The existence of any organization

Introduction

Any organization exists to achieve specific goals and objectives. Organizations must adopt policies and processes in order to attain these aims and objectives. Policies are statements that explain how an organization chooses to supply services, conduct business, or carry out certain acts. Procedures, on the other hand, explain the policy’s implementation process. It goes over what to do, what actions to follow, and what paperwork is required. In some ways, procedures are more detailed than policies, even though they serve the same purpose: to ensure that organizational goals are met through a set of regulations (Long, 2016). The process of adopting any policy is continuous. This means that the organization has to consider the standing point of every stakeholder involved or people who the policy will affect and analyze its effects. In addition, the organization has to determine if the policies are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based.

Developing Policies

Developing policies can be a daunting task. It is important that you start first with the basics. The company’s mission statement should act as the starting point. The policy being development should not violate the mission statement (Schlarman). One should consult with the management, employees, and user. It is also essential to ensure that the policy does not violate any rules and regulation. If possible, it is important to include legal experts to ensure that the policy is within the confines of the law. In addition, including a legal expert will save the organization from legal action. The policy should also contain certain benefits associated with it. Including benefits in the policy will encourage most employees to adopt the policy. Once the policy is ready, the implementation process begins. The implementation processes will encompass a variety of tasks including training and defining roles (Madson, 2015). The last process is to ensure that everything is in order by monitoring and reviewing the policy if necessary.

Ensuring Simplicity and Clarity

In the processes of developing policies and procedure, the involved parties should ensure that the policies and procedures are simple and clear. The policies and procedures should be written and articulated in a way that there is avoidance of technical terminologies as much as possible. This is important, as it will cater to non-technical employees. It is also essential to go through the policies, procedures to ensure that there are no ambiguous statements, and that they have only one meaning and interpretation. This is vital in eliminating confusion. After developing the policy, it is advisable to first test it out before its implementation (Long, 2016). This may involve gathering random users and asking them if they understand the meaning of the policy. Users should also give their interpretation of the policy to gauge if the meaning is correct. Feedback from users is vital as it may improve the policy. The developers of policies and procedures should note that if the users do not understand the policy or the procedure, they are more likely to ignore.

Management and Policy Development

The planning and implementation of any policy should begin at the top. This management should initiate the process of policy development. This way, they are able to devote the required human and financial resources that the process needs. The process of developing policies may be long. There is the requirement that policies and procedures adhere to the rule of law to ensure the policies do not violate employees’ rights. Failure and mistakes in developing policies would mean serious disciplinary actions and fines (Lotich, 2016). The policies should also need to encompass the organizational goals. The management is also in a better position to provide guidance and direction regarding the development process of the policy. The lack of management oversight and involvement may lead to a waste of time and misuse of resources. Additionally, the policy may be developed and the management may disapprove the policy forcing its recreation.

Education and Reinforcement

Once the policy has management approval, a large portion of our time as security professionals will be devoted to education. It is paramount that the users and the management are sought after in order to inform and enlighten them on their part to play. Reinforcement is important, as it ensures that the users and management do not lose foresight of the policies and the implementation processes is a success. There is also the possibility of the management forgetting the policy, which will mean that they are less likely to enforce it (Davidson, 2017). Users, on the other hand, have a tendency of ignoring the security policy if they believe it is too restrictive or if they believe their efforts have no value. Continuous education ensures elimination of these obstacles. Education ensures that everyone is on the same page and that implementation of security policies has the same gravity required.

Building Trust

Trust is paramount in the implementation of any security policy. The lack of trust is disastrous, as it will only lead to wasted effort. The management lacks IT skills and therefore rely on our expertise as cybersecurity professionals. The management should be in a position to trust us as cybersecurity professionals that we have the ability to do as requested and we as security professionals should trust the management would enforce the policy (Johnson 123). The users should have trust that the policies established are in their best interest. Therefore, there should be a relationship based on trust for the implementation of the policy to be successful. The lack of trust will lead to conflict and ignorance of the whole policy.

Simplicity and Resources in Implementation

The steps in the policy implementation should be simple enough for the employees to accomplish on their own. The employees should have the resources and tools necessary for the implementation of the policy. The policy implementation should also be considerate to the management. The aim of management is to reduce cost and increase efficiency. Therefore, the tools and resources needed in the implementation process should be affordable and less cumbersome. If necessary, a help desk should be in place where employees can seek clarification on certain aspects of the policy (Johnson 127). Although, the management should monitor the help the employees often require. Then, they can set up a frequently asked question on the website or consider introducing a training program to reinforce those aspects.

Conclusion

Policies and procedures are an integral part of any organization. Policies are statements that define how the organization plans how to deliver its services, conduct its business, or perform certain actions. Consequently, procedures are a description of the implementation of each policy. It is important that in developing policies, there is consideration of stakeholders’ concerns (Schlarman, 2012). The planning and implementation of the policies should begin at the top. The management should give the go-ahead. This is essential as management guidance and direction are essential for the policy to be a success. Once there is the approval of the policy, our work as cybersecurity professionals begins. Our work is to educate the management and the users. Continuous education is essential as it ensures that everyone is on the same page and there is the swift implementation of the policy.

Reference

Davidson, E. (2017). IT Security and the Importance of Policies and Procedures. Smallbusiness.chron.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/security-importance-policies-procedures-1100.html

Johnson, Robert. Security Policies and Implementation Issues, 2nd Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 07/2014. VitalBook file.

Long, N. (2016). How do I Develop a Policy & Procedures Manual? Smallbusiness.chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/develop-policy-procedures-manual-2903.html

Lotich, P. (2016). 7 Reasons to Write Business Policies and Procedures. ThrivingSmallBusiness. Retrieved from http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/7-advantages-to-writing-business-policies-and-procedures/

Madson, C. (2015). IT Policies Every Small Business Should Have. CorporateComputerServices. Retrieved from http://www.corpcomputerservices.com/articles/it-policies-small-business

Schlarman, S. (2012). Developing Effective Policy, Procedures and Standards. DisasterResource. Retrieved from http://www.disaster-resource.com/articles/07p_106.shtml