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The importance of information security

by Nicholas King on March 26, 2019

Sensitive data is one of an organisation’s most important assets, so it makes sense that you prioritise its security.

Information security is “the practice of preventing unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, inspection, recording or destruction” of sensitive records.

This practice performs four important roles:

It protects the organisation’s ability to function.
It enables the safe operation of applications implemented on the organisation’s IT systems.
It protects the data the organisation collects and uses.
It safeguards the technology the organisation uses.

The challenges

In an increasingly interconnected environment, information is exposed to a growing number and wider variety of risks.

Threats such as malicious code, computer hacking and denial-of-service attacks have become more common, ambitious and sophisticated, making implementing, maintaining and updating information security in an organisation more of a challenge.

How do you move forward?

Implementing information security in an organisation can protect the technology and information assets it uses by preventing, detecting and responding to threats, both internal and external.

Both senior management and IT are responsible for the organisation’s information security strategy, although in smaller organisations this job will likely sit with risk and security, data and compliance, and IT and information security managers and directors (sometimes this is just one person).

To support the information security strategy, it’s important to improve staff awareness of information security issues through training and initiatives. Organisations also need to enforce their information security policies and review them regularly in order to meet security requirements.

Threats and vulnerabilities must be evaluated and analysed. This means establishing and implementing control measures and procedures to minimise risk, and auditing to measure the performance of controls.

Another key part of your information security strategy and project is GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance.

Introducing CyberComply

Vigilant Software aims to make data protection, cyber security, information security and risk management straightforward and affordable for all.

Drawing on our years of experience developing and deploying risk management tools and services, our products reduce the complexity of your implementation project.

Our CyberComply platform guides organisations through cyber risk and privacy monitoring and compliance.

It’s designed for risk and security, data and compliance, and IT and information security professionals working in small- and medium-sized organisations for which cyber risk and privacy management are critical.

It has been developed to:

Quickly identify and treat data security risks before they become critical concerns.
Map data flows in minutes while flagging up key data processing risks.
Conduct a DPIA like an expert, saving time, money and resources.
Reduce errors and improve completeness of risk management processes.
Follow step-by-step processes and built-in guidance to ensure compliance.

It also contains an intuitive and interactive dashboard that gives you a real-time overview of your project that you can personalise to see what’s important to you.