Implementation of IT service management, more commonly referred to as ITSM through IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) has greatly benefited a number of organizations. It provides a stable, yet flexible framework for deploying, improving and retiring services continually and also provides companies with the ability to effectively deliver standard IT services. Moreover, it also provides a standardized method and procedure for change management, including dealing with various IT related issues, risks and other incidents.
Apart from the above mentioned, one of the greatest benefits of ITSM is that it provides organizations with maximized data security. Below, we outline the different ways in which implementation of ITSM through ITIL can help organizations effectively manage their data security.
1. Focuses an organization’s data security services
ITIL-enabled IT service management solutions help to focus an organization’s data security services. Many organizations do not fully understand the importance of data security and think they are safe from multiple threats. Due to this, they think of data security as an unnecessary cost that only hinders their business functions. On the contrary, the truth is that data security is strengthened by ITIL-enabled business processes, ensuring that the delivery of IT services align with the needs and goals of the business.
2. Helps organizations implement data security in the best and most suitable way possible
ITIL is a set of best practices framework that organizations can follow so as to maximize their value creation regarding IT services, and data security plays a key role for this to happen. With IT service management solutions implemented via ITIL, organizations can not only develop, but also implement data security for their business in a structured manner based on the best practices laid down in ITIL. The staff concerned can adopt a more meaningful, efficient and structured approach towards their work.
3. Provides a stable foundation for data security
Data security needs to be exactly that – secure and stable, and for this the foundation of the system and processes is extremely important. This is where ITSM comes in, because with ITIL, a strong and stable foundation upon which organizations can build their data security is provided. ITIL suggests various best practices such as Change Management, Incident Management and Configuration Management, all of which can greatly enhance data security. For instance, an organization that has newly implemented ITSM solutions can refer to the change management best practices in ITIL to prevent multiple issues.
4. Can keep up with ever-evolving requirements and risks
ITIL is constantly and continuously under review in orders to make sure that it caters to the needs of an organization so they can keep up with the changing demands, threats, requirements and overall environment. Because of this characteristic, ITIL can help various organizations ensure that their data security is always up-to-date and never has to compromise on its effectiveness and reliability even as threats, risks, requirements and demands change.
5. Helps organizations implement an organized data security measure
Due to the fact that ITIL has such a structured and organized framework, organizations can implement data security measures in a planned, organized and steady manner. ITIL requires organizations to design, build and implement quantifiable data security measures into their IT services, as opposed to making sudden changes then and there after an incident has occurred. In the long run, an organization can greatly benefit from this as it minimizes the total amount of time, money and effort that has to be invested.
6. Enables prompt communication and cooperation between data security teams and various groups
With ITIL, a data security team can communicate with other teams in a manner that all parties involved can easily understand. This further improves cooperation between the teams. A common issue faced by many organizations is that there is a lack of communication or miscommunication between various teams because not all of them have the same level of understanding of data security.
For example, not all managers will be able to understand intrinsic details about data security such as firewall rules and encryption. However, most managers are more likely to not only understand, but appreciate a number of ITIL concepts such as merging data security processes with various structured processes for the management of problems and the improvement of services. In other words, ITIL helps managers understand just how important data security is in order to smoothly run a successful organization.
7. Helps to keep the management informed and make decisions accordingly
ITIL requires the data security team to keep the organization’s management regularly informed in a detailed, clear and timely manner on how effective and functional their data security measures are. This requirement to promptly report to the higher-ups further enables management to make well-thought out, strategic and informed decisions after carefully considering all the risks and threats that the organization faces.
8. Clearly defines responsibility so there is no confusion regarding accountability
The great thing about ITIL is that all the roles and responsibilities regarding data security are clearly defined in the books. So, even in the case of any incident, there is no confusion as to who should be held accountable. Each member of the data security team will know who should respond and how they should respond to any incident.
9. Establishes a common language all concerned parties can understand
Once ITIL is adopted by an organization, it acts as a common language that all concerned parties can use to discuss data security. This means that the data security team can communicate more productively and efficiently with other departments within the organization as well as external parties such as business partners. For example, if the organization hires a security service from another company, the data security team can work smoothly with them using ITIL.
ITIL establishes standard processes and methods for organizations to follow, all of which can be monitored and audited. This helps the organization understand, providing valuable insight into how effective its data security measures are. It also helps them in complying with various regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
