Information Security Standards

The term "standard" is sometimes used within the context of information security policies to distinguish between written policies, standards and procedures. Organizations should maintain all three levels of documentation to help secure their environment. Information security policies are high-level statements or rules about protecting people or systems. (For example, a policy would state that "Company X will maintain secure passwords") A "standard" is a low-level prescription for the various ways the company will enforce the given policy. (For example, "Passwords will be at least 8 characters, and require at least one number.") A "procedure" can describe a step-by-step method to implementing various standards. (For example, "Company X will enable password length controls on all production Windows systems.")

This use of the term "standard" differs from use of the term as it relates to information security and privacy frameworks, such as ISO 17799 or COBIT.

Famous quotes containing the words information, security and/or standards:

    I have all my life been on my guard against the information conveyed by the sense of hearing—it being one of my earliest observations, the universal inclination of humankind is to be led by the ears, and I am sometimes apt to imagine that they are given to men as they are to pitchers, purposely that they may be carried about by them.
    Mary Wortley, Lady Montagu (1689–1762)

    A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
    U.S. Constitution, Second Amendment.

    As long as our people quote English standards they dwarf their own proportions.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)