SecurityPolicy

SecurityPolicy, commonly referred to as a security policy, is a formal set of rules and procedures that governs how an organization protects its information assets and IT resources. It states security objectives, defines scope, and assigns responsibilities. A security policy provides the basis for controls, risk management, and regulatory compliance, and it guides day-to-day decision making.

A typical security policy includes elements such as the policy statement, scope and applicability, governance and roles, risk management approach, and the relationship to standards, guidelines, and procedures. It may cover areas such as acceptable use, access control, authentication and password management, data classification and handling, encryption, network and device security, incident response, business continuity, and vendor risk management. These components drive the development of more detailed standards, guidelines, and procedures.

Policy development and maintenance usually follow a governance process that includes risk assessment, stakeholder consultation, and executive approval. After publication, the policy is disseminated and supported by training, with ongoing monitoring and audits to assess compliance. Policies are reviewed at defined intervals and updated to reflect new threats, technology changes, or legal and regulatory requirements. Violations are addressed through defined enforcement mechanisms and may trigger incident response actions.

SecurityPolicy supports regulatory and standards compliance, including frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST SP 800-series, as well as privacy laws and sector-specific regulations. Effective policies align security objectives with business priorities and provide a repeatable approach to protecting information assets.