Policy Development & Governance

Security policies are the foundation of every compliance framework, insurance requirement, and customer security questionnaire. Yet most SMBs either have no formal policies, rely on generic templates downloaded from the internet, or have documents so outdated they create liability rather than protection. I develop security policies that are practical, enforceable, and aligned with your business operations. Essential policies include acceptable use policy, information security policy, access control policy, data classification and handling, incident response policy, business continuity and disaster recovery, vendor management policy, remote work security policy, change management policy, and employee security responsibilities. The development process covers five phases: Assessment (review existing policies and identify gaps), Drafting (write policies tailored to your operations and regulatory requirements), Review (stakeholder review and legal alignment), Approval (executive sign-off and version control), and Maintenance (annual review cycle and update procedures). Common policy mistakes include copying templates without customization, writing policies nobody can follow, failing to get executive sign-off, and never reviewing or updating approved policies. Best practices include using plain language, tying policies to specific business risks, getting employee acknowledgment, and integrating policies with training programs.