Objective:
Create a comprehensive security policy for a hypothetical company, considering all the different aspects you have learned throughout the course.
Resources Needed:
Personal computer with internet access.
Access to resources about common security standards, best practices, and policy structure.
Your Role:
Choose a Hypothetical Company: You can choose any type of company you want, from a small business to a large corporation, across any industry. Define the company’s profile, including the size, industry, type of data handled, and the potential cybersecurity threats it might face.
Identify the Company’s Security Needs: Based on the company’s profile and the data it handles, identify what kind of security measures the company should have in place. Consider different aspects, like network security, application security, cloud security, mobile/IoT security, etc.
Create the Security Policy: Write a comprehensive security policy, considering the following areas:
Purpose: Explain why the policy is important and what it aims to achieve.
Scope: Define who and what the policy applies to.
Policy: Outline the rules that need to be followed.
Roles and Responsibilities: Define who is responsible for each part of the policy.
Enforcement and Penalties: Describe how the policy will be enforced and what penalties will be in place for non-compliance.
Review and Revision: Explain how often the policy will be reviewed and who will be responsible for making changes.
Develop an Auditing Procedure: Outline a procedure to audit compliance with the policy. This could include methods for checking compliance, how often audits will be carried out, and who will be responsible for them.
Note: In this project, the focus should be on demonstrating an understanding of how to create an effective security policy and auditing procedure. The policy should be based on real-world best practices and standards but does not need to be implementable in a real-world context.
Here’s a hypothetical company that you can base your Lesson 9 project on:
Company Name: TechBright Solutions
Industry: Information Technology Services
Size: Mid-sized company with around 300 employees
Company Description: TechBright Solutions is a rapidly growing IT services firm that caters to small and medium-sized businesses across various industries. They specialize in managed IT services, IT consulting, custom software development, cloud services, and cybersecurity solutions.
Data Handled: TechBright Solutions handles a wide range of data. This includes sensitive customer data (such as personal information, financial data), proprietary information related to their services, and internal data like employee records.
Potential Cybersecurity Threats:
Data Breaches: Given the nature of data TechBright handles, they are a prime target for cybercriminals who want to steal sensitive data.
Insider Threats: As an IT services firm, they have many employees with extensive privileges that could potentially be misused.
Phishing Attacks: Phishing remains a significant threat, especially considering the amount of communication with clients.
Ransomware: Given their reliance on digital files and records, ransomware is a significant concern.
Cloud Security: TechBright uses cloud services extensively for storage, collaboration, and service delivery, making cloud security a key concern.
You would use this company profile to develop a comprehensive security policy and an auditing procedure that meets the company’s needs and addresses the potential threats. They would also need to take into account any regulatory compliance requirements that the company might face due to its handling of sensitive customer data.
Here’s a basic outline for a security policy. Students should use this as a starting point and customize it to fit the specific needs of their hypothetical company.
Company Name: [Company Name]
Security Policy
Purpose
The purpose of this security policy is to establish a standard for the protection of [Company Name]’s information resources. This policy aims to protect our employees, partners, and the company from illegal or damaging actions, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees of [Company Name], contractors, consultants, temporaries, and other workers at [Company Name], including all personnel affiliated with third parties.
Policy
A. Acceptable Use
The acceptable use policy defines what actions are permitted when using [Company Name]’s IT systems and data.
B. Password Policy
Passwords are the frontline defense for most computer systems. Therefore, all employees must adhere to the following password policy.
C. Data Classification
To protect sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction, [Company Name] has established a data classification system.
D. Mobile Device Security
Given the rise in mobile device usage for work purposes, [Company Name] has established a policy to protect sensitive data accessed through these devices.
E. Incident Response
[Company Name] has established an incident response plan to effectively respond to security incidents and mitigate their impact.
Roles and Responsibilities
A. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
The CISO is responsible for the overall management and enforcement of this security policy.
B. IT Team
The IT team is responsible for implementing security measures and maintaining the security of our IT systems.
C. Employees
All employees must comply with this security policy and report any security incidents they identify.
Enforcement and Penalties
Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Review and Revision
This policy will be reviewed and updated annually or as needed based on changes to our business, technology, or the regulatory environment.