How to Write Cybersecurity Policies and Procedures

Return to the Cybersecurity Career Playbook

Security documents serve different purposes.

A framework, law, regulation, contract, and payment-card standard are different source types. Record the source, scope, interpretation owner, and effective date.

Write the Policy #

Include purpose, scope, owner, approver, required outcomes, responsibilities, exceptions, enforcement, evidence, review triggers, version, effective date, and related documents.

Use mandatory language only for requirements the organization will enforce. Avoid tool names unless the requirement depends on a product.

Link a Procedure #

Example policy requirement:

System owners must review privileged access every quarter and resolve unapproved access through the approved change process.

The linked procedure should state:

1. Export the authorized account list and source date.
2. Confirm system owner and reviewer independence.
3. Compare current access with approved need.
4. Record approved, remove, modify, or investigate.
5. Route changes through the change process.
6. Verify the resulting access.
7. Store the review and exception evidence.

Manage Exceptions #

An exception needs requester, reason, affected asset, risk, compensating control, approver, start, expiry, and review date. Expired exceptions should trigger follow-up.

Exercise #

Write one acceptable-use policy requirement and one linked procedure for a fictional organization. Add an exception record and evidence sample.

Pass condition: The policy states what and why. The procedure states who, when, and how. The evidence shows the result. The exception has an owner and expiry.

References #

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
• NIST security policy glossary

Apply these records in the Incident Response Program .