frustrated man at computer with security policies

Security Policies – So Often Cursed Yet So Crucial

Ashli,
vCIO

Ashli Clubine, Infinity virtual CIO

Ah, the dreaded security policy. One day you’re using your favorite password that you’ve used for years (Ilovemydog123!) to log into everything from your bank account to work email to Facebook, and suddenly you’re being told that it has to change. And the new password can’t be easy to remember, and it’ll change again in 6 months, and your whole world is turned upside down.

It’s every client’s least favorite policy that an MSP or IT team can enforce, but it’s also the foremost means of defense against a cyber attack. Before we get into the nitty gritty of the Infinity Security Policy, let’s talk about what it is and why it’s important.

 

What is a Security Policy, and Why is it Important?

A security policy is a set of rules and tools implemented through manual and automated enforcement across an organization’s entire network and infrastructure. Referred to in the industry as a “layered security approach,” this involves the deployment of multiple security controls to protect the most vulnerable areas of your technology environment. This approach is developed by your MSP or IT Department, based on best business practices and industry standards, to protect an organization from compromise, hacking, theft, fraud, ransom, and more.

 

Components of a Strong Security Policy

We’re big on policies and procedures at Infinity. They remove guesswork, save time, and provide a solid foundation for consistent service and continuous improvement. The Infinity Security Policy has been developed as a collaborative, living document, designed to adapt and meet the needs of an ever-evolving technological landscape. Our policy was developed by our leadership, top engineers, and experts in the field to serve one purpose: to protect our clients.

We start by enforcing certain password restrictions and complexities, to make it as difficult as possible for hackers to guess their way into your business software. This is applied to each user’s credentials and devices, as well as to major company infrastructure. We also enable authentication requirements that add another level of security when logging into these systems. You’ve probably seen some of our past posts and newsletters about the importance of password security – that’s because this is one of the single most important practices to help keep your business’s information safe.

Another important part of our policy is the maintenance of your user database. Imagine you have a bad falling out with a friend or significant other, and they had a key to your house. You’d get the locks changed pretty quickly, right? In the same way, we use our policies to manage your users’ access to prevent them from doing anything malicious (whether intentionally or not) that might hurt your business. Additionally, this allows us to ensure you aren’t paying for licenses for users that you no longer employ! It’s a win-win.

Several of our policies are behind the scenes, handling permissions, access, and file storage, to protect your organization and data without interfering in your day-to-day operations. Most of these are implemented without users even noticing a change!

 

Security policies may seem annoying or downright frustrating at times, but they must be enforced for the protection of you and your business. Our practices are tried and true, developed by industry experts with a single goal in mind – security. If you’d like to learn more about how Infinity can help your business to be more secure, call us today.