As discussed in Part 1, standard business practice calls for companies to comply with industry standards and regulations when determining the policies, processes and systems for their IT infrastructure. Part 2 will discuss Access, Assets, Scalability and Security.

Access

The users who access your company’s IT network must be educated and instructed regarding compliance with security policies and government regulations. Training should cover password policy and cyber attack protection and prevention.
A company policy should be established for employees who are permitted to use their own devices. Procedures should include ensuring that those bringing their own devices (BYOD) are in compliance and that proper authentication procedures are followed.

Assets

A comprehensive and detailed inventory of a company’s IT assets, hardware and software should be maintained for planning and budgeting purposes. In the event contract support services are needed, this list will invaluable in educating the support team on what equipment is in use.

Reliability & Scalability

IT infrastructure should emphasize reliability as it is crucial in a competitive business environment to minimize downtimes. Maximizing uptime helps maximize revenue. Scalability will ensure that a company’s business and technical needs are being met, both currently and in the future as the company expands.

Security

As recommended by industry experts, businesses should base their IT security management on internationally recognized standard ISO 17799. This standard oversees important security aspects as listed below.
Compliance – Security matters involving regulatory, contractual, and statutory requirements.
Organizational – As led by the security officer, this involves the establishment of a company-wide security policy governed by an independent review.
Personal – This involves ongoing employee training and education regarding the company’s IT security policy and the best practices for preventing cyber attacks and data beaches.
Physical & Environment – Protection of facilities and assets via security parameters and access controls.
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