Components of Information Security Policy
An information security system comprises five components: software, hardware, application, database, and people. These components combine to do output, process, control, and feedback. Information processing includes input; application performs various tasks; database stores information and controls access to it; hardware processes the requests for the application and monitors the activities of users accessing the database. The final component of an information security system is the network which helps inefficient communication between the components and users.
When you have a security program, you need to address all these components as they are crucial. A significant vulnerability in one component can affect the entire system. Components of information security include disaster recovery plans, firewalls, identity management, application security, fraud management and response, virus protection, etc. The entire effort of developing and maintaining an information security system has a single aim, and that is to keep your business safe from hackers and other cybercriminals. So, it would be best if you made a dedicated team of professionals look after all components of information security so that you can focus only on business and not on technology and other aspects of IT.
While planning an information security system, you need to identify the main components of information security. The first and foremost important component is the application or software. The application is the core of the security program as it serves all the functions of other components. The application must be designed and developed with security in mind. The application security should be strong enough to protect against external threats and internal threats. So, the application must be developed keeping in mind the main components of information security.
As far as possible, your components of information security should provide 100% confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Also, they should be extensible and easy to customize and upgrade in the future. To provide maximum confidentiality, integrity, and availability, your components of information security should store sensitive information only in physically protected locations. Physical security should be practical and reliable. This will help you to protect your confidential information from unauthorized access.
These three components of information security are interrelated and impossible to achieve separately. Therefore, these components of information security must be implemented together for maximum protection and security. However, when there is no physical separation, then all the components of information security cannot be applied successfully, and you would not be able to provide total coverage. So, it would be best if you used physical partitioning and network segmentation to secure your information systems effectively.
All the critical elements of information security policy must be combined into a single comprehensive solution. Each of these components is very important for the proper functioning of a computer network. Some of these critical elements of information security policy are access control, confidentiality, and availability. Access control ensures the security of data that is entering the system. It also prevents unauthorized access to the information or data processing. By increasing the level of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, the network’s security is increased as well.
Confidentiality ensures the confidentiality of the data and the information stored in the computer. By using encryption, the confidentiality of the information will be increased. Besides, by ensuring that the confidentiality of the information is maintained at all times, the system’s security is further guaranteed. Moreover, by ensuring the availability of essential data and applications, the network will function smoothly and effectively.
Last but not least, availability ensures that the system is not affected by any loss of data or applications critical to the company’s functioning. The availability of the applications and data allows the network to function normally. However, the lack of these components of an information security system may create problems for the business. So, it is necessary to combine all these critical components of information security policy so that your computer network remains one of the most secure, safe, and reliable in the industry.