Information security strategies are essential for any company. There is a saying that goes “prevention is better than cure.” That is especially true in information security. Reacting to every new threat takes a lot of time and resources. Hence, developing information security strategies is far better.
Don’t worry if you are puzzled about where to start. In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on how to build effective information security strategies.
Determine What You Have To Protect
Each organization has unique valuable assets. Thus, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy in information security. First, determine the assets your company needs to protect. Unfortunately, you cannot protect 100% of the company’s assets. However, focus on what you absolutely need to protect first.
To do that, review your business processes and how the company generates revenue. Identify what systems would disrupt operations once it became unavailable or have their data stolen.
Compliance Is Crucial
Various bodies govern companies in terms of information security. Usually, the company’s CISO is responsible for maintaining compliance. Have the required compliance frameworks in mind when designing information security strategies. Otherwise, your business will end up paying large fines and suffering from reputational damage
Calculate How Many risks Your Company Can Take
As we have mentioned earlier, you cannot protect 100% of your company’s assets. That’s why it is important to know the total risk your organization is willing to accept. This depends on the strength and industry of your company. Doing so ensures that you don’t under or overprotect your business.
Get To Know The Threat Landscape
Familiarity with the general environment of your company is essential. Furthermore, take a look at your competitors. Observe what threats they face and the issues they faced in the past. This is a good tip to apply since the threats your competitors face are almost always the same as the threats that might affect your business.
Moreover, understand what threats your business needs to protect itself against. Identify what resources potential hackers have. Also, know their motivations behind the attack. Doing so gives you an edge against attackers.
Build Information Security Strategies
Picking a framework is important. You can choose from CIS Controls, ISO, and NIST. A framework allows you to effectively track progress. Do that while prioritizing the most important steps – a framework enables that. Also, evaluate the effectiveness of your current security measures. Moreover, have a target timeline for your goals
Also, identify the foundational items that must be addressed in the beginning. Prioritize the most important things. Hence, ensure that you have a combination of both foundational tasks and quick wins in the first year of implementation.
Evaluate The Ability For Plan Execution
You must assess if you have enough resources to execute your plan. Take a look at your tech teams and see if their skill sets are sufficient. If not, you may need to hire additional team members. Outsourcing some of the work is also a great option. Furthermore, it is important to see the plans of your IT members in the future.
