Information security is a vital management aspect for every modern business today. With so many incidents of data breaches, cyber frauds, and unauthorised accesses accounted everywhere, it is necessary for organisations to have a strong approach for information security management to protect their valuable information, including stakeholders’ information, from all kinds of threats. This article gives you a better glimpse of the objective of information security management to make you understand why it is a necessity in your business. We have further explained here how it can benefit your business. But before that, let’s understand the concept of information security management.
Information security management implies the set of practices or processes that protect the information assets and information devices from any kind of unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, or destruction to preserve the honesty of the organisation.
Most organisations can ensure information security management by establishing a strong comprehensive management system. Known as an Information Security Management System (ISMS), it helps organisations to create a methodical approach to assess all types of security risks to their sensitive information and manage them before they affect the confidentiality of the business.
This clearly explains that businesses need information security management or an ISMS for maintaining their integrity and protecting their clients’ and stakeholders’ privacy. The below section further specifies the objective of prioritising information security management in businesses.
According to the types of threats or common security risks faced by organisations, there are three main aims to be addressed by the ISMS. These aims overall outline the objective of information security management.
The notion of ‘confidentiality’, also known as privacy, is important for organisations and it refers to the protection of certain information from unauthorised or illicit uses. The information is meant to be accessed by some designated people of the organisation and only they should be able to retrieve, use, or edit the information. The ISMS ensures that there are enough safeguards such as password restrictions or login authentications to prevent any illegitimate access or use of the information. Ensuring confidentiality is essential for an organisation to assure that the personal data of their clients, investors, suppliers, and other third parties are secure in their hands.
The term integrity refers to maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the data or information assets stored by the organisation. The ISMS helps in maintaining data integrity by enforcing appropriate rules and regulations for the employees of the organisation. Some of the effective user access controls that you can use for protecting the integrity of your organisation are passwords, biometric scans, security PINs, OTPs, multifactor authentication, and security tokens.
The last and third aim defining the objective of the ISMS is the availability of data or information at the right time to the authorised persons of the organisation. This implies that the ISMS should promote standard practices throughout the organisation to ensure that the information is made accessible only to the right employees who know how to use it. This is also necessary to prevent potential breaches or risks to any information assets as the authorised employees can easily track who has forcefully attempted to access them and when.
With a robust approach for information security management, you can achieve the ultimate objective of safeguarding your sensitive information. The ISMS will be effective in securing your information, irrespective of the information assets you deal with, or information devices used in your organisation. Putting the right ISMS in place assure the following advantages for your organisation.
• Better capability of your organisation to respond to any sudden threats or existing threats
• Protection of information assets including client data, trade secrets, employee personal information and intellectual property assets which establish confidence in the important stakeholders of your business. It ensures they maintain a long-term relationship with your business
• Strengthening of the company’s ability to respond to cyber security theft or attacks which are evident due to increased use of digital technologies
• Encourages the employees at all levels of the organisation to consider data security measures and regulations seriously and practice them sincerely
• Improvement in the goodwill and corporate reputation of your business due to your unwavering commitment towards information security management and protection of data confidentiality
• Competitive advantage in the market due to enhanced information security management which results in an array of new business opportunities
The objective of information security management gives a definite reason for every organisation to implement a feasible and competent ISMS. It helps you to eliminate minor to major security threats that could damage your reputation, lead to business loss, or withdrawal of trade partnerships. Failure to comply with data security regulations or to protect a client’s confidentiality can also cause litigations, fines, media trials, or public repercussions. Therefore, when your organisation adopts information security management, it demonstrates your concern for data security. This lets your organisation earn a reputed position in the market, gain everyone’s trust, and avoid fines or legal hassles.
While it is evident that information security management is necessary for organisations of all types to survive in this competitive tech-driven world, it is time to have an ISMS implemented in your organisation. If you do not know how to get started, you can contact our team of expert ISO management consultants at Compliancehelp. We have industry-specific experience in a wide range of management standards and so can assist you to deploy the right ISMS in your organisation. Feel free to contact our team!
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