Why Cyber Security Policies Are Important
Companies face a range of potential threats to their systems and their data. Many cyberattacks take advantage of an organization’s employees in some way, exploiting negligence or tricking them into taking action via a phishing or social engineering attack. The rise of remote work has also introduced new threats due to the growth of BYOD policies and the potential for compromised devices to be connected to corporate networks.
cyber security policies help to protect the organization against cyber threats and ensure that it remains compliant with applicable regulations. These policies can reduce an organization’s risk by training employees to avoid certain activities and can enable more effective incident response by defining protocols for detecting, preventing, and remediating them.
Types of Cyber Security Policies
An organization may implement various cyber security policies. Some of the most common ones include the following:
- IT Security Policy: An organization’s IT security policy defines the rules and procedures for protecting the organization against cyber threats. Some of the aspects of an IT security policy include acceptable use of corporate assets, incident response plans, business continuity strategies, and the organization’s plan for achieving and maintaining regulatory compliance.
- Email Security Policy: An email security policy defines the acceptable use of corporate email systems to help protect the organization against spam, phishing, and malware (such as ransomware) and to prevent misuse of corporate email. This type of policy may include general rules for how corporate email can and should be used, as well as specific guidance on how to handle suspicious links and email attachments.
- BYOD Policy: A BYOD policy defines rules for personal devices that are used for work. These policies commonly define security requirements for these devices, such as the use of an endpoint security solution, strong passwords, and a virtual private network (VPN) when connecting to corporate networks and IT assets via an untrusted network.
Who Should Write Cyber Security Policies?
A cyber security policy has far-reaching impacts across the organization and can touch multiple departments. For example, IT staff may be responsible for implementing the policy, while the legal or HR teams may have the responsibility for enforcing it.
As a result, IT policies should be developed and maintained by a cross-disciplinary team consisting of personnel from IT, legal, HR, and management. This ensures that the policy is compliant with the company’s strategic goals and applicable regulations, and can be effectively enforced either via technical controls or potential disciplinary action.
How to Create a Cyber Security Policy
Creating a cyber security policy is a multi-stage process with the following key steps:
- Determine the Threat Surface: Different policies are designed to address different threats and risks to the organization. The first step in writing a policy is to gain a clear understanding of the systems and processes to be regulated, such as the use of personal devices for business.
- Identify Applicable Requirements: Corporate cyber security policies may have both internal and external drivers, such as corporate security goals and regulatory requirements (HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc.). To develop a cyber security policy, the next step is to define the requirements that the policy should fulfill.
- Draft the Policy: After identifying requirements, the next step is to draft the policy. This should be accomplished by a team with stakeholders from IT, legal, HR, and management.
- Solicit Feedback: A cyber security policy is most effective if it is clear and comprehensible to employees. Soliciting feedback from employees outside the policy group can help to avoid misunderstandings and similar issues.
- Train Employees: After the policy has been developed, it needs to be disseminated through the organization. Also, employees will need to be trained on these policies to follow their requirements.
- Regularly Update the Policy: Policies can go out of date, and their requirements may change. They should be regularly reviewed and updated to keep them up-to-date.
Check Point Cyber Security Solutions
Implementing a cyber security policy requires tools and solutions designed to support and enforce those policies. Check Point has a long history in developing cyber security solutions designed to meet an organization’s various security needs.
Check Point Infinity consolidates management of an organization’s entire cyber security architecture within a single management console. With Check Point Infinity, companies have the single-pane-of-glass visibility and control necessary to effectively implement their cyber security policies.
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