Cybersecurity for Small Business Series – Part 5
Part 5 - Guideposts: Build Accountability and Trust
I would like to wrap up my series by talking about a subject that often gets pushed to the side. Running a business means facing tough calls, especially when time is short or expertise is thin. In those moments, you need a north star, something steady to guide your choices when the pressure is on.
In cybersecurity, that north star comes from the principles and rules you set for how your business operates. These are your guideposts.
When I talk about guideposts, I am talking about the things that a business can look to when difficult decisions must be made. It can be easy to make a good choice when that choice is safe. But the real test comes when time is short, budgets are tight, and convenience looks easier than caution. Those will be the times when your guideposts matter most.
What Do Guideposts Look Like?
Guideposts are the principles, policies, and standards that keep your business on course when decisions get tough. They form what’s often called a governance framework. In simple terms, governance means having a consistent way to make good decisions. It’s the foundation that keeps your business aligned and accountable.
There are a number of ways to build out a governance framework, and each business needs to decide how they want to approach it. Below are some key considerations if you are looking to put something together for your business.
Principles Set The Tone
Principles are basically the values of your company. They describe what your north star represents and why security matters to your business. Referring back to your principles when things start to get out of control can remind you why you chose to take security seriously in the first place. Some examples are:
We will protect customer information to keep them safe and to protect our reputation.
We will not sacrifice security for convenience, even when we are under pressure or short on resources.
We will ensure our staff are provided with the knowledge needed to do their job securely.
When everyone knows and agrees with these principles, accountability follows naturally. People understand not only what to do, but why it matters.
Policies Establish Rules and Boundaries
Policies are basically the rules of the road. They should be aligned with your principles and with any regulatory requirements you fall under. A good set of policies gives your staff direction and provides accountability. And accountability isn’t about finger-pointing. It’s about clarity.
When people know what they can and can’t do, it can build a culture of trust and dependability. They can also help keep your staff working as a team with a common set of boundaries that everyone operates within.
Standards Set The “How”
Standards basically describe how you are following your policies. They answer questions about the ways in which your business operates, reducing confusion and waste. If there is ever a question about how to secure something, you can look at your standards for guidance.
Standards will change more often than policies. As an example, your policy might state that everyone needs to use multi-factor authentication (MFA). The standard will say what type of MFA to use. And because MFA technology changes frequently, your standard will change, even if the policy remains.
Governance Without the Jargon
Governance can sound heavy, but it’s really just a framework for staying aligned. It means:
You’ve written down your key principles and policies.
You’ve assigned responsibility for keeping them up to date.
You review them regularly to make sure they still fit your business.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be clear and your north star should be visible to everyone.
Bringing It All Together
This series began with understanding risk, then moved through awareness, response, and recovery. Governance ties it all together. It’s what keeps your security program steady when things get uncertain.
Because in the end, cybersecurity isn’t about perfection. It’s about direction and knowing where you’re headed and staying true to it.
How Security Moments Can Help
We have a full set of customizable Security Policy templates available for download. There are over 20 policies in total, covering all aspects of cybersecurity. Each policy is only a page or two and are written to help you meet regulatory and audit requirements. And the best part is that all our policy templates are available for one low price. Visit our site to learn more.
Series Conclusion
I hope this series has been helpful. Security Moments is my way of giving back to a community that is facing some pretty tough challenges. The concepts and knowledge I am sharing is something that I hope gives you a chance to think about cybersecurity from a different perspective and encourages you to face these challenges with a bit more confidence. As we say, just try and be a little more secure today than you were yesterday. And Stay Safe and Stay Secure!