Given the growing prevalence of cyberthreats, protecting your business information is no longer optional — it’s critical to your company’s survival. At SpectrumWise, we understand this, and that’s why we’ve developed our seven-layer security strategy to ensure your data is always secure. We explore each of these layers in this series of articles, beginning with the very foundation of our proven strategy: information security policy (ISP).
What is an information security policy?
An ISP is a document outlining rules, procedures, and access controls for your organization’s IT security. It ensures everyone using your network and systems meets minimum security requirements to protect your data. Ideally, an ISP covers all your data, programs, systems, facilities, infrastructure, internal users, and even third-party vendors that access your information.
Why is an information security policy important for your business?
A strong ISP offers many benefits:
- Protection – An ISP establishes controls to limit data access only to authorized users, preventing unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
- Security – An ISP outlines security measures to detect and minimize the impact of security threats such as malware, phishing, and data leaks.
- Compliance – Many industries have legal requirements for data protection (e.g., HIPAA and GDPR). With an ISP, you can ensure your business adheres to these regulations.
- Secured reputation – Data breaches can damage your reputation. Implementing an ISP helps prevent these incidents and maintain customer trust.
- Peace of mind – Knowing your information is secure enables you to focus on running your business with confidence.
Key elements of an information security policy
A comprehensive ISP typically includes the following elements:
Purpose
Your ISP should outline its goals, such as protecting customer information, preventing breaches, and maintaining compliance.
Audience
Specify who the ISP applies to, including employees, contractors, and potentially even third-party vendors. Remember, data breaches involving third-party vendors can still damage your reputation.
Information security objectives
This section of your ISP details your security goals and the strategies used to achieve them, focusing on the CIA triad:
- Confidentiality – protecting data from unauthorized access
- Integrity – ensuring data is intact, complete, and accurate
- Availability – guaranteeing IT systems are accessible when needed
Authority and access controls
This section covers the following:
- Authority levels – defines who has the authority to grant or revoke access to data and systems at different levels within the organization
- Security responsibilities – assigns accountability for implementing and maintaining security controls, ensuring everyone understands their role in keeping data safe
- Procedures for handling sensitive information – outlines specific procedures for safeguarding sensitive data, including how it should be stored and transmitted securely
- Access control methods – specifies the methods used to control access, such as user permissions, password requirements (including minimum strength standards), or other authentication measures such as biometrics, ID cards, or access tokens
Data classification
Your ISP should categorize data based on its sensitivity to determine the level of protection each data type needs. Here’s a possible five-level classification system:
- Level 1 – Public information
- Level 2 – Confidential information with no significant risk of harm if disclosed
- Level 3 – Information with moderate risk of harm if disclosed
- Level 4 – Information with high serious risk of harm if disclosed
- Level 5 – Information with severe risk of harm if disclosed
Data support and operations
Once you’ve categorized your data, you need to outline specific procedures for handling each level. Here are three key areas to address:
- Data protection regulations – references relevant industry standards, best practices, and any legal regulations your organization must comply with
- Data backups and encryption – outlines data backup procedures, including the frequency of backups, the level of encryption used, and whether you used third-party service providers for backup storage
- Data movement – establishes secure communication protocols for transmitting different types of data based on their classification
Security awareness training
Even the best ISP is useless if employees aren’t aware of it. Training educates staff on security best practices, common threats, and their roles in protecting information.
Responsibilities and duties of employees
This section assigns ownership for various aspects of security, including acceptable use policies, network security, access management, and incident response.
Other considerations
Your ISP may also include additional elements such as physical controls, remote work procedures, and consequences for noncompliance.
By implementing a well-crafted ISP, you establish a strong foundation for a comprehensive security strategy.
Stay tuned for the next part of SpectrumWise’s seven-layer security series. If you have any questions about ISPs or need help developing one for your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our IT experts.
