It Is Our Policy

Published: 2016-07-23
Last Updated: 2016-07-23 18:11:20 UTC
by Russell Eubanks (Version: 1)
3 comment(s)

How many times have you heard someone say out loud our "our security policy requires..."? Many times we hear and are sometimes even threatened with "the security policy". Security policy should set behavioral expectations and be the basis for every technical, administrative and physical control that is implemented. Unfortunately, solid security policies are often elusive for several key reasons.
 
I regularly get the question, "How many security policies should I have”? My response is often found by raising my hands and wiggling my fingers in the air. There is nothing magic about the number of security policies, my observation is that many times there are more security policies than are actually needed.  
 
One of the most important aspects of a security policy, just like the jar of mayonnaise in your refrigerator, is an Expiration Date. This non technical control can help facilitate regular updates to account for current issues being faced and capabilities that may not have existed when the security policy was originally created. Think of this as a built in process to ensure that it is regularly reviewed - consider a recurring calendar reminder.
 
Should your employees be expected to memorize all of your security policies and is that even realistic for them? I hope not for their sake. What if you redefine the win by each of your employees knowing where to find the policy when faced with a decision? A Central Location for security policies, versus being spread all over your company is best and can serve as the set of guardrails to protect both the employee and the company. This will serve as a key resource for everyone to go to when regular faced with a decision of "is this allowed or not in the security policy”. 
 
Finally, as you start to develop or even assess the quality of your security policy, there are several Key Stakeholders, often outside of the information security team, who can provide valuable feedback specific to their respective areas.
  • Human Resources - Because many times employee behavior is involved in an incident
  • Legal - Because many times employee behavior is involved in an incident
  • Privacy - Because sometimes personally identifiable information is involved in an incident
  • Information Security - Because threats against company systems and data are involved in an incident
  • Physical Security - Because sometimes an employee needs to be encouraged to leave as a part of an incident
 
Take a look at the SANS policy website and look for any any topics that may be missing in your organization.
 
All that said, what two things can you do next week to improve your security policies? Let us know in the comments area!
 
Russell Eubanks

 
Keywords: Policy
3 comment(s)

Comments

What's this all about ..?
password reveal .
<a hreaf="https://technolytical.com/">the social network</a> is described as follows because they respect your privacy and keep your data secure:

<a hreaf="https://technolytical.com/">the social network</a> is described as follows because they respect your privacy and keep your data secure. The social networks are not interested in collecting data about you. They don't care about what you're doing, or what you like. They don't want to know who you talk to, or where you go.

<a hreaf="https://technolytical.com/">the social network</a> is not interested in collecting data about you. They don't care about what you're doing, or what you like. They don't want to know who you talk to, or where you go. The social networks only collect the minimum amount of information required for the service that they provide. Your personal information is kept private, and is never shared with other companies without your permission
https://thehomestore.com.pk/
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> public bathroom near me</a>
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> nearest public toilet to me</a>
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> public bathroom near me</a>
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> public bathroom near me</a>
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> nearest public toilet to me</a>
<a hreaf="https://defineprogramming.com/the-public-bathroom-near-me-find-nearest-public-toilet/"> public bathroom near me</a>
https://defineprogramming.com/
https://defineprogramming.com/
Enter comment here... a fake TeamViewer page, and that page led to a different type of malware. This week's infection involved a downloaded JavaScript (.js) file that led to Microsoft Installer packages (.msi files) containing other script that used free or open source programs.
distribute malware. Even if the URL listed on the ad shows a legitimate website, subsequent ad traffic can easily lead to a fake page. Different types of malware are distributed in this manner. I've seen IcedID (Bokbot), Gozi/ISFB, and various information stealers distributed through fake software websites that were provided through Google ad traffic. I submitted malicious files from this example to VirusTotal and found a low rate of detection, with some files not showing as malware at all. Additionally, domains associated with this infection frequently change. That might make it hard to detect.
https://clickercounter.org/
Enter corthrthmment here...

Diary Archives