6 Critical Areas to Address in Your IT Security Policy

Having a formal IT security policy in place is a good defense against cyber threats and breaches. Not only will this document clearly define acceptable IT use within your organization, it will also help minimize the impact of security breaches if they happen to occur.

While most large corporations have an IT department to write their IT security policy, many small business owners are often left to write their IT security policies on their own. If you don’t have an in-house IT manager to consult with, we recommend that you collaborate with an IT expert such as a Managed IT Services provider when creating your company’s IT security policy.

To get you started, here are six important areas you should address in your IT security policy:

1. Define Acceptable Use – Misuse of IT in the workplace by employees is incredibly common, and it creates an increased security threat for your organization. For this reason, you’ll want to clearly outline what constitutes acceptable/non-acceptable use. Follow this up by outlining the consequences for violating the policy.
2. Create Guidelines for Password Security – Determine whether your organization will allow employees to set their own passwords or if this will be done by a designated person in your company. Whichever option you choose, be sure to clearly explain password security expectations and offer employee training in this important area.
3. Give Real World Examples of Types of Security Breaches – Help you employees to better understand security breaches and their ramifications by giving real world examples. Identify common risky behaviors and explain how they can impact your company’s security. Have employees help brainstorm safer alternatives.
4. Have a Plan in Place – Knowing that breaches are very real, your organization should have an action plan to minimize the impact of a breach should it occur. Consider several scenarios and specify which employees/departments will be responsible for implementing recovery procedures.
5. Offer Security Training – Your policy should clearly state the types of training that will take place and how often it will occur. Computer modules followed by a quiz with a required minimum score have proven to be very effective.
6. Enforce Your Policy – Employees should be required to sign the IT security policy to acknowledge that they have read it and are aware of the consequences.

By creating a robust IT security policy, you can protect your business and mitigate security threats.

Related blog:

Why Strong Passwords Should be a Priority for Your Small Business