Which Policy should you publicly share on our Website?

When deciding which Information Security Management System (ISMS) policies to publish publicly on your website, it’s essential to balance transparency with the need to protect sensitive information. Here are some general guidelines:

Suitable for Public Publication: #

  1. Information Security Policy: This overarching policy can often be shared publicly to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to information security. It usually contains general principles and objectives without revealing sensitive details.

Generally Not Suitable for Public Publication: #

  1. Risk Assessment and Treatment Policy: This contains specific details about risks and how they are managed, which could expose vulnerabilities.
  2. Access Control Policy: Revealing details about access control can provide insights into your security infrastructure.
  3. Operational Security Policies: These include detailed procedures and controls that, if publicly known, could be exploited.
  4. Human Resources Security Policy: Contains sensitive procedures related to personnel management.
  5. Physical and Environmental Security Policy: Disclosing this can expose physical security measures and vulnerabilities.
  6. Communications Security Policy: Details network and communication protection strategies that should remain confidential.
  7. Incident Management Policy: Includes procedures for handling security incidents, which could be misused if public.
  8. Business Continuity Management Policy: Details on business continuity and disaster recovery plans can expose vulnerabilities.
  9. Compliance Policy: While high-level compliance goals can be public, detailed compliance mechanisms are usually kept private.
  10. Supplier Relationships Policy: Details about managing supplier relationships can contain sensitive information.
  11. Information Transfer Policy: Revealing how information is secured during transfer can expose vulnerabilities.
  12. Cryptography Policy: Details about cryptographic controls and implementations should remain confidential.
  13. Asset Management Policy: Contains information about how assets are managed and protected.
  14. User Security Awareness and Training Policy: While high-level objectives can be public, detailed training content and strategies are usually kept internal.
  15. Privacy and Data Protection Policy: While it’s important to communicate your commitment to privacy, detailed internal data protection mechanisms should be kept confidential.
  16. Information Security in Project Management: Specific security practices within project management should remain internal.
  17. Remote Working and Telecommuting Policy: Details about how remote work is secured can expose vulnerabilities.
  18. Change Management Policy: Contains procedures for IT system changes, which could be sensitive.
  19. Environmental and Physical Resource Security Policy: Detailed environmental control measures should remain confidential.
  20. Record Retention and Disposal Policy: Specifics about data retention and disposal can be sensitive.
  21. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy: While high-level principles can be public, detailed enforcement mechanisms are usually kept private.

Key Considerations: #

  • Balancing Transparency and Security: It’s good practice to be transparent about your commitment to security, but detailed mechanisms and procedures should generally be kept internal.
  • Customization to Your Organization: Depending on your specific context, you might choose to share more or less information publicly.
  • Regular Review and Update: Publicly available policies should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure they reflect current practices and commitments.

Remember, the decision to publish certain policies should be aligned with your overall security strategy and risk management approach.

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Updated on 28 November 2023