Challenges of Designing Information Security Policies

January 21, 2020
Information security policies are meant to keep your organization’s data safe. However, designing effective information security policies is far from easy. Rapid evolution of technology poses fresh threats every day and most policies need to be implemented across a multi-user organization.
Policy design faces numerous challenges that need to be overcome.These challenges arise not only from external factors, but also internal discrepancies as well. Find out about some of the challenges of designing information security policies:

Non-compliance

Designing information security policies that are enforceable and yet command compliance is a big challenge. Your employees can pose a major threat to your organization’s security if they decide to not comply with your policies. Common reasons for non-compliance by employees include the policy’s effects on their productivity, forgetfulness, and uncontrolled behavior. No matter the reason for non-compliance, the design and implementation of your organization’s policy must abolish this behavior.

Employee distrust

A policy too strong or overprotective can spread distrust among your employees. This can also happen if your employees are not included in the decision-making process. Surveillance without respect for privacy can also lead to increased discomfort and affect your policy design detrimentally. Spend considerable time assessing this challenge before you design your policy.

Lack of awareness

Many organizations lack training sessions meant to create awareness about a new policy being designed. This can be major setback to policy deign. Lack of awareness means that the employees would neither be trained to follow your policy, nor be willing to do so. Awareness should not be limited to policy design alone. Your employees must understand the risks they are exposing the organization to when using your network in an unauthorized manner. This challenge to policy design looms large as employees struggle to keep up with the changes in your organization.

False sense of security

Cultivating a false sense of security could be more harmful than a security breach itself. If your data are regulated by federal laws, incidents of data breach can be adjudicated in a court of law. This happens when the policy design lacks robustness: breaking the facade of security. Your security policy may either not be enough, or not enforced properly. Thus, designing policies that are truly protective is a challenge that organizations face every day.

Lack of updating your security systems

Your organization’s data security systems are faced with new emerging cyber threats every passing minute. Designing a policy that can keep up with rapidly evolving security threats is a crippling challenge. Your policy designing team must have the foresight to include imminent dangers to data security in the policy. Plus, policy design must also think of the scope of updating and expanding on to the policy in the future.

Conclusion

Being aware of the challenges that you would face when designing your organization’s information security policy is a must. Gaining this insight means that the task is half-done. Get ready to kick these challenges out of your way as you navigate the complex landscape of information security.

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