7 tips for creating your company’s data security policy

Today, we live in an advanced digital era where cyberthreats and data breaches continue to evolve. That’s why it’s imperative to safeguard your organization and clients from losing sensitive data. It all starts by developing a robust data security policy. 

Below, we’ll share the information your data security plan should include and break down the easy steps you can take to help make your business more secure.

What is data security?

Data security helps preserve important data from unauthorized access, manipulation and theft. When companies implement these strong security measures, they can also help guard against human error and even insider threats. The tools and technologies involved provide a level of visibility that shows organizations how their critical data is used and where it’s located. If an attack or a breach does occur, then the tools use processes such as data masking and encryption to act as a line of defense.[1]

Data security vs. cybersecurity

The terms data security and cybersecurity are alike in certain ways and sometimes are used interchangeably. However, there is a distinction between the two:

Data security: Also known as information security, data security protects information and information systems from unauthorized access and use. It’s an overarching term that extends to all types of data (e.g., digital, physical, intellectual), not just data stored in cyberspace. 

Cybersecurity: This realm of security protects and prevents damage to digital data that’s stored in computer systems and networks.[2] 

Tips for creating a company data security policy

Managing sensitive data is an important part of effective risk-management practices that can help keep your business thriving now and well into the future. So no matter what age or size your company is, it’s always important to put secure measures in place. 

Here are seven tips for creating your successful data security policy. 

1. Understand the key elements of a data security policy

For a policy to be effective, there are particular elements that must be included in the framework. Use this checklist to help safeguard your business, employees, and clients or customers.[3] 

Enforce strong passwords

Put a password policy in place for all employees who access your organization’s resources. Implement a naming convention to make it so complex that it’s difficult for an outsider to guess. And although it may seem elementary, always remind your employees that passwords should never be shared. 

Keep emails secure

Put clear standards in place that detail how employees can use emails, manage files and properly download content. Remind everyone of best practices to help avoid a phishing scam: they should not share personal info or open links from unknown senders. 

Control internet access

Put rules and limits in place to help maintain safe web access. Any misuse could put your company in a challenging, or even a risky, legal position. 

Shield data privacy

Make sure your employees conform to all regulations concerning your private information. Data should only be used in ways that protect customers’ identities and information. 

2. Conduct an assessment

Within organizations, there is an extraordinary amount of data that gets stored and collected over time. In order to evaluate the data landscape and identify any potential risks, companies need to run an assessment for adequate visibility. The evaluation will help determine which security measures and strategies are suitable for reducing threats and ensuring regulatory compliance. 

Consider following these steps to complete your assessment:

1. Conduct data inventory and classification to help categorize risk level.
2. Evaluate current security controls, policies and procedures.
3. Assess the likelihood and impact of threats including accidental disclosure or data leakage. External factors that should also be considered include third-party vendors, industry standards and regulations.
4. Put appropriate security measures into place such as access controls, encryption and network segmentation.
5. Conduct reviews regularly and put together an incident response plan.[4]

3. Research laws

When developing your policy, make sure you first consider all applicable laws and guidelines. Review local, state and federal laws as well as industry standards. 

For example, if you’re a healthcare provider, it can be necessary to familiarize yourself with privacy standards to guarantee that IT security efforts are compliant.[5] 

4. Involve necessary parties

Without organization-wide support, it could be difficult to implement your security policy and ensure compliance. Make sure to involve all necessary stakeholders—including users, business partners, suppliers and other third parties—so everyone understands and can help uphold the requirements. Make the structure and content clear, accessible and straightforward. 

5. Establish a communication and implementation plan of action

Once your data security policy is in place, it’s time to communicate policies to your entire staff and implement them within workflows. Be sure to lay out a plan that lets everyone know why these updates are necessary and clearly explain their role in protecting the company, its assets and all employees. Use simple language, demonstrate the potential risks and explain how the policies will impact daily routines.[5]

6. Conduct regular security trainings

A great way to help employees adopt your company’s security policies is to have them participate in ongoing training and exercises. These should be both engaging and educational. The goal is to raise awareness and help employees build skills so they can implement best practices into their daily roles and keep the organization’s data secure.[6] 

Develop role-based training that’s specific to the user’s job responsibility and the amount of data handled. 

Share data security messages across channels including emails, newsletters and login reminders. 

Educate employees on breach detection and make sure they know how to transfer this information to designated responders. 

7. Update the policy or trainings as needed

It’s good practice to review and update your data security policy at least one time per year, especially as compliance laws and regulations constantly change. These rules control how your business collects, processes and stores data, so it’s important for you and your team to remain compliant. It could even be beneficial to take a proactive approach and make adjustments before regulations change. 

Another time to consider an update is when a data security incident occurs. If your data is compromised, be sure to take the time to detect causes so you can learn how to correct actions and fill in any necessary gaps. 

Data is one of the major components that affects how your business operates. It’s highly valuable so it should always be protected at all costs. Put your data security policy in place right away and learn more ways you can build a successful data recovery and strategy plan.