Security policies set the standard for the implementation of all controls associated with managing the risk associated with an organization’s information security plan.

Without a security policy plan, your IT and SECOPS team wander endlessly in the world of cyberattacks and prevention. Organizations that push ahead with a cybersecurity strategy without an agreement on a variety of policies will waste thousands of hours as well as spend countless dollars on the wrong adaptive control.

The true cornerstone of any security strategy is having a corporate policy and the means to carry out and enforce the standards and controlled documentation. Security policies do a lot more than just set rules; indeed, these policies help define the purpose, governance, mandates, budgets, and, most importantly, the acceptance and visibility of the plan at the board level.

Creating internal “cyber warriors” takes patience and understanding. Many people in non-IT roles neither understand the enormous number of cybersecurity threats that occur on a daily basis nor how they can impact the company as a whole.

Security policies cover a wide range of domains, including remote access, application security, cloud access, acceptable-use policy for end-users, and the security framework to which the company aligns. These, along with sub-policies, help define important guidelines for DEVOPS, SECOPS, and IT OPS when deploying new services, both on-premises and in the cloud. EVEE Consulting has the expertise to assist both in policy creation and the implementation strategy.

What changed?

Early versions of security policy were centered more or less around a “check the box” mindset. In compliance with a specific regulation or governance, organizations tried to create a policy or a series memorandum just to comply with internal IT audits. Yet, most of these policies never saw the light of day, and in many cases, they were neither implemented in the first place nor updated over time.

Where policies fail

Policy implementations came full circle as local, state, and federal governments began to pass specific cybersecurity, privacy, and corporate compliance mandates, including the GLBA (Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and, in California, AB 1386 (California owns or licenses computerized personal information to disclose any breach of security), and, in Europe, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). These new laws and mandates placed stiff penalties on organizations and individuals who violated these privacy and financial regulations. Soon after the laws and mandates went into effect, organizations began at the board level on down to take notice. SECOPS and CISOs began to receive new levels of commitment and funding to help ensure that organizations became compliant.

Security policies are now an integral and important part of a resilient cybersecurity program. Our experts have a deep understanding of your needs and possess the requisite skills to implement, assess, and monitor the necessary policies and procedures to help you minimize risk and meet any regulatory mandates.