The Central Policy Manager and enterprise security

Understanding the central policy manager

A central policy manager enables an organisation to define, implement and enforce security policies across its IT ecosystem. It defines, implements and monitors security rules across platforms, devices and applications for maximum flexibility and control.

Key features

1. Centralised configuration. Administrators can configure business processes and policies in one place and apply them consistently across the organisation.
2. Process management. Business processes, approvals, security and organisational workflows can be configured and managed efficiently.
3. Compliance monitoring. Processes, employee data and configurations are monitored to support compliance, data accuracy and efficient operations.
4. Reporting and analytics. Reports can be created to analyse employee data, business processes and organisational performance.
5. Configuration management. Configuration changes are tracked while accurate system settings are maintained.
6. Role based security. Access, permissions and approvals are managed according to user roles and responsibilities.
7. Integration. External systems can be connected to enable seamless data exchange and business processes.

Advantages for policy administration

A central policy manager offers many advantages to organisations looking for stronger policy administration.

1. Consistency. Security policies are applied consistently throughout a company.
2. Efficiency. Time and effort are saved when managing policies across systems.
3. Improved compliance. Consistent policies help to meet regulatory obligations more easily.
4. Fewer errors. Policy management automation reduces errors in manual policy administration.
5. Agility. Policy can be adapted quickly in response to emerging threats or regulations.
6. Visibility. Evidence of security and policy compliance is easier to demonstrate within an organisation.
7. Cost effectiveness. Automation and centralisation can significantly lower security management expenses.

Implementation strategies

Organisations looking to implement a central policy manager should consider the following points.

1. Define which systems, applications and networks the manager will oversee.
2. Standardise policies, and name them consistently across the organisation or department.
3. Plan for integration, taking compatibility between security tools and systems into account.
4. Provide effective administration and staff training programmes.
5. Develop clear review and approval procedures through change management.
6. Choose a solution that can grow with the organisation.
7. Protect policy configurations by keeping multiple copies and regular backups.

Where a central policy manager helps most

• Multicloud environments, by standardising security policies across all clouds.
• Conformance to industry regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA and PCI DSS.
• Acquisitions, where new systems and networks must be integrated quickly in order to comply with security policies.
• Managing both remote and on premise workers with consistent security policies.

Best practices

To optimise the effectiveness of a central policy manager, organisations should regularly update policies in response to new threats and regulatory requirements, implement policy lifecycle management, conduct regular checks of policy effectiveness and compliance auditing, automate policy enforcement and reporting, document policy rationale and exceptions, engage stakeholders from different departments in policy creation, and keep track of industry best practices so that policy can be modified as needed.

Issues and considerations

A central policy manager offers many advantages, but issues may arise. These include the complexity of the initial system setup, resistance from departments that have become used to managing policies themselves, and the ongoing maintenance and updates needed to keep pace with emerging threats and technologies.

Conclusion

Organisations seeking to enhance security, compliance and policy management across their IT infrastructure should consider a central policy manager. Such tools ensure consistency, increase efficiency and adapt quickly to emerging threats or regulatory requirements by centralising the creation, distribution and enforcement of security policy. That becomes increasingly necessary as cyber attacks evolve and environments become more complex.

Related reading

For hands on practice with the configuration tasks behind these policies, read our Workday practical exercises for beginners.

Workday is a trademark of Workday, Inc. This article is an independent guide and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Workday.