Rules are certain guidelines that society has established to keep people safe. Knowing how to act in different scenarios, places, and social gatherings is an important part of human society. Establishing rules is necessary to make day-to-day life fair and consistent, as is also true with cybersecurity.
The corporate world has policies as well. Most organizations have a dress code that employees need to follow for proper dress attire in the workplace. Other rules such as vacation policies set limits for how often employees request time off and how supervisors manage that request in order to ensure business continuity. Unfortunately, many organizations are lacking in the security policy area, which can bring unwanted consequences.
Why Should I Have an Information Security Policy?
The absence of a strong information security policy promotes uncertainty and confusion. Employees may not fully comprehend how to use technology in a safe way, leaving the organization exposed to social engineering attacks, cyberattacks, and other threats. Several studies demonstrate that a hacker’s primary access to sensitive data is human error, so having a well-trained staff is a must!
System administrators that don’t have information security policies are left to decide what cybersecurity controls are implemented and how. Cybersecurity is a complicated job and if managers don’t have the necessary support, experience, or expertise for your organization, sensitive data will be exposed. Not complying with good information security policies can affect your business continuity as well.
Benefits of a Good Information Security Policy
A good information security policy provides the following benefits:
1. It clearly defines employees’ behaviors, business processes, and work procedures that must be followed to achieve proper security measures.
2. It provides adequate guidance on how to build and maintain cybersecurity controls that will reduce overall threats.
3. It is a tool that supports the organization’s legal and ethical responsibilities.
4. It is an accountability instrument that drives individuals to comply with appropriate work practices.
When rules are not defined, people struggle to comply with them. For example, athletes would not be able to play fairly in their games without a clear set of guidelines. This is the same for employees that are unaware of the rules, which in turn decreases their job performance. In cybersecurity, these individuals will not be able to protect the organization from cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
At BTI we have more than 35 years of experience in the security, IT, and unified communications field. If you would like to implement custom made security policies that boot your businesses’ processes and productivity, contact us now and schedule a free business assessment!
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