15 Must-Have Information Security Policies

by Sarah Harvey / January 15th, 2020

What Information Security Policies Do You Need?

Why do you need information security policies? What role do policies play in your organization’s security structure? You’re probably familiar with basic policies such as a Disaster Recovery Policy, Data Backup Policy, or Risk Assessment Policy, but there are other must-have information security policies that you should be implementing. The point of having extensive policies in place is to provide clarity for your employees, direction for proper security procedures, and proof that you’re doing your due diligence to protect your organization against security threats. We’ve gathered a list of 15 must-have information security policies that you can check your own list of policies against to ensure you’re on the path towards security:

Acceptable Encryption and Key Management Policy
Acceptable Use Policy
Clean Desk Policy
Data Breach Response Policy
Disaster Recovery Plan Policy
Personnel Security Policy
Data Backup Policy
User Identification, Authentication, and Authorization Policy
Incident Response Policy
End User Encryption Key Protection Policy
Risk Assessment Standards and Procedures
Remote Access Policy
Secure Systems Management Policy
Monitoring and Logging Policy
Change Management Policy

Information Security Policies Are Not the Finish Line

Now that you know 15 must-have information security policies, you should also know that policies are not the finish line. You also need to implement procedures and standards to give your employees tangible direction on how to follow information security policies – plus, developing procedures and standards are required for compliance with information security frameworks. It’s also not enough to just have written policies and procedures. You need to make sure every employee in your organization has a chance to read, understand, and acknowledge their your policies. That’s why it’s important to develop an Employee Handbook and require each employee to sign a Policy Acknowledgement. These steps help to ensure those 15 must-have information security policies are implemented well and further your information security goals.

How KirkpatrickPrice Can Help You Develop an Information Security Policy

When you engage in a gap analysis with KirkpatrickPrice, the auditor assigned to work with your organization determines if there are any gaps in your information security structure. Many times, we find organizations are missing policies that give structure to their information security plan. After completing a gap analysis, you can elect to have one of KirkpatrickPrice’s Professional Writers develop customized policies to help you meet your specific compliance requirements. Writing or adding to your information security policies based on your gap analysis results will aid in your remediation efforts.

If you’re looking to develop strong policies and procedures or have further questions about how you can partner with KirkpatrickPrice to meet your compliance goals, contact us so we can help you develop standards that fit your organization.