What is Security Compliance and Policy Management?
Security compliance and policy management is the practice of following established protocols to protect data confidentiality, prevent unauthorized access to information, and to comply with policies required by audits, regulatory acts and international standards.
Over the past few years the press has been buzzing about security compliance and policy management. Most of that attention has been negative—more and more we hear about companies who have experienced a data security breach. As they struggle to restore their reputation and reassure customers and clients, they are vulnerable to large fines and even lawsuits.
Other press has been centered around the vast number of regulations companies must adhere to, making it appear like security compliance is an endless matrix of rules and policies. Due to this complexity, most companies feel the task of undertaking a security compliance and policy management program is too great an undertaking and have adopted a wait-and-see approach. The fact is, however, that many of these regulations are just good security practices and compliance is not as complex as it may seem. Guidelines outlined in these regulations often provide a blueprint can be easily incorporated into internal security management policies.
To start, every organization should have a well-defined security management policy in place. The plan should be as specific as possible, addressing such questions as:
- User access levels - who can access what, and when?
- What remote access security protocols are in place?
- How are security updates are deployed?
- Which applications are run on servers and clients?
Next, the policy should identify the current security posture, define a remediation plan, execute the remediation and repeat the process. Since your company, technology and security threats are constantly changing and evolving, so will your compliance posture. It is important to remember that your security policies will always be a moving target.
In addition to security compliance, many companies have to comply with specific e-mail archive and data retention regulations. Your CDW account team can help you with archiving solutions.
What Options are Available to Me?
Your CDW account team can recommend the right solutions for your organization, including:
Policy Management Software - Policy management software can greatly ease the administration and audit trail of security management. Often these products come pre-loaded with common regulatory policy definitions. Some policy management software provides the capability to add policies specific to your organization.
Once the security policies and measured are defined, the software will check each user and endpoint against the policies to determine which areas are in compliance and which require remediation. Some fixes may be as simple as installing the latest OS patch on a user's machine or redefining user rights for a transferred employee. An important feature of policy management software is its reporting capabilities. Reports can provide an audit trail to show what your security compliance posture was six months ago and where it is today. This is an extremely beneficial tool for executive leadership and legal teams.
Event Logging - Another area to consider on your road to full security compliance is event logging. With event logging, you can create an accurate account of user activity—which users accessed which systems, viewed what Internet websites, when and for how long—an important component of network security.
Why Should I Consider Security Compliance and Policy Management Solutions?
Implementing, maintaining, and revisiting solid compliance and policy management programs are key to your organization's operational and financial security.
Increased Productivity
Compliance software can automatically detect and remediate security vulnerabilities, freeing up IT staff to focus on strategic issues.
Limit Liability
Adherence to solid security protocols reduces the risk of intrusion, data loss, and other security breaches.
Cost Savings
Solid, detailed reporting can reduce audit time and expense.
CDW's Approach
CDW has developed a simple, yet comprehensive approach to security compliance and policy management solutions that has proven successful for organizations of all kinds.
Engage Your Account Manager
Your CDW account manager and our pre-sales team will work with you to assess your current environment and future needs.
Implement and Manage
Working together, CDW will design detailed configurations for your future environment, drawing from best-in-class solutions from our enormous in-stock inventory. We work with multiple service providers to deliver a solution that fits seamlessly into your IT environment.
CDW's commitment continues long after your purchase. Certified technicians offer 24 x 7 telephone support for ongoing management needs, and you can always access online tech support through your My Account tab above. The My Account area also serves as a round-the-clock extension of your account team, detailing your pricing, order status, account history and more.
