Many small businesses make the mistake of skipping a proper IT policy within their team. Why bother? Isn’t it enough to briefly explain to staff what they can and cannot do on their devices?

Unfortunately, this way of thinking can cause problems for small and medium business owners. Employees don’t have telepathic powers and won’t magically guess your expectations.

Moreover, from a legal standpoint, if a problem were to arise, you would be the one in trouble because you had no internal policy. For example, your company might have to answer in court for the misuse of a device or an email account.

Many employees also connect to social media at work. Did you know that the rate is estimated at 77%? Furthermore, 19% of them spend an average of one full working hour per day on it. In some cases, employees choose to ignore company policies. But in others, there simply is no policy to follow.

Therefore, IT policies are an essential part of your cybersecurity and technology management. Regardless of your company’s size, you should never neglect this aspect. Below, we have listed some of the most essential IT policies.

Are these policies already in place in your company? (If not, it’s high time to implement them)

Password Security Policy

Approximately 77% of all cloud data breaches come from compromised passwords. Credential theft is now the leading cause of data breaches worldwide.

To explain to your team how to manage their login passwords, your security policy should answer the following questions:

  • How long should passwords be?
  • How should passwords be created (e.g., using at least one number and one symbol)?
  • Where and how should passwords be stored?
  • Is multi-factor authentication required?
  • How often should passwords be changed?

Acceptable Use Policy

The Acceptable Use Policy is a comprehensive policy. It covers the proper use of technology and data in your organization. This policy will govern areas such as device security. For example, you may require employees to keep their devices up to date. If so, you must include this in the policy.

Another aspect to include in your Acceptable Use Policy would be the locations where company devices may be used. You may also prohibit remote workers from sharing their work devices with family members.

Another area of the Acceptable Use Policy is data management. How should data be stored and processed? For example, you may require that data be processed in an encrypted environment to ensure its security.

Cloud and Application Usage Policy

There is a real plague of cloud applications that employees use without authorization. According to estimates, this “shadow IT” accounts for 30 to 60% of a company’s cloud usage.

Often, employees spontaneously use cloud applications without realizing the security risks to your business.

A cloud and app usage policy will tell employees which cloud and mobile apps can be used for company data. Unapproved applications will be prohibited. You can even add app suggestions that improve productivity.

BYOD Policy (Bring Your Own Device)

Approximately 83% of companies use a BYOD approach for employee mobile use. Allowing employees to use their own smartphones for work saves companies money and prevents employees from juggling multiple devices.

Unfortunately, if you don’t have a clear BYOD policy, you’re likely to encounter some surprises. Indeed, if employees don’t regularly update their device’s operating system, they become vulnerable to attacks. Additionally, there may be confusion about compensation for using personal devices at work.

The BYOD policy clarifies the use of employee devices for work purposes, the required security level, and potentially the requirement to install a device management application. This ensures that devices used by employees are protected and tracked. The policy should also cover compensation for professional use of personal devices.

Wi-Fi Usage Policy

When it comes to cybersecurity, the use of public Wi-Fi is a real concern. 61% of surveyed companies say that employees connect to public Wi-Fi from company devices.

Many employees open work apps or check their professional email while connecting to free Wi-Fi at their favorite coffee shop. Unfortunately, perhaps unknowingly, they are also exposing login credentials. This seemingly harmless habit could lead to a breach of your company’s network.

Your Wi-Fi usage policy should therefore explain how employees will ensure the security of their connections. You can also have a company VPN installed. Additionally, you can restrict activities allowed on a public Wi-Fi connection. For example, not entering passwords or payment information in an online form.

Social Media Usage Policy

Social media has become such a fixture in the workplace that it can no longer be ignored. Indeed, companies lose several hours of productivity each week due to endless scrolling and liking.

Here’s what you can do to manage social media use in your company:

  • Restrict when employees can access personal social media
  • Limit what employees can post about the company
  • Specify where selfies are allowed and where photos are prohibited

Get help improving your IT policy and cybersecurity

We can help your business fill IT policy gaps and address security issues. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.