What to Include in an IT Policy

The importance of policies and procedures associated with cyber security was underlined by a UK government report from 2017, which indicated that one in ten of Britain's biggest companies operate without a response plan for a cyber incident, while 68 per cent of FTSE 350 boards have not received any training on how to deal with such an occurrence. 

This isn't a great look for organisations of any size - and, more to the point, it puts them at risk of falling prey to cybercriminals and suffering significant financial and reputational damage. The prevalence of information used across all aspects of all businesses, from small to large, means that few SMEs truly do not need a company IT policy, even if it’s just one that covers the basics.

A corporate IT policy will help ensure that a business is using all of its IT assets correctly, including complying with legal requirements, guarding itself against risk, and getting the best use out of them. With laws such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it's more vital than ever before for business leaders to pay proper attention to devising a comprehensive IT policy, as this is the only way to ensure that everyone within the organisation knows their responsibilities when it comes to data protection and security.

If you’re getting into the position where you think your business needs a documented policy, then you’re probably wondering what you need to include. You may have a vague idea of some of the elements that need to go into a corporate IT policy, but this article should give you a good overview of the essential components.

What is an IT Policy?

An IT Policy is a set of rules, procedures and guidelines established by an organisation to govern the use and management of its IT resources. It provides a useful framework for both employees and stakeholders to understand their responsibilities regarding digital operations within the organisation. In turn, it will also bolster your business's cyber security and ensure compliance with government regulations concerning GDPR.

As digital technologies become more and more ingrained into all aspects of corporate life, the pressure on companies to safeguard their sensitive data with a robust IT policy only grows more pronounced. This is where a comprehensive company policy that details all relevant IT processes and procedures can be highly beneficial for your organisation. 

How to Develop a Corporate IT Policy

Drawing up a comprehensive IT policy for your company means putting a proper structure in place. There should be no confusion as to what aspects each section of the document covers and which members of the organisation will be responsible for executing and enforcing it.

This means designating overall accountability for IT and cyber security issues to a specific department or individual - a key consideration, given that GDPR rules stipulate that all companies over a certain size will have to employ dedicated data protection officers.

The document itself should be clear about the scope of what each IT policy includes and how it should be deployed, with specific, action-oriented descriptions and step-by-step procedures placed alongside at-a-glance overviews for quick scanning. You should also remember to ensure your IT policy is updated regularly in line with evolving regulatory standards, and that these revisions are easily traceable.

It’s worth noting that a robust IT policy is usually a grouping of several different policies that all come under the umbrella of IT. Having a list of IT policies and procedures that are relevant to your business operations at the beginning of the policy document will allow users to source the necessary information. It’s also much easier to format the document this way so that individual elements can easily be found.

Suggested Principles for an IT Policy 

The full scope and remit of your organisation's IT policies will depend on the type of business you run and the nature of the data you're responsible for processing. However, there are a few policy principles that are likely to be key components of any well-structured IT policy:

• Acceptable use - detailing the circumstances under which corporate IT resources can be permissibly used
• Confidential data - defining which information the company deems to be sensitive, and explaining how it should be handled
• Network access - explaining to staff and guests what procedures exist around device passwords, firewalls, networked hardware and wireless network usage, as well as covering what needs to be done to ensure security when connecting mobile devices
• Emails - outlining usage guidelines for the company email system to reduce the risk of any email-related security incidents
• Passwords - making sure that all members of staff are adhering to consistent standards when it comes to selecting robust, confidential passwords that cannot be easily guessed
• Physical security - defining a policy for how physical devices are handled and transported, guarding against common risks
• Incident response - providing a step-by-step guide for everyone within the organisation to follow if a breach does occur, with a focus on alerting the relevant parties, minimising the impact on network and data integrity, and recovering as quickly as possible

These principles will make up the building blocks of your IT policy and are a great starting point for IT policy management. We expand on each of these concepts below to help you implement technology policies in the workplace. 

How to Create a Corporate IT Policy Document

Now that you have a better grasp of the necessary elements for an IT policy, you can get started with putting together your functional policy document.

It’s recommended that relevant employees and stakeholders assess the IT policy before its implementation to make sure it is fit for purpose. You can use this section as a step-by-step guide for documenting each of the aforementioned principles of an IT policy.

Introducing the Policy

You will need to begin the IT policy by setting out an introduction that covers a few areas that will contextualise the whole thing. You’ll want to start with an overview that summarises the key points found in the document, and then think about the main question words. 

When is this document applicable? Who is it applicable to? What does it cover? How does it cover this?

Acceptable Use

One of the main points of any IT policy will be looking at what constitutes acceptable use within your business. This means outlining exactly how employees are permitted to use your IT assets. When can they use them? Who can use them? What can they use them for? 

Usually, this section will briefly explain things such as whether it’s acceptable to use company IT assets for personal activity, such as sending personal emails or using work laptops to browse the internet at home.

