What Are Security Policies?
A security policy is a written document that:
States your organization's position on a security topic
Defines roles and responsibilities
Outlines required procedures and processes
Sets standards and expectations
Provides guidelines for decision-making
Policies translate abstract control requirements into concrete organizational commitments.
Why Policies Matter
Policies serve multiple critical functions:
Compliance Requirement: Most frameworks require documented policies for major security domains
Operational Guidance: Policies guide daily security decisions and actions
Audit Evidence: Well-written policies demonstrate mature security programs to auditors
Legal Protection: Documented policies help defend against claims of negligence
Employee Clarity: Policies set clear expectations for team behavior
Consistency: Policies ensure uniform security practices across the organization
Required Policy Types
Most compliance frameworks require policies covering:
Information Security Policy: Overall security program approach and governance
Access Control Policy: User authentication, authorization, and access management
Acceptable Use Policy: Appropriate use of company systems and resources
Data Classification Policy: How data is categorized and protected based on sensitivity
Encryption Policy: Encryption requirements for data at rest and in transit
Change Management Policy: How system and application changes are controlled
Incident Response Policy: How security incidents are detected, reported, and resolved
Business Continuity Policy: Disaster recovery and continuity planning
Vendor Management Policy: Third-party security assessment and monitoring
Data Retention and Disposal Policy: How long data is kept and how it's destroyed
Physical Security Policy: Facility access and environmental controls
Privacy Policy: Personal data handling and protection
Risk Management Policy: Risk identification, assessment, and treatment
The specific policies required depend on your active frameworks and business operations.
Accessing Policies in DSALTA
Navigate to Compliance > Policies to view all your security policies.
The policies page displays:
Policy name and category
Current version
Last updated date
Approval status
Owner assignment
Linked controls and frameworks
Creating a New Policy
DSALTA provides two approaches to policy creation:
Using Policy Templates
The recommended approach for most policies:
Navigate to Compliance > Policies
Click Create Policy or New Policy
Select Use Template
Choose the relevant policy type from the available templates
Review the pre-populated content
Customize sections for your organization
Save the policy
Benefits of templates:
Industry best practices already incorporated
Framework requirements pre-mapped
Proper structure and format
Compliance language included
Faster creation process
Creating Custom Policies
For organization-specific requirements:
Click Create Policy
Select Start from Scratch
Enter policy name and category
Write policy content using the editor
Map to relevant controls and frameworks
Save the policy
Custom policies are useful for:
Industry-specific requirements
Unique organizational processes
Customer-mandated policies
Policies beyond standard frameworks
Policy Structure
Well-structured policies typically include:
Header Information
Policy title
Version number
Effective date
Last review date
Next review date
Policy owner
Approval authority
Purpose Section
Clear statement of:
Why this policy exists
What it aims to achieve
Who it applies to
Scope and boundaries
Policy Statement
Core requirements:
What must be done
Who is responsible
When it applies
Mandatory standards
Procedures Section
Detailed "how-to" guidance:
Step-by-step processes
Specific responsibilities
Required tools or systems
Escalation procedures
Roles and Responsibilities
Clear ownership:
Who implements
Who oversees
Who approves
Who reviews
Exceptions
Process for handling:
Exception requests
Approval requirements
Documentation needs
Time limits
Enforcement
Consequences of:
Non-compliance
Violations
Security incidents
Related Policies
References to:
Supporting policies
Dependent policies
Superseded policies
Policy Content Best Practices
Be Specific, Not Generic: Replace "We protect customer data" with "Customer data is encrypted using AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit."
Use Clear Language: Avoid jargon and legalistic language that confuses rather than clarifies
Make It Actionable: Policies should guide actual behavior, not just sound impressive
Stay Realistic: Don't document aspirational practices you're not actually following
Keep It Current: Update policies as your organization and practices evolve
Balance Detail: Enough specifics to be useful, but not so detailed that minor changes require policy updates
Customizing Policy Templates
When adapting templates to your organization:
Replace Placeholder Text
Templates include bracketed placeholders:
[Company Name]
[Department Name]
[Retention Period]
[Tool Name]
Replace these with your actual details.
Adjust Scope
Modify sections to match your reality:
Remove requirements that don't apply
Add specific procedures you follow
Adjust frequencies and thresholds
Include your actual tools and systems
Align with Evidence
Ensure policies reflect what your automated tests and integrations prove you're actually doing. Auditors compare policies to evidence—mismatches raise red flags.
Add Context
Include organization-specific context:
Why did you choose particular approaches
How policies relate to business operations
What problems do they solve
How they've evolved
Policy Versioning
DSALTA maintains version history for all policies:
Version Tracking: Each save creates a new version
Change Log: Document what changed and why
Historical Access: View previous versions anytime
Rollback Capability: Restore earlier versions if needed
Audit Trail: Show policy evolution over time
Version control proves to auditors that policies are actively maintained.
Policy Mapping
Link policies to:
Controls: Which controls does this policy address?
Frameworks: Which frameworks does this policy satisfy?
Tests: Which automated tests verify this policy? Documents: What supporting documentation exists?
Mapping creates connections that DSALTA uses for evidence collection and compliance tracking.
Policy Ownership
Assign each policy an owner responsible for:
Maintaining accuracy
Ensuring implementation
Conducting periodic reviews
Updating as needed
Training relevant teams
Typical ownership assignments:
Information Security Policy: CISO or Security Director
Access Control Policy: IT or Security Team
HR Policies: People Operations
Data Privacy: Legal or Privacy Officer
Incident Response: Security Operations
Business Continuity: Operations or IT
Policy Storage and Access
Store policies in DSALTA for:
Centralized management
Version control
Easy auditor access
Control mapping
Evidence collection
Consider also:
Publishing to the company intranet for employee access
Including in employee handbooks where relevant
Making customer-facing policies public
Providing to vendors during security reviews