Cybersecurity policy essential components

Building a Fort Knox for your data: Essential components of a Cybersecurity Policy

Cybersecurity is always a hot topic for businesses. Many major companies, such as Equifax, Facebook, and more, have been the subject of news and controversy due to notable data breach incidents.

Small businesses need to be just as careful. An employee opening one suspicious email can lead to malware on company devices and data becoming compromised.

A clear cybersecurity policy can help your business avoid these mishaps. However, your policy is only effective if it includes all the key components and is paired with regular cybersecurity training for employees. Here’s how to craft a policy to protect your company’s device security and data.

What is a cybersecurity policy?

A cybersecurity policy is a documented set of rules, procedures, and guidelines that employees and contractors must follow to ensure the company’s data and technology security. It’s essentially the “law of the land” regarding digital security in the workplace.

What to include in a cybersecurity policy

Here are the key items to address in your company’s cybersecurity policy.

Acceptable use policy

Acceptable use guidelines define what employees can and cannot do with company technology. This includes company internet usage, work emails, and social media.

It can also include whether or not employees can access or store company information (documents, email messages, etc) on their devices. This is an important expectation, as allowing employees to use their devices can come with some security concerns as they may not have the same security measures on their own devices as company-issued tech.

Using personal devices may also have compliance implications in states that require reimbursement for employees using personal devices for work use (often under a BYOD policy).

Data security and handling procedures

Outline how sensitive data (customer information, financial records, intellectual property) should be handled, stored, and accessed. You’ll need to tailor this section to the type of information that your company typically handles and any regional or industry-wide best practices or requirements.

Password management requirements

Explain your company’s standards for creating strong passwords and remind employees not to use the same password for all their accounts, as that is a common way that passwords can become compromised. Outline other measures, such as how frequently passwords must be changed and whether multi-factor authentication is required.

Some companies are now requiring the use of password managers for more secure password storage or sharing. This practice is particularly popular. Teams use shared accounts. They do this to make passwords available to multiple employees.

This avoids storing passwords in unencrypted messages. It also avoids storing them in someone’s notes app. Finally, it prevents storing them in a random Word document.

Network security guidelines

Specify the rules for accessing the company’s network, including in-office Wi-Fi usage, firewalls, and guest access. If you want employees to use VPNs when accessing the network or handling sensitive data, explain that as well.

Device security policies

This document provides guidelines for securing company-issued devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) and personal devices used for work. Be clear about who is expected to set up any computer or mobile device IT security measures.

In-office systems, the onsite IT department often plays a more significant role in updating security software programs on desktops. When personal devices or remote workstations are used, employees tend to bear greater responsibility in keeping their devices secure and up-to-date.

Incident Response

This section of the policies should outline the procedures for reporting and responding to security breaches or suspected incidents. This includes essential things like promptly reporting suspicious emails to IT.

Employee training

It is a good idea to include a mandate in your policy for regular cybersecurity awareness training for all employees. This will inform them about potential threats and best practices around email security, information handling, etc.

These training sessions are also a good time for reminders. You should regularly remind employees to change their passwords. You should also remind them to update their antivirus software. These are critical security measures. Employees can easily overlook these measures. This is because employees are often busy.

Remote work security protocols

If your company allows remote work, even occasionally, including any specific remote work security concerns is essential. For example, suppose you’re dealing with particularly sensitive data like healthcare records. In that case, it’s common to request that employees not access these records in public places (such as while working in a coffee shop) or on public Wi-Fi.

Why is having a cybersecurity policy important?

Not sure that your organization needs a written cybersecurity policy? Find out why having one in place is vital for every business.

Protecting sensitive data

Regardless of your industry, your business likely collects and stores some sensitive information. This includes HR records with employees’ social security numbers, client payment information, and health data.

There may also be proprietary information that you don’t want every employee to be able to access or potentially share, such as secret recipes or IPs you don’t want to be duplicated by competitors. A cyber security policy can help safeguard this confidential information from unauthorized access, theft, or misuse.

Preventing cyberattacks

Setting clear cybersecurity guidelines and providing ample training reduces the risk of employees and your business falling victim to malware, phishing scams, ransomware, and other cyber threats. This is an integral part of cybersecurity risk management.

Maintaining business continuity

Good cyber security controls can minimize downtime and disruptions in the event of a security incident. A policy and incident response plan will help you get everything back up and running efficiently and securely if something goes wrong. Your cybersecurity policy can also help you avoid disruptions by minimizing vulnerabilities and preventing common incidents like phishing or viruses.

Complying with regulations

Your cybersecurity policy can help your organization meet various legal and regulatory requirements for data protection. Depending on your industry and the regions you service, you may need to comply with various laws such as:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): The GDPR is a set of data security guidelines intended to protect consumer privacy and data for EU residents. If you serve international customers in Europe, you must ensure your information security policies meet GDPR requirements.
  
  
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): The CCPA gives California residents more oversight and control over how businesses use and store their data. It allows Californians to know what data is being collected and stored, to opt out of businesses selling their data to third parties, and to request the deletion of their data.
  
  This is important to note. This applies to California residents and customers. It does not just apply to California-based businesses. Therefore, businesses in other states still need to comply. They must comply when handling data for California customers.
  
  
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): This well-known healthcare privacy law protects patient privacy around health information. It applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers.

Maintaining a positive reputation

Developing and following a well-crafted security policy demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity, which can enhance trust with customers and partners. It also prevents cybersecurity incidents like data breaches, which can impact your business’s reputation in the long term. Customers and clients need to trust that you will safeguard their data, so you’ll want to do your best to avoid damaging this area of your reputation.

Cybersecurity policy FAQs

Who should write the cybersecurity policy?

While many workplace policies are written primarily by human resources staff, you’ll want the information technology (IT) department to be more heavily involved in developing cybersecurity policies. IT staff will better understand your company’s information systems and technology infrastructure.

How often should a cybersecurity policy be updated?

It’s a good idea to update your cybersecurity policy at least once yearly. If an element of the policy needs updating to include new protocols, you can update it more frequently. Be sure to disperse the new policy version to employees after each update and have them acknowledge that they’ve received it and read it so that everyone is in the loop on any changes.

What types of cybersecurity tools do companies use?

Companies can use various IT security tools alongside their cybersecurity policy. Programs like secure password managers, VPNs, remote access software, antivirus software, and network firewalls can all help keep information secure and prevent viruses or malware from attacking systems.

More resources:
PTO request policy: A comprehensive guide for employers
Top considerations for your company mobile phone policy
No-call no-show: Crafting an effective employee absence policy