between information security and cybersecurity?

More often than not, these two terms are used in the wrong manner by accident. A lot of people often interchange them. To put it briefly, information security covers a wide array of topics of protection. Another difference is that in information security its main focus is to protect the three main objectives of security policy which is the CIA. CIA stands for confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. On the other hand, cybersecurity focuses only on one thing. The main focus of this is protecting information in the digital world or protect information from internet-based attacks.

What is the cycle of security life?

What process do security managers use in order to perform their work proficient and efficiently? They make use of a security life cycle as a model. This is to make sure that there are fewer risks and complications. This guarantees that information leaks and data breaches are greatly mitigated. This is made up of 4 fundamental steps.

1)Identify – This always comes first in all processes. The first step would always be to identify what is crucial and what needs protection. This would answer the question of what assets and resources am I supposed to protect.

2)Assess – After identifying the assets and resources you need to protect ask yourself how can you protect them. What will be the procedure in order to protect them? It is important to evaluate the potential risks that may happen in every asset you are responsible for. It is also an important step to assess the existing security measures and countermeasures.

3)Protect – Picking up from the assessment phase, after identifying the different security measures, you now have to revise and update them. Make sure that they are in line with the current policy of the company. Also, verify if they are updated to match and achieve the goal of the company. Last but not the least, make sure that they are able to comply with the legal standards.

4)Monitor – After laying the foundations of the new security system, you have to constantly monitor them to ensure that they are properly working. There will be constant changes in the company so you have to regularly update the security and make sure they are still effective.

Why is an information security policy important?

Information security policy or ISP is crucial in order to protect your company from security problem statements. These security problems usually come into being in two forms. They are namely information leak and breach of data. According to a recent research study conducted by purplesec.us, there is a 600 percent increase in cybercrimes due to the covid-19 pandemic. These malicious actors and cybercriminals usually target emails and disguised themselves as representatives for World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In order to prevent sensitive and valuable information to fall into the wrong hands, we have to come up with a safety measure. Nowadays it is not cowardice to be careful. According to statistica.com, 4.66 billion people in the world are actively using the internet. This is more than half of the population of the world. This means that there are billions of people that can see your information just by a click of a button. This is one of the many reasons why an information security policy is devised. By the means of this, it will limit the people who will have access to your data. It will keep sensitive pieces of information confidential.