The Art of Deception_ Controlling the Human Element of Security - Kevin D. Mitnick [134]
The person assigned to draft information security policies needs to understand that the policies should be written in a style free of technical jargon and readily understood by the nontechnical employee. It’s also important that the document make clear why each policy is important; otherwise employees may disregard some policies as a waste of time. The policy writer should create a document that presents the policies, and a separate document for procedures, because policies will probably change much less frequently than the specific procedures used to implement them.
In addition, the policy writer should be aware of ways in which security technologies can be used to enforce good information security practices. For example, most operating systems make it possible to require that user passwords conform to certain specifications such as length. In some companies, a policy prohibiting users from downloading programs can be controlled via local or global policy settings within the operating system. The policies should require use of security technology whenever cost-effective to remove human-based decision-making.
Employees must be advised of the consequences for failing to comply with security policies and procedures. A set of appropriate consequences for violating the policies should be developed and widely publicized. Also, a reward program should be created for employees who demonstrate good security practices or who recognize and report a security incident. Whenever an employee is rewarded for foiling a security breach, it should be widely publicized throughout the company, for example in an article in the company newsletter.
One goal of a security awareness program is to communicate the importance of security policies and the harm that can result from failure to follow such rules. Given human nature, employees will, at times, ignore or circumvent policies that appear unjustified or too time-consuming. It is a management responsibility to insure that employees understand the importance of the policies and are motivated to comply, rather than treating them as obstacles to be circumvented.
It’s important to note that information security policies cannot be written in stone. As business needs change, as new security technologies come to market, and as security vulnerabilities evolve, the policies need to be modified or supplemented. A process for regular review and updating should be put into place. Make the corporate security policies and procedures available via the corporate intranet or maintain such policies in a publicly available folder. This increases the likelihood that such policies and procedures will be reviewed more frequently, and provides a convenient method for employees to quickly find the answer to any information-security related question.
Finally, periodic penetration tests and vulnerability assessments using social engineering methods and tactics should be conducted to expose any weakness in training or lack of adherence to company policies and procedures. Prior to using any deceptive penetration-testing tactics, employees should be put on notice that such testing may occur from time to time.
How to Use These Policies
The detailed policies presented in this chapter represent only a subset of the information security policies I believe are necessary to mitigate all security risks. Accordingly, the policies included here should not be considered as a comprehensive list of information security policies. Rather, they are the basis for building a comprehensive body of security policies appropriate to the specific needs of your company.
Policy writers for an organization will have to choose the policies that are appropriate based on their company’s unique environment and business goals. Each organization,