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Importance of Security Policies

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Unit 1 Discussion 1 Importance of Security Policies

An internet security policy provides employees with rules and guidelines about the appropriate use of company equipment, network and Internet access. Having such a policy in place helps to protect both the business and the employee; the employee will be aware that browsing certain sites or downloading files is prohibited and that the policy must be adhered to or there could be serious repercussions, thus leading to fewer security risks for the business as a result of employee negligence. The Internet Usage Policy is an important document that must be signed by all employees upon starting work. Below is a Sample Internet Usage Policy that covers the main points of contention dealing with Internet and computer usage. The policy can then be tailored to the requirements of the specific organization. External Device use policy regulates access to external storage devices and network resources connected to computers. Device policy helps prevent data loss and leakage and, combined with file scanning, helps guard against security risks. You can configure Device Control policies for internal and external clients. Office-Scan administrators typically configure a stricter policy for external clients. Policies are granular settings in the Office-Scan client tree. You can enforce specific policies to client groups or individual clients. You can also enforce a single policy to all clients. External use device security is becoming an increasingly important IT endeavor for organizations of all sizes and industry verticals. The growing popularity of mobile and concealable devices such as MP3 players, memory sticks, and removable hard disks that plug into computer’s USB ports has left many organizations at risk of theft of proprietary and confidential information, malware and virus threats and failed compliance audits. This

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