The Essentials for Information Security Posture

? ? ? ? ? ?The threat landscape has dramatically increased in organizations by willful and unwilful agents about information security and governance. In leveling the playing field, organizations must remember that their weakest link in this environment is themselves—notably, the employees they onboard and grant system access to. Stone (2022) identifies insider threat as one of the most significant risks to any firm; therefore, the internal user’s access level can present a substantial risk to any firm. Organizations have made great efforts to practice due care and diligence in protecting posture information security by instilling policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines that help direct the focus of management strategy. The analysis by Sommestad et al. (2014) offers plausible factors that might affect employees’ behavior in adhering to organizational compliance. Understanding these factors helps leaders and managers assess the best path for addressing any foreseeable risks in their organizations.

? ? ? ? ? ?Many leaders are adopting technological platforms that help them address issues and concerns that may arise within their industry and empower you, the information security professionals, to take proactive measures. In my organization, there are initiatives for streamlining this process for employees and information security professionals. The nature of our business model deals with government services and contracts; therefore, strict protocols must be followed as an insider threat is a focus for compliance in which technology is leveraged. Your role in maintaining this compliance is crucial and highly valued.?

? ? ? ? ?Variable Influence

? ? ? ? ? ?The three variables in my organizational concern are computer monitoring, information security awareness, and the perceived cost of non-compliance. The ability to monitor employee actions and audits relies on accountability or integrity. When there is accountability in the system, this adheres to the reference monitor concept, which states that all user activities should be logged and monitored. Employees must be notified that they are being monitored to provide transparency and privacy. Information security awareness helps foster a responsible organization regarding security and compliance by providing training and processes. According to Stone (2022), ensuring that personnel are regularly updated on security training is crucial for any insider-threat program to establish a robust insider-threat training program that benefits everyone involved. With security and background checks for clearance, the perceived cost of non-compliance motivates many employees to stay up-to-date with training and understand the processes involved with handling sensitive information and systems. These variables are critical to our information security policy compliance, and you need to be aware of them. ?

? ? ? ? ?Technological Leverage

? ? ? ? ? ?Leaders have set forth executive policies that outline how information systems can be utilized to ensure compliance. Silverstein (2015) rightly points out that technology is a potent tool that can aid companies in adhering to government regulations and internal policies. This underscores the pivotal role of technology in maintaining compliance and encourages leaders to leverage it effectively. For instance, when users log into government systems, a splash page instantly provides a message to inform them of the system’s acceptable use and the need for compliance. Our organization utilizes Splunk and other security systems that assess the potentiality of insider threats by providing feeds to security personnel for auditing. With the help of custom-built platforms and proprietary algorithms, our team can efficiently scan through thousands of data feeds for anomalies and inconsistent trends in user behavior. We also leverage the ServiceNow platform to manage various IT processes and implement change management strategies. Services that streamline the supplier-vendor relationship are available, enabling IT personnel to procure necessary customer assets. Leadership has shown a keen interest in harnessing the platform’s capabilities for numerous initiatives.

Reference

Silverstein, E. (2015). The future of compliance. https://www.insidecounsel.com/2015/04/29/the-future-of-compliance

Sommestad, T., Hallberg, J., Lundholm, K., & Bengtsson, J. (2014). Variables influencing information security policy compliance: A systematic review of quantitative studies.?Information Management & Computer Security, 22(1), 42–75.

Stone, A. G. (2022). The role risk-management plays in reducing insider threat’s in the federal government. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, 31(3), 338–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/19393555.2021.1998735Links to an external site.