Written information security program wisp

Companies should work together to identify and address reasonably foreseeable risks and coordinate with their IT team in particular to make ensure the WISP does not overreach and embodies practices that will work for the company in practice. Firm News. Print PDF. A data steward is responsible for the data content and development of associated business rules, including authorizing access to the data.

Personal Information. For the purposes of this Program, PI also includes passport number, alien registration number or other government-issued identification number. Nonpublic Financial Information. For these purposes, NFI shall include any information:. All data covered by this policy will be classified into one of three categories outlined below, based on the level of security required for each, starting with the highest level.

Confidential data refers to any data where unauthorized access, use, alteration or disclosure of this data could present a significant level of risk to Wellesley College or the Community. Confidential data should be treated with the highest level of security to ensure the privacy of that data and prevent any unauthorized access, use, alteration or disclosure. Confidential data includes data that is protected by the following federal or state laws or regulations : CMR Any non-public data that is not explicitly designated as Confidential should be treated as Restricted data.

This data also includes, but is not limited to, donor information, research data on human subjects, intellectual property proprietary research, patents, etc. Restricted data should be limited to access by individuals who are employed by or matriculate at Wellesley College and who have legitimate reasons for accessing such data, as governed by FERPA, or other applicable law or College policy. A reasonable level of security should be applied to this classification to ensure the privacy and integrity of this data.

Public data includes any information for which there is no restriction to its distribution, and where the loss or public use of such data would not present any harm to Wellesley College or members of the Wellesley College community. Any data that is not classified as Confidential or Restricted should be considered Public data. All data at the College is assigned a data steward according to the constituency it represents. Data stewards are responsible for approval of all requests for access to such data.

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IT security and compliance news headlines. Video content produced by our experts. This is a guest post that was written by Joel Goloskie, Esq. Joel advises and assists his clients on the various international, federal, and state cybersecurity issues, with a focus on helping clients monetize innovative uses of data while remaining compliant with slowly-evolving regulatory regimes.

A WISP, or Written Information Security Program, is the document by which an entity spells out the administrative, technical and physical safeguards by which it protects the privacy of the personally identifiable information it stores. Healthcare entities subject to HIPAA have long-since become accustomed to not merely developing their own WISPs, but requiring the same of any business associate with which they share patient information.

Increasingly, however, state laws are expanding privacy requirements beyond the worlds of healthcare and finance, to require the safeguarding of personal information about any resident of the state. See e. Effectively, this means that every business in that state that maintains information on its employees must have a WISP in place to protect that information.

Businesses that have not implemented a WISP are playing a risky game. Security incidents happen every day. For the business whose security is breached, when regulators or prosecutors come knocking, the worst possible posture is to not have a WISP in place. The second-worst posture, however, is to have a really nice WISP tucked in a drawer somewhere, with no indication it was ever implemented.

By Bill Minahan December 11, 10 Comments. Data security laws are in place to ensure that businesses that own, license, or maintain personal information about residents implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices. The number of states with data security laws has doubled since , reflecting an increase in data breaches and cyber crime.

A Written Information Security Program is designed to provide your organization with solid security procedures that not only reduce your chance of a breach but also limit your liability if one were to occur. A WISP demonstrates to law enforcement and the public that your business has reasonable security measures in place. Likewise, a well-crafted WISP also shows your customers and employees that you value their data and take the responsibility of securing it seriously.

For instance, one of the key elements of a WISP that every business is expected to undertake is a cyber security assessment. A cyber security assessment evaluates and identifies your risks and therefore allows your team to mitigate them in order of magnitude and likelihood of the threat.

A cyber security assessment provides your organization with a benchmark of your security so that your team can start building your WISP with greater visibility into your IT security environment. How comprehensive your WISP is will depend on your industry, size, and which state laws you must comply with. As a result, WISPs can fluctuate depending on which security framework your business follows. For the vast majority of businesses, a WISP is a legal requirement that ensures adequate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are in place for your business to protect personally identifiable information PII.

Furthermore, a WISP requires proper documentation of these safeguards. Furthermore, it allows for a quick response if one were to occur. The more detailed and comprehensive your WISP is, the less likely you are to become a victim of a cyber security incident.

Your WISP should be tested and updated frequently. The following is a comprehensive list of states that have enacted data security laws that require a WISP or similar alternative:. If you are interested in the specific requirements your state imposes for data security laws, then please contact us. Our compliance experts are versed in data security laws throughout the U. As a result, we can quickly and efficiently determine which WISP framework works best for your business in order to save you both time and money.

There are several types of WISPs that are uniquely designed to help you comply with different compliance regulations and state laws. The hard part is finding out which one is right for you.