What are the fundamentals of information systems security? Also, how can it help you protect your data?
Read on to learn more.
Information Systems Security
Security is very important. Especially in information technology. But why?
Today, there are so many threats. And hackers also find new ways to steal information.
Besides, data theft, malware, and hacking are so common. As a result, information systems are at risk now.
In this article, we will talk about the fundamentals of information systems security. Then, we’ll help you learn about the best practices to protect information.
Information Systems Security Principles
In information security, there are principles that individuals and companies should follow. So, what are these principles?
These are the following:
- Confidentiality. It means keeping information a secret. So, only those who are allowed can see and access it.
- Integrity. It means keeping information true and reliable. So, changes should be tracked.
- Availability. It means keeping information available to users. So, they can access it when they need to.
So, what are the steps that can help you protect your private information? Let’s find out!
Information Systems Security Best Practices
Protection with usability
If we really want to protect computer systems fully, the only answer is to never use them. But, it makes systems useless, right?
So, we should protect it with usability. And that means having security controls.
Rank the users and their duties
It’s also important to rank users and duties. This means knowing who can see and what that person can do.
So, you can track their activities. You can also see what they changed in the settings.
For example, not all employees can see payroll systems. Yet, only those who work in that department can do so.
As a result, no employee can change his or her salary of his own will. Then, there won’t be discrepancies, too.
It also includes limiting access to some employees. And it will be based on the job type.
For example, a CEO can access the information. But, it should be limited to what his job requires him.
Give minimum privileges
In connection, an employee should only access something related to him. If his job changes, his privileges should change, too.
For example, a former accounting staff transferred to the marketing department. Then, he should not access info from accounting anymore.
Use systems protection
Prevention is somehow a cure, they say. But, you can only prevent if you know what to protect.
In information security, it means using independent defenses. So, hackers will have a hard time getting in.
Think worst-case scenarios
It’s also helpful to think about the worst sometimes. So, you can plan for failure. It can also help you think of ways to prevent it.
Having backup data is also critical. So, you can avoid losing all your files.
It also helps companies know how to monitor and respond. Especially when breaches happen.
Regular checking of security
Finally, it’s important to check for systems regularly. So, they will know if settings are still updated.
Then, they can do steps to improve security. This checkup also includes:
- Running tests
- Conduct risk assessments
- Make recovery plan
