The Importance of Information Security Objectives

For a safe, secure environment, organizations and individuals must implement information security objectives. These goals should be aimed at preventing breaches and other types of security incidents, such as disclosure, leakage, or destruction of data. The main purpose of information security objectives is to protect the data of an organization or individual from unauthorized use or modification. By following these objectives, an organization can minimize the risk of security incidents and protect the data of its customers and employees.

CISOs should ensure that an organization achieves the fundamental objectives of information security

The role of a CISO is evolving. As the head of information security, you must integrate security into the overall business strategy. By now, CISOs are often members of the executive management committee or operational board. A CISO is responsible for ensuring that an organization's information systems comply with security standards, while also considering ethical, economic, and national security concerns. According to the survey, 83% of IT chiefs increased their spending on cybersecurity during the last 12 months.

The fundamental objectives of information security are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These objectives refer to making sure that private information is only accessible to authorized users. CISOs should ensure that an organization meets all three criteria. Identifying key information security indicators tailored to an organization's specific needs will help CISOs objectively communicate the status of their information security organization to board members.

CISOs should reference security benchmarks

The effectiveness of information security depends heavily on employee perceptions of its processes. CISOs of leading companies admit that their security processes interfere with their business operations, particularly in workflow analysis and threat intelligence. To increase operational commitment and efficiency, they need to change employee perceptions about security. ISO 27001 provides an excellent starting point for establishing quality metrics and key performance indicators. CISOs can use this standard to help define their own security objectives and goals.

When setting information security objectives, CISOs should reference security benchmarks for each technology used in their organizations. For example, the Center for Information Security benchmarks Windows and Linux, as well as AWS and Kubernetes. Security leaders should gather operational data and reference these benchmarks when setting information security objectives. CISOs should measure progress across each security dimension, determining the key performance indicators that are tailored to their organizations. By implementing such metrics, CISOs can objectively communicate how their organizations are performing when presenting these objectives to board members.

Information security policies minimize the risk of security incidents

To reduce the likelihood of security incidents, organizations should create information-security policies. These guidelines help protect valuable assets and ensure data integrity, confidentiality, and availability. They also ensure compliance with legal requirements. Many regulatory agencies have strict requirements aimed at protecting sensitive information, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). The HIPAA protects protected health information. Violation of these regulations can be costly.

Successful security policies limit the reliance on the system itself. They protect the organization and employees by defining what users are allowed and not allowed to do. Employees should also be made aware of their roles and responsibilities, including the consequences of not complying with security rules and regulations. Security policies should also make it clear that employees' activities will be monitored and security will be part of their performance reviews. However, even when security policies are successful, human error is a key factor in security incidents.