ISO 27001 Access Control Policy Standards: 12 Best Checklist
Access control policies are an essential aspect of the information security system. They help govern how and who can access the protected data.
Access control is a fundamental principle of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) which could document in a policy such as ISO 27001.
Keeping track of what should be permitted to access a database or file, who has permissions, and when someone has changed their rights is key to navigating the ISMS.
What is Access Control Policy?
Companies that want to protect their digital assets are implementing access control policies. These policies restrict access to confidential information, critical assets, and user accounts authentication security measures like username and password logins or tokens.
Your organization might have various credentials for authorizing users, like usernames and passwords, tokens, or biometrics. Regardless of which one your organization uses, all these credentials fall under the scope of an access control policy.
Why is an Access Control Policy Important?
An access control policy protects you from hacking and ensures that only the employees with the correct permissions can access your data.
It ensures that sensitive data is locked away from those who don’t need to see it and that only those with the proper credentials have access. It also allows you to monitor who’s accessing your information and take appropriate action when necessary.
For example, if an employee tries to access a file he is not authorized to view, you’ll know about it. You’ll have the opportunity to file, determine what the employee was trying to do, and then decide if any disciplinary action is needed.
What should include in an access control policy?
There are many different components that you can include in an access control policy, but these are some of the most important:
- Employee Data
- Employee Communications
- Employee Authentication
- Employtriesetention
- Employee Ownership of Data
- Employee Privacy
- Employee Protection of Data
- Employee Termination
- Employee Responsibilities
- Security Awareness Training
- User Privileges
That said, every business is different, so you may need your organization’s access control policy to meet the needs of your organization.
Employee training and education
Employee training on security policies and best practices is critical to your access control policy. Employees will be more aware of dangers if you give them the training and education they need.
They’ll’ be more likely to report potential threats or breaches of security, which will help you protect your company from cyber attacks even further.
By training your employees, they’ll be able to recognize threats and attacks better. It is crucial because any sensitive data they have access to could be compromised if a threat isn’t’ detected quickly enough.
Limiting User Access to Company Data
Another essential section of your access control policy outlines what information employees have to access.
You may have employees who need access to everything within the company, while others need to see only a tiny portion of your data. You’ll need to decide what information each employee is authorized to visit.
You may even want to include specific details that one employee cannot see, regardless of whether or not he has the appropriate access privileges.
Identifying the Company’s Sensitive Data
Every business has sensitive data, even if that data doesn’t’ seem overly critical. You may have information about employees, clients, or other partners you want to protect from prying eyes.
You should identify the sensitive data within your company and then create an access control policy that limits the number of people who can see it. You’ll need to decide who can view this information and who cannot.
Establishing Network Security Measures
Another essential section of your access control policy outlines the network security measures your company uses.
You must decide what type of firewall you have, what antivirus software you use, and other protective measures to keep your business safe. You’ll also need to determine what monitoring and logging software you use.
For example, you may have software that records each time someone accesses company data. You may also have software that records when someone logs into the network.
How to Create an Access Control Policy
Now that you know what an access control policy is and why it’s’ necessary, let’s discuss how to create one for your business.
The first step is to decide who will be responsible for creating the policy. You may want to involve company executives and managers, or you may want to have IT staff generate the document.
The next step is to decide what information you want to include in the policy document. Every company is different, so you may wish to consult with your IT staff for help creating the document. You may also want to consult legal and HR professionals to use the copy.
Access Control Types
These are essential components of an access control policy and procedure.
- Authentication — The process of verifying identity. It is the process that verifies the identity of the user or the system to make sure it is who it says it is
- Authorization — The process of granting rights or privileges to users or groups to use resources in the system.
- Accounting — The process of keeping track of who used resources at what time or for what reason.
- Auditing — The process of reviewing what users or systems have done or attempted to do on an asset at a particular time. It could be an audit log of specific actions like login attempts or changes a user made in a system.
Determining Which Activities Require Which Levels of Authorization
- Determine the level at which people need to authenticate. It will depend on the sensitivity of the information or assets they’re’ accessing.
- Determine the level at which people need to authorize. It will depend on the sensitivity of the information and assets they’re’ accessing.
- Determine the level of auditing required for the system or data. It will depend on how much logging you’d’ like to have for a particular system.
Identifying Which Users or Groups Need Which Activities Authorized and the Scope of the Activity
- The authentication and authorization process should document. It will allow you to reference the process if you need to make changes in the future or if you add or remove additional users.
- Identify what activities each user should have authorized. It will depend on the sensitivity of the data or assets they’re’ accessing.
- Document what the scope of the activity is. It will depend on how sensitive the information or assets are.
Organizational Visibility
- Create a centralized authentication system. It will allow you to manage a single login or authentication system to access different systems.
- Create centralized authorization rules. It will allow you to manage authorization rules in a centralized location and make it easier to identify or change multiple systems.
- Make sure the systems you’re’ using have auditing capabilities. It will allow you to track who is logging in to systems and for what reasons, what changes have been made by whom, and what results in those changes were responsible.
Conclusion
Access policies are all about protecting your organization. However, a foundational, practical approach is key to implementing them correctly. Employees need to be able to do their jobs properly, and it’s important to implement the right procedures that balance security. Additionally, a lax policy may leave gaps for data breaches and cyber-attacks. The policy also covers your sensitive information and data from unauthorized users and ensures that it is only accessible to the appropriate individuals.
For more details, you can have a look at this video.
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