Information Security Guide For IT Companies

 Information security is a term that has become increasingly common in the business world over the past few years. It’s a buzzword used to describe different things, but it doesn’t have to mean, “we’re going to make your data completely secret.” 

We can discuss security and privacy as separate things, but they aren’t. They’re both important in their own way; but they mean different things. When we talk about information security, we’re usually talking about protecting data from being seen by unauthorized people.  

When we say that you must protect your data from unauthorized access, what does that mean? It means keeping your valuable files safe from prying eyes and malicious software—and ensuring that those who need access to your data have permission. 

In today’s cyber-driven ecosystem, it’s not enough to ask employees to ‘be vigilant’ and assume they’ll protect the company’s data well. Employees and customers must be well educated about information security to apply it in the real world. Only then, your business will enjoy the advantages of a security culture and be able to support best practices. Companies should develop and implement overall information security strategies that fulfil technological, organisational and physical security risks.  

So what should you teach employees? Here’s a brief guide that you can share with your organization. However, we normally have a full training and awareness program that we use with companies for an Information Security Management System Implementation (ISO/IEC 27001:2022). 

Information Security Guide: 

What is Information Security? 

Information Security is also known as InfoSec. It is generally referred to as the business methodologies or practices that help companies to safeguard the data. InfoSec expanded and encompassed from network and security architecture to testing and auditing. 

Information Security safeguards sensitive data and maintains critical data privacy like customer account information, intellectual property etc. 

The information security principles 

Confidentiality:  

Confidentiality safeguards are put in place to prevent unauthorized information disclosure.  
 
The confidentiality principle’s primary objective is to keep personal information private and to guarantee that it is visible and accessible only to those who possess it or require it to accomplish their organizational tasks. 

Integrity: 

• Protection against unauthorised modifications (additions, deletions, revisions, etc.) to data is included in data integrity.  
• The integrity principle ensures that data is accurate, dependable, and not erroneously updated, whether mistakenly or deliberately. 

Availability:  

• The protection of a system’s capacity to make software systems and data completely available when a user requires it is referred to as availability (or at a specified time).  
  
• The goal of availability is to make the technological infrastructure, applications, and data available when needed for an organizational activity or an organization’s consumers. 
  
• Multiple facets of information security must be taken care of to cater to every principle.  

Types of Information Security 

One way to get started on the right track is to understand how each type of information security works. 

Application Security 

• Application security is an essential security measure on a phone or computer app that prevents data or code from being stolen externally.  
  
• Businesses can easily maintain application security using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), built-in firewalls like Gmail’s automatic spam filter, and two-factor authentication (2FA). 

Cloud Security 

• The cloud offers many more benefits than downfalls, but one of its major disadvantages is the security risk it poses.  
  
• Entirely public cloud storage is inherently insecure, yet fully private cloud storage is still relatively expensive — even with professional guidance. 
  
• There are hybrid cloud options, but ultimately, cloud security comes down to one basic principle: Zero Trust. Zero Trust is a set of computer security techniques that automatically assumes no one is trusted into your network until proven otherwise with trusted service providers. 

Incident Response:  

• Incident response is the function that monitors and analyses potentially harmful conduct. IT employees should have a strategy in a breach to control the danger and recover the network.  
  
• Furthermore, the strategy should include a procedure for preserving evidence for forensic investigation and possible prosecution.
  
• This information can help avoid additional breaches and assist employees in identifying the perpetrator. 

Cryptography:

• Encrypting transmitted data at rest aids in maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.  
  
• In cryptography, they often employ digital signatures to confirm data validity.  
  
• Cryptography and encryption have grown in importance. The AES algorithm is a fantastic example of cryptography in action (AES). 
   
• The AES algorithm is a symmetric critical method to secure secret government information. 

Vulnerability Management:  

• Vulnerability management includes scanning an environment for flaws (such as unpatched programs) and ranking risk-based remedies. 
   
• Businesses are continually adding apps, users, infrastructures, and various networks. 
   
• Consequently, it is critical to analyse the network for any vulnerabilities regularly. 
   
• Finding vulnerability ahead of time can spare your company from the devastating repercussions of a breach. 

Benefits of InfoSec 

• Improving operations: No matter what industry you’re in, you must maintain safe use of customer data whenever they interact with your business — in-person or online.  
  
• Managed Services Providers (MSPs) can help you, and your IT team maintain this load, as data recovery and maintenance is an ongoing preventative set of practices in addition to the usual corrective security solutions.  
  
• Safer working options: Different things start to open up for your company when your operations innately focus on maintaining safe and secure data centres.  
  
• Remote working challenges and the development of many technological platforms over 2020 have skyrocketed concern for safer data management.  

How to Implement InfoSec? 

There are many ways that you can implement InfoSec in your business. You can use a managed service provider (MSP), virtual private server, or cloud storage. The important thing is to make sure that your data is secure and protected. 

 
If you’re looking for a managed service provider, consider Allendevaux & Company offers Information Security and Management Services (ISMS) that include data security, disaster management and business continuity planning. The service offers custom solutions based on your needs.