Home > Articles > Cisco Network Technology > Security > Security Advocacy and Awareness: Creating A Secure Culture

Security Advocacy and Awareness: Creating A Secure Culture

  • Article is provided courtesy of Cisco Press.
  • Date: Nov 24, 2004.

Contents

  1. Security Advocacy and Awareness: Creating A Secure Culture

Article Description

All your efforts at securing your network are for naught if your users don't cooperate. This article will provide you with the tools you need to create a secure culture for your organization.

Securing a network is no longer a straightforward assignment. Long gone are the days when equipment and fervent systems-administrator fortitude would suffice. In today's world of rampant malware, disgruntled partners, and sloppy employees, computing environments are rife with the potential for network incidents and denial of service. Couple that with the abundance of current legislation, including Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, and California's SB 1386 to name only a few, and the need to advocate comprehensive security practices throughout the organization takes on even greater importance.

The process of proactively securing a network requires IT management to look beyond equipment and recognize that, ultimately, security is a learned behavior. This article discusses the evolution of a secure culture within an organization, utilizing both advocacy and awareness, by exploring

  • The process through which IT managers can engage both their business-level peers and
  • The acknowledgement that comprehensive security does not end with policy formulation
  • The cultivation of new behaviors

In most organizations, security is viewed as a function belonging to the IT department. Equipment is selected, purchased, installed, and operated by the IT department—the only assistance IT requires from the rest of the corporation is for users to follow corporate policies. But human nature suggests that unless the rationale for policies is clearly understood, and well-disseminated, strict global adherence to said policies is rather unlikely.

The IT department needs allies—IT management can only reasonably be expected to create and enforce policies for its own staff. Once IT management attempts to reach beyond its own departmental borders, its sphere of influence can dissipate speedily. Help is needed, and through a grassroots effort that reaches out to every senior manager, and from the manager to each user in the organization, a secure culture can be effectively created. But first, senior management needs to be brought into the security fold. It is imperative that executives recognize what is at stake, for in the end, the senior management team is responsible for the contributions that must be made by every employee in the organization.

To begin the process, IT management should consider the demands facing each executive, and determine a way in which security could aid each one in attaining his or her departmental goals. The Business Case for Network Security: Advocacy, Governance, and ROI explores a host of executive positions, ranging from leaders of sales and manufacturing operations, to finance professionals and investor-relations directors, to ascertain the benefits each of these executives would realize from a comprehensive security program. For example, a VP of sales would be more willing to advocate greater security measures among his staff, if he were able to see that enhanced security was a commodity he could employ to better market the company to his clients. If the IT manager could help position security as a value-added selling tool that the sales department could use in marketing pitches to end customers, it is very likely that the entire sales department will willingly and proactively stand behind the companys security initiative.

The scenario should be similar for every significant department. To illustrate using another example, it should be proven to the head of manufacturing that enhanced security measures would aid his or her operation in running more efficiently. Less downtime can be achieved by safer connections with business partners (extranet), resulting in fewer breakdowns in the supply chain and reduced loss of time in getting product to the line and out the door. While part of the solution is equipment implementation, a major part of the answer—the part in which the department manager actually has control—is user-based.

A continual and methodical approach to individual user responsibility along every point in the supply chain, established through mindful adherence to security policies, will result in a more consistent and reliable flow of goods throughout the entire process. In the end, this is precisely what every executive wants to hear—what they, as company executives, can do to help drive corporate productivity. Fewer interruptions translate into less user frustration; fewer security breaches mean there are potentially reduced numbers of needlessly disgruntled customers. Equally significant, employee adherence to stated security practices should result in an environment that is safer and, therefore, even more conducive to success.

By engaging all corporate executives in a manner personally beneficial to them, IT management will have an excellent opportunity to create true advocates for the company's security initiative.

Many corporations dedicate large amounts of resources to policy formulation. Depending on a companys size, it might even include the employment of several people. But security policy formulation alone is not enough to protect an organization, regardless of the comprehensiveness of the documents. While it is agreed that formal policies must be in place, it is imperative that they be effectively enforced so that their goals can be achieved. Any misstep, however seemingly minor, can result in a breach; methodical and systematic implementation will be the true determinant of any policys success. This is particularly relevant when users are located in remote sites, for human nature suggests that the further a user is located from head office, the greater the likelihood for policies to be overlooked. Executives and departmental managers must be actively involved to ensure that rules deemed fundamental to the safe operation of the company are adhered to at all times.

Behaviors, both positive and negative, are learned over time. Certain types of learning may require students to continually repeat actions, to ensure that the prescribed actions become second nature to the individuals being trained. Security increasingly is becoming recognized as one of those types of behaviors that need to be learned. Starting at the top of the organization and moving down in a methodical fashion, security measures need to be practiced and reinforced by all users. From respecting the sanctity of password privacy to ensuring that users avoid the lure of social engineering gambits, safe computing is a process of positive practices and behaviors that can be learned by all users.

Security is fundamental to virtually every organization today, yet not every company has achieved the fundamental goal of effectively securing itself. Security is a living investment, and long before the need for security can be instilled in users, executive management must be convinced of the value of greater security measures. Spreading this message across the organization takes time and resources, which requires the corporation to consciously decide to partake in this process. However subjective security investing might appear to be, it must have a measurable component—its value must be quantified. By reaching out to senior management colleagues and engaging them in the security process, the IT management team will have taken a crucial first step in creating the foundation for a quantifiable business case for network security.

Cisco Press Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from Cisco Press and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview

Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about Cisco Press products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information

To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites; develop new products and services; conduct educational research; and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@ciscopress.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information

Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security

Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children

This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing

Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information

If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out

Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by Cisco Press. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.ciscopress.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information

Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents

California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure

Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links

This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact

Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020