Top Information Technology Standards and Best Practices to Follow
Information technology (IT) is one of the fastest-growing sectors today but you can never overlook the increasing number of security threats to IT assets, systems, or devices. Data security breaches and loss of privacy are the most common concerns for IT organizations and to prevent them, they need a strong security framework and practices. IT organizations should also be able to deliver efficient and timely services to their clients for maintaining a competitive position in the market. This too can be ensured if they have the right information technology standards and best practices in place.
When the IT devices and assets used across your organization are secure, your employees can do their job smoothly and efficiently without sudden disruptions or downtime. However, what are the standards and practices that you require in your IT organization for efficient performance and security? This blog article will highlight those standards and practices for you.
Top Information Technology Standards Widely Adopted by IT Service and Related Organizations
ISO 20000
ISO 20000 is the specific standard for the IT sector that emphasizes guidelines and best practices for service providers of all types and sizes to maintain consistency and security of their services. It also helps them to adapt with rapidly evolving technologies and keep pace with the competition. To achieve this standard, your organization needs to comply with its set of requirements for an ITSMS (Information Technology Service Management System). It mainly underpins the codes of practices, security controls, relationship management, review or assessment plans, continual improvement approach, and various other processes for service management.
ISO 27001
The next crucial standard needed by your IT organization is the ISO 27001 standard which particularly helps at ensuring the security of your information assets and sensitive data. It is a general standard, which means it is applicable to any business of any size that needs to handle lots of information assets or data. It defines the requirements for establishing a concrete Information Security Management System (ISMS) that help organizations to discover, assess, eliminate, manage, and alleviate threats to their information systems and data. This standard for ISMS underlines the best practices for your organization to address the probable information security risks to your processes and technologies used. The certification to this ISO standard is not only vital for implementing best security practices but it also helps in demonstrating your business’s integrity to the stakeholders and potential clients. It ensures the customers that your organization has a consistent ISMS framework to protect their valuable information and credentials. Therefore, it makes them to easily trust your services which give a competitive advantage to your business.
CMMC
CMMC or Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification is also an information security standard but is strictly for the organizations that operate as a part of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The CMMC is put forth by the federal Department of Defense (DoD) to make sure that the contractors as well as subcontractors in the defense supply chain have implemented the right cybersecurity practices and controls. The key reason behind promoting this CMMC model is to highly minimize the risk profile across the DIB. Hence, any organizations in the defense sector need to get this certification to maintain their contracts with the DoD.
While these are the crucial standards for information security, the following points present the common best practices that your organization should adopt to achieve compliance with any of the standards.
5 Popular Best Practices to Adopt for Information Technology Standards
Protection of Data: Your organization should create definite policies for protecting information, IT devices, intellectual property assets, and all other data-based systems. Those policies must be widely promoted across the organization and followed by every department and employee.
Strong Password and Authentication: This is a must-have practice for preventing any outsiders or cyber criminals to access your organization’s confidential information. It includes setting up complex passwords, changing passwords on regular basis, and 2 factor/multifactor authentications for user access.
Advanced Security Systems: Investing in state-of-the-art security systems is essential to protect your organization’s information from new emerging threats as well as to deal common security issues.
Installing Latest Software and Updates: Running frequent updates and installing the latest software for virus and malware protection is a necessary practice too. They are required to safeguard everything from various threats, starting from your IT devices to business applications, operating systems to web browsers, cloud storage systems to external hard drives.
Data Back-Up: This must be a regular practice for your organization to ensure that none of your vital data and information assets are lost permanently. Even if they are destructed accidentally or get misplaced, back up helps to immediately retrieve them.
Key Takeaway
Implementing information technology standards and best practices are a huge necessity for organizations to protect their sensitive data and information assets. It saves them from probable legal issues and fines that can occur due to privacy breaches. Therefore, it also protects their business reputation and helps them to stand out as a highly trusted company.
Have you implemented an information security standard yet in your business? If not, Compliancehelp Consulting LLC can assist you! If you need to strengthen your existing information security practices by implementing a standard, our team of consultants are going to guide you. Feel free to contact us!