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Since many business documents, communications, services, and even products are electronic in this day and age, it’s easy for computerized data to get disorganized and end up in the wrong hands. Security policy development is an integral part of protecting the data of an organization, keeping the information technology side of its operations clean and tidy while minimizing the business’s liability for any misuse of data.
Several things go into crafting a successful security policy, and they deal with both internal and external issues while encompassing both preventative and remedial solutions. Here are four important areas to contemplate when developing your business’s security policy.
Not surprisingly, one of the most basic considerations for security policy development is the list of potential external security threats to your organization. Malware and ransomware, for example, may cause loss of data security, inhibited access to documents, and significant productivity issues for your business.
Spammers and phishing criminals have developed clever ways to gather data from a business and get access to its servers. Corporate account takeovers can also occur, which might entail the unauthorized wiring of funds from the business to an outside account. You should keep all of these cybersecurity threats in mind when crafting your policy.
An equally important consideration for security policy development is your business’s internal use of its data. This means thinking through which groups of employees have access to different kinds of data, for example, as well as best practices and protocols for dealing with phishing emails and other hacking attempts. It also involves encrypting computers and servers when necessary.
Instituting rules and limits for your team regarding methods of sending and receiving sensitive data also provides important deterrents. For example, top-secret or sensitive documents should never be texted to a coworker but should be shared securely via a secure online server.
Another top consideration for security policy writing is the legal facet. Laws and regulations can greatly limit how information can and cannot be used, and this can result in required actions for your team on a regular basis.
For example, if you’re in the healthcare industry, you need to takeHIPAA lawsinto account for all of your data-sharing protocols, and your staff must understand how to correctly handle sensitive medical information. By considering the legal side of these matters, you’ll save your business from dealing with unnecessary lawsuits or government fines down the road.
Finally, during security policy development, it’s important to consider the why behind everything you do and build the answers into your official policy. In any area of an organization, sharing policy reasons helps to fuel team members with the right motivation, as well as provide clarity where it’s needed. This is animportant aspectof embracing security as a top priority for a business.
If you’re navigating security policy development for your business, contact Compyl todayto find out how our team can help you craft the right plan and approach with our robust automation, security, and compliance solutions. We help minimize risk and keep data safe.
