Cybersecurity Policy Templates

Striving to Bolster Small Business Cybersecurity in a Risky World

This project aims to simplify the complex cybersecurity challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by providing free access to policy templates, implementation instructions, and policy collaboration.

Policy Templates

Developing policies that align with cybersecurity frameworks can be costly and time-consuming for small businesses. This project provides 36 free cybersecurity policy templates and implementation instructions to relieve SMBs from the need to purchase policies, hire consultants, or dedicate significant resources to policy creation. Although not designed to fully meet every compliance requirement, these templates follow the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (NSIT CSF 2.0) core functions of Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

Bolstering SMB Cybersecurity

Instructions

This site serves as a comprehensive resource for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to develop and implement effective cybersecurity policies. Users can download 36 policy templates aligned with each NIST CSF 2.0 Core Function. Download specific templates and follow these step-by-step instructions to complete and modify the documents to meet your organization's needs. Users can also find tips on how to implement the policies after completing the templates. Users are also encouraged to contribute to the project by sharing updated policy templates and resources.

Dire Landscape

Small business cybersecurity statistics paint a stark picture, underscoring the critical and immediate need for SMBs to fortify their cybersecurity strategies or risk becoming prime targets for increasingly sophisticated and damaging cyberattacks.

SMB Cyberattacks

• 44% of SMBs have suffered an attack

• 82% of ransomware attacks in 2021 targeted SMBs

• 61% of SMBs were targeted by attacks in 2021

• 46% of cybersecurity breaches affected SMBs

• 72% of SMBs reported an attack or data breach in 2019

• 69% of SMBs reported increasingly targeted attacks in 2019

SMB Cybersecurity Posture

• 62% of SMBs lack a current security strategy

• 50% of SMBs lacked a security plan in 2022

• 77% of SMBs reported inadequate cybersecurity personnel in 2019

• 76% of SMBs attempt to manage cybersecurity without external resources

• 52% of SMBs lack confidence in their ability to prevent cyberattacks

• 73% of SMBs cite cybersecurity as their greatest risk

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Small businesses don’t need to reinvent the wheel to enhance their cybersecurity. Small businesses can enhance their cybersecurity by adopting established cybersecurity frameworks that provide structured approaches for identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and mitigating cybersecurity risks. These frameworks enable small businesses to implement standardized practices and build resilience, even when IT resources are limited. Prominent framework providers include the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the Center for Internet Security (CIS). However, these frameworks can be complex, which is why this project aims to simplify their adoption for small businesses.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 offers voluntary guidance for organizations of all sizes to understand, assess, and communicate their cybersecurity efforts. It is adaptable, allowing organizations to consider their unique risk tolerances and priorities. NIST, a U.S. government agency, develops widely recognized standards that many sectors and governments adopt to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, fostering consistency and trust across industries in the fight against cybercrime.

Policies and Standards

Cybersecurity policies are the foundation of any effective cybersecurity program, translating broad strategies from frameworks into actionable processes. Well-defined and implemented policies establish accountability, streamline decision-making, and ensure consistent responses to cybersecurity incidents, minimizing the risk of human error. Cybersecurity standards, on the other hand, provide specific, detailed, and measurable requirements for how cybersecurity practices should be implemented.

While policies define the overall goals and expectations, standards offer clear, actionable criteria to meet those objectives. Policies are strategic and flexible, whereas standards are more technical and prescriptive, focusing on the "how" and "what" of cybersecurity controls. Together, they ensure both high-level direction and practical execution.

References

• “Cybersecurity.” NIST, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 25 Sept. 2024, https://www.nist.gov/cybersecurity.

• “Exclusive Research Report 2019 Global State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.” Cisco, Ponemon Institute LLC and Keeper Security, Inc. , Oct. 2019, https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/security/ponemon-report-smb.pdf.

• “Information Security.” ISO, International Organization for Standardization, 31 Jan. 2024, https://iso.org/sectors/it-technologies/information-security.

• “New McAfee Global Small Business Study Reveals Concerns, Knowledge and Vulnerabilities of Small Businesses in Today’s Cyber Landscape.” McAfee, McAfee Corp. and Dell Technologies, 17 Jan. 2024, https://www.mcafee.com/en-gb/consumer-corporate/newsroom/press-releases/2024/20240117.html.

• “Security Policy Templates.” Information Security Policy Templates, SANS, www.sans.org/information-security-policy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

• 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, Verizon, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/Ta9b/reports/2021-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

• CIS, Center for Internet Security, https://www.cisecurity.org. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

• Cleary, Quinn. “The Devastating Impact of Ransomware Attacks on Small Businesses.” Articles, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.law.umaryland.edu/content/articles/name-659577-en.html.

• Cyberthreats and Solutions for Small and Midsize Businesses, Vistage and Cisco, 2018, https://www.vistage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Cybersecurity-Research-Note.pdf.

• E Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center. NIST Cybersecurity Framework SANS Policy Templates, https://www.cisecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/NIST-CSF-Policy-Template-Guide.pdf.

• Godziszewski, Agnes. “2022 Study: 50% of SMBs Have a Cybersecurity Plan in Place.” UpCity, UpCity, 2 May 2022, https://upcity.com/experts/small-business-cybersecurity-survey.

• Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center. NIST Cybersecurity Framework Policy Template Guide, https://www.cisecurity.org/-/jssmedia/Project/cisecurity/cisecurity/data/media/img/uploads/2021/11/NIST-Cybersecurity-Framework-Policy-Template-Guide-v2111Online.pdf.

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 31 Oct. 2024, www.nist.gov/cyberframework.