Writing a corporate security policy might seem complex, but ultimately it is a collection of many small policies. By writing each of the essential sub-policies from this list, you are well on your way to creating (updating or revising) a corporate security policy. From firewalls, to backup, to personnel management, these are 10 common essential security policies your organization needs yesterday.

There are hundreds of sub-policies that a company eventually needs to construct in order to fully address and manage the security concerns of the organization. The focus on these ten does not imply that other policies are any less essential. This is an article not an exhaustive treatise, and the goal is to spur action toward writing or improving security guidelines. These ten security policies (or sub-policies) are essential to every organization, regardless of size, location, age, mission, or the product or service produced, and are presented here (in no particular order).