06 Feb Information Security Governance Steps
What are the information security governance steps that can be used to put multiple layers of security in place information security management data security and network security?
What is a Governance Framework for Information Security?
What is the distinction between governance and compliance? An organization’s day-to-day operations involve the administration of people, objectives, and company strategy. The governance model of a firm defines how the organization is handled. An information security governance framework is how security is handled and managed inside a company when it comes to your information security strategy.
Compliance may be viewed of as the “what,” as in the requirements you are required to meet or strive towards. An information security governance framework may be viewed as the “how-to” guide for meeting industry requirements for cybersecurity and IT compliance frameworks. An effective information security governance framework should describe a company’s standards, rules, and processes in such a way that they address a wide variety of IT compliance obligations.
The advantages of information security governance include the ability to align priorities, minimize duplication, and decrease inefficiencies. An information security governance framework, when properly implemented, takes into account a company’s strategy, operations, and compliance needs, and offers a structure to manage the objectives of each in a balanced and structured manner.
How to Implement Information Governance and Security Programs
Organizations can use information governance (IG) initiatives to facilitate change and establish a security culture. With expanding worldwide data privacy rules and continuous data breaches, solid data management and security are more critical than ever. One of the most effective things businesses can do in the face of these difficulties is to allow meaningful transformation by weaving security and privacy into the fabric of their cultures. Once that is accomplished, it is critical to ensure that the created procedures and rules are enforced so that the hard work is not in vain.
Maintaining change and ensuring the adoption of new practices are crucial for developing a security culture that grows and strengthens over time. Employees are far more inclined to embrace and commit to changes when they realize that participation in training programs or compliance with new policies would improve their performance evaluations or remuneration.
At the beginning of an IG project, several guiding best practices may be put in place to facilitate long-term enforcement. These are some examples:
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Cross-functional support—In order to be successful, IG must be a collaborative effort including legal, compliance, security, IT, and records departments.
Executive sponsorship—Without C-level engagement, an IG initiative cannot be properly executed or enforced.
Change management—The path of modifying business processes should be based on compliance—change is a huge difficulty in large businesses with a diverse set of goals and personality types.
Computer-based training on new technologies and policies should be required for all users, and it should include education on the implications of security breaches, the costs they impose on the organization, and how to prevent them.
Strategic technology implementation—In addition to records, IT, and compliance, every technology review that has an influence on the company’s data should engage the legal and/or e-discovery teams.
Employees are not indifferent about security in many circumstances. Most employees comply with new policies and embrace the newly formed culture after being educated about the overall importance of security to the long-term health of the company.
How Do I Create a Framework for Information Security Governance?
First and foremost, you must determine the compliance, regulatory, and contractual obligations that apply to your organization. To begin, consider the following questions:
Did we negotiate a contract with a new customer promising to submit a SOC 2 report before the end of the fiscal year?
Do we handle and/or keep electronic protected health information (ePHI)?
Do we conduct business in the European Union or provide goods or services to EU citizens or businesses? What about the state of California?
Are we attempting to secure a contract with the federal government?
Are we a publicly traded company? Do we handle financial transactions on behalf of our customers?
Is one of our clients inquiring about our ISO 27001 certification?
The answers to these questions assist you in identifying the various IT compliance frameworks to which you may be subject. For example, if you process and/or keep ePHI, you may be required to show HIPAA or HITRUST compliance. If you want to work for the government, you should find out if you will be subject to FEDRAMP, CMMC, or one of the NIST frameworks.
After you’ve determined your needs, you may choose the framework or frameworks that will help you fulfill your IT compliance goals. The IT compliance standards to which you are subject might form the foundation of your information security governance system.
Each IT compliance standard will assist you in identifying the minimal criteria you must fulfill via your information security policies and IT controls, as well as in defining those policies and controls. If you are subject to multiple IT compliance standards, you will need to conduct additional research to understand how you can design your information security governance framework to bring together common requirements under multiple compliance requirements while also ensuring that the unique requirements of each are met.
