Information Security

Lecture # 35

Dr. Shafiq Hussain

Associate Professor & Chairperson
Department of Computer Science

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 Objectives
• Introduction to Security Policy.

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 Security Policy
• A security policy is a document that spells out
principles and strategies for an organization to
maintain the security of its information assets.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
• A security policy (also called an information security
policy or IT security policy) is a document that spells
out the rules, expectations, and overall approach that
an organization uses to maintain the confidentiality,
integrity, and availability of its data.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
• Security policies exist at many different levels, from
high-level constructs that describe an enterprise’s
general security goals and principles to documents
addressing specific issues, such as remote access or
Wi-Fi use.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
• A security policy is frequently used in conjunction
with other types of documentation such as standard
operating procedures.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
• These documents work together to help the company
achieve its security goals.

• The policy defines the overall strategy and

security stance, with the other documents helping
build structure around that practice.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Some of the benefits of a well-designed and
implemented security policy include:

Guides the implementation of technical controls

• A security policy doesn’t provide specific low-level
technical guidance, but it does spell out the intentions
and expectations of senior management in regard to
security.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Guides the implementation of technical controls
• It’s then up to the security or IT teams to translate
these intentions into specific technical actions.

• For example, a policy might state that only authorized

users should be granted access to proprietary
company information.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Guides the implementation of technical controls
• The specific authentication systems and access
control rules used to implement this policy can
change over time, but the general intent remains the
same.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Guides the implementation of technical controls
• Without a place to start from, the security or IT teams
can only guess senior management’s desires.

• This can lead to inconsistent application of security

controls across different groups and business entities.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Sets clear expectations
• Without a security policy, each employee or user will
be left to his or her own judgment in deciding what’s
appropriate and what’s not.

• This can lead to disaster when different employees

apply different standards.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Sets clear expectations
• A security policy should also clearly spell out how
compliance is monitored and enforced.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Helps meet regulatory and compliance requirements
• Documented security policies are a requirement of
legislation like HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley, as well
as regulations and standards like PCI-DSS, ISO
27001, and SOC2.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Helps meet regulatory and compliance requirements
• Even when not explicitly required, a security policy is
often a practical necessity in crafting a strategy to
meet increasingly stringent security and data privacy
requirements.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Improves organizational efficiency and helps meet
business objectives
• A good security policy can enhance an organization’s
efficiency.

• Its policies get everyone on the same page, avoid

duplication of effort, and provide consistency in
monitoring and enforcing compliance.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Improves organizational efficiency and helps meet
business objectives
• Security policies should also provide clear guidance
for when policy exceptions are granted, and by
whom.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
• Security policies can vary in scope, applicability, and
complexity, according to the needs of different
organizations.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
• While there’s no universal model for security
policies, the National Institutes of Standards and
Technology (NIST) spells out three distinct types in
Special Publication (SP) 800-12:

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Program policy
• Program policies are strategic, high-level blueprints
that guide an organization’s information security
program.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Program policy
• They spell out the purpose and scope of the program,
as well as define roles and responsibilities and
compliance mechanisms.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Program policy
• Also known as master or organizational policies,
these documents are crafted with high levels of input
from senior management and are typically technology
agnostic.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Program policy
• They are the least frequently updated type of policy,
as they should be written at a high enough level to
remain relevant even through technical and
organizational changes.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Issue-specific policy
• Issue-specific policies build upon the generic security
policy and provide more concrete guidance on certain
issues relevant to an organization’s workforce.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Issue-specific policy
• Common examples could include a network security
policy, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, social
media policy, or remote work policy.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Issue-specific policy
• These may address specific technology areas but are
usually more generic.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
Issue-specific policy
• A remote access policy might state that offsite access
is only possible through a company-approved and
supported VPN, but that policy probably won’t name
a specific VPN client.

• This way, the company can change vendors without

major updates.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
System-specific policy
• A system-specific policy is the most granular type of
IT security policy, focusing on a particular type of
system, such as a firewall or web server, or even an
individual computer.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
System-specific policy
• NIST states that system-specific policies should
consist of both a security objective and operational
rules.

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 Security Policy (Cont..)
Three types of security policies
System-specific policy
• IT and security teams are heavily involved in the
creation, implementation, and enforcement of system-
specific policies but the key decisions and rules are
still made by senior management.

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 Questions
Any Question Please?

You can contact me at: [email protected]

Your Query will be answered within one working day.

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 Further Readings
• Chapter No. 1
Computer_Security_Principles_and_Practice_(3rd_E
dition)
By William Stallings and Lawrie Brown

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Thanks

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