Something about ISP

Posted by shentanli on March 11, 2020 ·

An information security policy (ISP) is a set of rules that guide individuals who work with IT assets. ISPs should address all data, programs, systems, facilities, infrastructure, users, third-parties and fourth-parties of an organization.

The Purpose of an Information Security Policy.

An information security policy aims to enact protections and limit the distribution of data to only those with authorized access. Organizations create ISPs to:

  • Establish a general approach to information security
  • Detect and minimize the impact of compromised information assets such as misuse of data, networks, mobile devices, computers and applications
  • Protect the reputation of the organization
  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements like NIST, GDPR, HIPAA and FERPA
  • Protect their customer’s data
  • Provide effective mechanisms to respond to complaints and queries related to real or perceived cyber security risks such as phishing, malware and ransomware
  • Limit access to key information technology assets to those who have an acceptable use

The Importance of an Information Security Policy.

Creating an effective security policy and taking steps to ensure compliance is a critical step to prevent and mitigate security breaches. ISPs are important for new and established organizations. Increasing digitalization means every employee is generating data and a portion of that data must be protected from unauthorized access. Depending on your industry, it may even be protected by laws and regulations.
To make your security policy truly effective, update it in response to changes in your company, new threats, conclusions drawn from previous breaches, and other changes to your security posture.

The elements of an Information Security Policy.

An information security policy can be as broad as you want it to be. It can cover IT security and/or physical security, as well as social media usage, lifecycle management and security training. In general, an information security policy will have these nine key elements:

  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Information security objectives
  • Authority and access control policy
  • Data classification
  • Data support and operations
  • Security awareness training
  • Responsibilities and duties of employees

REFERENCE

  1. ISP-exabeam.
  2. ISP-Upguard.