Technologies are continually evolving, which is why your organisation needs to implement and maintain modern IT management controls. These lead to improved business performance in the short term, while in the long term they provide a solid base for growth and innovation.
What are IT Management Controls?
IT management controls comprise of important tasks and activities that ensure your business objectives are met in a safe and secure digital environment. These can be run by people or by systems, and commonly involve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data.
IT management controls fall into two categories:
- IT General Controls – Foundational controls that focus on reliability – including making sure that systems are operating effectively and providing accurate, complete and valid output.
- IT Application Controls – Fully-automated controls that ensure comprehensive and accurate data processing, as well as the secure transmission of data between applications.
These controls work in tandem to ensure your business processes and IT functions runs smoothly and effectively.
Reducing Cyber Risk
IT management controls have come into particular focus recently due to the exponential rise in data management and its importance.
With information assets exposed to an increasing number of cyber risks, the correct IT management controls can reduce these threats to a minimum.
“In today’s highly connected digital environment, it is important to review the various risk factors that are associated with cyber security and ensure that these factors are mitigated through regular and continuous assessment,” said Network Alliance CEO Raymond Wright.
“Many small to medium sized corporate enterprises are under the impression that the top 40 Information Technology management controls are not applicable to the nature of their business.”
“However, contrary to this assumption, all sized businesses in this life cycle are equally susceptible to the numerous cyber risk factors that exist.”
If you do not have the correct IT management controls in place, threats that become reality will significantly harm your business and its stakeholder value.
Additionally, these threats can be reduced to a point where even if they should come to fruition, they would not have a significant consequence on your business and its operations.
“Another important consideration is end user awareness training, which is aimed at providing the relevant employees and management teams with knowledge and skills needed to identify and assess the threats that face their business on a day-to-day basis,” said Wright.
It is therefore crucial that your business’s leadership team develops a comprehensive overview of its digital asset and threat landscape and that it implements the correct IT management and information and cyber security related controls in order to become cyber resilient.
As a reference point, the top 40 IT management controls are found within the following categories:
- Security Policy Management
- Information Management
- Security Risk Management
- Vulnerability and Patch Management
- BC and DR
- Physical Security
- Workforce Security
- Access Management
- Network Security
- System Security
- Cryptographic Management
- Secure Systems and Software
- Change and Release Management
- Incident Management
- Logging and Even Monitoring
- Mobile Media and Device Management
- Vendor Management
- Acceptable Use
- Compliance
Network Alliance – Information Technology Redefined
Network Alliance is an Information and Communications Technology service provider that understands the importance of assessing and managing the various IT and information security management controls to mitigate cyber security threats, which is why the company has built valuable professional partnerships and leverages cutting-edge technology to tailor comprehensive solutions according to your specific needs.
“Through our strong focus towards leading security practices, we can assist businesses with consistently assessing, managing and monitoring their vulnerabilities to cyber threats and risks measured against an international standard of controls on a continuous basis,” said Wright.
Network Alliance offers these solutions across a range of areas, including data centre hosting, voice and connectivity, cloud services, and cyber security – and also offers customisable and scalable managed services.
These solutions are designed to reduce the impact of threats on your organisation while enhancing your competitiveness, effectiveness, and profitability.
For more information, contact Network Alliance on 0861 22 55 62 or info@nwa.co.za
Click here to learn more about Network Alliance’s services and solutions.
Source: My Broadband https://mybroadband.co.za/news/industrynews/422130-it-management-controls-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter.html