Data Protection

This is a really big consideration, especially given the changes that GDPR has made to how data can be handled and used. It’s a major compliance issue with repercussions both in terms of the business’s security and potential repercussions from the authorities. A report from the Identity Theft Resource Centre highlights a 72% increase in data breaches from 2021, showcasing how vital it is to protect confidential data in your organisation. 

Your data protection policy needs to determine what data needs to be protected and how you’re going to do this in accordance with your responsibilities, such as providing plenty of security and backups.

Network Security

Your network is only as strong as its weakest link, and it’s one of the main ways in which cyber criminals will attempt to gain unauthorised access to systems and data. As a result, you need to ensure that your network has its own policy, which looks at how it’s set up and maintained, who has access to it and how it can be used. Good cyber security for business places a very heavy focus on this.

Email Policy

Emails are the main form of communication between employees, which means that they’re naturally going to need covering in the IT policy. There are a few important points that the policy really needs to cover. The first surrounds privacy and confidentiality. You need to make it clear in your policy what can and cannot be shared by email, and by who. 

You also need to give guidance on how email can be used safely to ensure that it’s not a security risk. Phishing scams for instance often target work emails, and your employees need to know how to deal with them. In more complex email policies, your IT staff will need to help regarding the more technical aspects of email setup and maintenance.

Passwords

Passwords are generally the first step to good cyber security, and while you might expect that everyone knows their responsibilities, these days, this isn’t always the case. Evidence suggests that 30% of internet users have experienced a data breach due to weak passwords, and your organisation could easily fall into this figure. 

Password policies are therefore essential, which dictate how secure passwords should be, where they should be used, and how often they should be changed. You should also consider how your passwords are stored, ensuring the use of a secure password management system or vault. 

Physical Security

The final thing to think about is the physical security of your IT assets, which means keeping hardware such as laptops, computers, phones and hard drives physically safe, both from damage and from getting into the wrong hands. This should be fairly straightforward and slot in with your overall safety and security policy for the premises.

Incidents

Cyber security incidents are on the rise all over the world, so it’s little surprise that details about how to respond are now very much commonplace in an IT policy. You should explain what happens in such an event, and who should deal with it. In addition, there should be a policy for reporting this to the authorities, which may be a legal requirement.

Training and Support

Training and support should have its own policy section, which discusses how general employees can receive support for any IT-related issues that they are encountering. It should also detail who needs to be trained in various aspects of IT and when. 

Cyber security training in particular may be important. If you’re looking for a suitable online training course, our ‘Cyber Security Awareness and the Essentials of Data Protection (GDPR) Training Package’ is a perfect thorough introduction.

The Need for IT Training

Putting together a robust IT policy represents a big step towards a more secure and forward-thinking future for your organisation, but you need to remember that these policies won't enact themselves. That duty falls on the company's staff, all of whom need to be well-drilled on their new responsibilities if they're going to be able to live up to them.

As such, any new IT policy should be accompanied by training initiatives to make sure everyone within the organisation - from the highest-ranking members to the frontline staff - knows and understands these principles from back to front. After all, it only takes a single example of negligence to create a potentially critical weakness in your company's cyber defences.

By committing the necessary resources to learning and development, you can avoid this eventuality, and ensure that your organisation is seen as a secure and trusted steward of confidential data for years to come.

FAQs

Who is responsible for policies and procedures in an organisation? 

IT policies and procedures within a company are typically developed and managed by various stakeholders including senior management, IT leadership and HR operatives. However, the responsibility for the IT policy lies with the organisation's leadership as they are the ones who ensure that the policy aligns with the company's mission and values. That said, the implementation and enforcement of an IT policy will likely involve collaboration from different departments and topical experts in your organisation. 

What is the difference between IT policy and cyber security policy? 

IT policy and cyber security policy are both integral parts of an organisation’s governance, but they serve slightly different purposes within a business. An IT policy is a much broader framework that helps manage the use and operation of IT resources within a company. A cyber security policy is much more specific and focuses on protecting the organisation's digital assets, data and internal systems from cyber threats and security breaches. 

What makes a good IT policy?

Several factors contribute to an IT policy being robust and fit for purpose. The main considerations should be keeping the IT policy clear and addressing all relevant aspects of IT governance. Avoid using corporate jargon and keep the procedures easy to understand. 

A good IT policy is also aligned with the company’s goals and values and should support the strategic efforts of the organisation. Likewise, the company IT policy should be enforceable and applied consistently across the organisation, with clear consequences for policy violations.

Summary

An IT policy forms the backbone of all digital actions executed by an organisation. It ensures that a company is compliant with GDPR, protects them from cyber-attacks and standardised the use of digital assets. 

When developing a company IT policy, you must consider the main principles of a good policy. By covering the basics, you are more able to identify processes and procedures that can be improved and securely protect your organisation's data. You also gain the benefit of having everyone in the organisation being clear on their responsibilities when it comes to It operations and security. 

If you’re thinking about elevating your IT policy and procedures then training courses are a great way to improve your understanding. To find out more about IT policy management and cyber security operations, browse our selection of business compliance courses.