Security

• Security is a broad term and the development of your overall security policy requires help from many different organisations. 

• Security breaches are not principally the result of malicious acts, but are the result of people not understanding the implications of their actions.

• Group responsibility for security is generally as follows:

  • Facilities. 

    • typically responsible for the physical safety and security of the people in the company including:

      • cleaning spills to avoid injuries,

      • conducting fire drills to make sure people know what to do in an emergency, 

      • guards at the front of the building, 

      • establishing a reception area where all visitors wait, 

      • issuing badges to authorised employees and contractors, 

      • setting up badge reading equipment, etc.

    • All of this is to ensure a safe and secure working environment for everyone at the facility.

  • Human Resources (HR). 

    • develop policies for how people interact with each other. From a safety and security standpoint, this includes policies on:

      • workplace harassment, 

      • threats, 

      • retribution, etc. 

    • determine the consequences associated with unwanted and careless behavior related to security. 

  • Auditing. 

    • making sure that you have good, sound security policies in place – and that you are following them. 

    • best laid plans are meaningless if they are not executed, and auditing makes sure that security is in place and enforced appropriately.

    • can be internal or external.

  • Business Units. 

    • security policies that cover:

      • business information, 

      • raw data, 

      • reports, 

      • trade secrets, etc. 

    • certain financial reports may need to be designated “Highly Confidential” and kept in locked drawers when not being used.

    • certain Human Resources information, such as the company benefits package, may be accessible by all employees (although not necessarily available to outside parties).

  • Network administration. 

    • responsibilities for the:

      • security, 

      • reliability and 

      • integrity 

      of the computer network. 

    • This group makes sure that the:

      • entire network is safe from hackers, 

      • firewalls protect the network from outside access, and 

      • data and databases are protected and secure. 

      • the email system is viruses free, and respond quickly if a virus gets onto the network.

  • IT development. 

    • The development group must build the proper level of security into the business applications. 

    • This can include:

      • passwords to gain access into applications, 

      • restricting access to only business information people need for their job. 

    • This responsibility is in partnership with the Business Units. 

    • The Business Units define the policy for their applications and their data. 

    • The development group needs to rigorously enforce that policy in the applications they develop.

  • Central coordination

    • Most companies have a person or a group that has overall responsibility for security. 

    • this person or group is vital to coordinate the various activities and make sure that everything is consistent and coherent. 

    • One of the primary is to build awareness. 

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