Data Classification and Handling Standards Policy for ABC ERP System

Data classification is an essential process in any information security strategy as it establishes the requirements on how that data needs to be handled. This policy aims to ensure that the data contained in the ERP system of ABC Hospital is protected in accordance with its level of sensitivity, where only the required personnel will be allowed to access, manage, and secure the data in the system.

Information Ownership

Information ownership means each organization divides responsibility for information integrity among individuals or designated departments, each responsible for ensuring the proper classification, handling, and labeling of information for which they are responsible. Data stewards (usually heads of departments or system administrators) must classify the data into one of three categories:

• Confidential: This is sensitive patient information, financial data, or proprietary data that, if disclosed, altered, or destroyed, would compromise the trust our customers, partners, or employees have in us.
• Restricted: This label includes data that, if disclosed or modified unlawfully, may harm the organization’s operations but might not be safeguarded under regulation or statute.
• Public: Data that can be freely shared without risk to the organization.

Each data classification will be reflected in the ERP system through clear labels on each data classification and multiple documents, which will guide data owners and users within the ERP environment on how to handle this data. Stamp (2011) adds that risks are reduced when data ownership and responsibility assignment are correctly done, as this would mean that whoever owns the data will have to take full responsibility for the data and guarantee that data protection measures are put in place for later.

Vulnerability Mapping, Management, and Trackability

Vulnerability management is identifying, assessing, treating, and reporting security vulnerabilities. Unpatched software, misconfigurations, and poor access controls can all be vulnerabilities in an ERP system. On the other hand, vulnerability mapping will entail periodic audits and system scans to look for points of weakness, rank them according to the potential impact of a breach, and remediate them using predefined management protocols.

Trackability ensures that every vulnerability is tracked so that all incidents end up in a log for resolution in real time. A log management system continuously tracks all ERP activities related to data access and changes in the system so that incidents get logged and are reviewed for threats and a breach. According to Shah et al. (2018), the security of ERP systems in the cloud cannot be ignored. Vulnerability management becomes a continuous process to plug the security holes and reduce the attack surface, ultimately preventing data breaches and reducing the overall risk.

Configuration and Patch Management

The configuration ensures that the ERP system software packages are installed correctly and that all accompanying security patches are applied to minimize vulnerabilities. In contrast, patch management involves keeping the software components and security patches updated via a regular mailing list and rapidly deploying patches when vulnerabilities are uncovered. Configuration management ensures the system is built and managed correctly according to the preferred security settings, including user access policy, encryption protocols, backup systems, and other technical aspects of security.

System configuration reviews will periodically be performed on the ERP system to ensure system settings reflect the security policy. Security administrators will recognize and apply patches in a priority manner using patch management, especially the security updates. Dey et al. (2015): ‘Enterprise systems have numerous security risks. Timely patch management is essential in minimizing the risk of cyberattacks resulting from known vulnerabilities.’

Communicating the Assigned Classification

All system users must be informed of how labels are used to determine the appropriate data handling. In the ERP system, each piece of data will contain a label that indicates its classification (Confidential, Restricted, or Public). For each of these classification types:

• Confidential data: Personally identifiable information will be encrypted and require multi-factor authentication for access. Only designated staff can view, modify, save, or print the data.
• Restricted data: Restricted data will require password protection and be accessible only to specific departments.
• Public data: Public data may be open for inspection and sharing but must maintained in a way that does not expose other data types.

The function appears in the ERP interface and subtly indicates to users the nature of their data so they can act upon it. Thus, we will implement a labeling system that will appear in the ERP interface and subtly indicate to users the nature of their data so they can act upon it by its classification. As per NIST SP 800-53 (2020), clear labeling aids in communicating and retrieving data classifications for efficient handling.

Handling Standards

Handling standards help ensure that classified data will be handled according to its level of classification. Here are some guidelines that data shall follow in handling data in the ERP system:

• Confidential Data: Must be encrypted both at rest and in transit. Users handling this data must undergo mandatory security training. Access will be logged, and any changes to the data must be tracked.
• Restricted Data: This should be accessed only via secure networks. The data must be password-protected and accessible only from approved networks. Any copy of this information must be password- and firewall-protected and accessible to authorized personnel, with backups in place in the event of loss.
• Public Data: This can be disseminated without restriction, but users should still act according to best practices regarding data integrity and make no efforts to expose linked confidential or restricted data.

These handling standards will be continuously reinforced via employee training sessions and audited through an audit trail to ensure the process is followed. It is essential to define a specific level of handling for each classification level to ensure the integrity of the data and make your organization compliant with existing regulatory frameworks Beres & Griffin (2012).

Conclusion

This data classification and handling policy has been created to ensure that any and all vulnerable data belonging to the ERP system is protected. This protection will be done by supporting this data’s confidentiality, integrity, and reliability to ensure it can be accessible to the right people at the right time. The data also needs to be correct to perform its purpose. The implementation will be reinforced by assigning responsibilities for data, secure vulnerability management that will mitigate attacks, and the creation of robust configuration and patch management practices to ensure the system is protected and always accessible. It will also communicate classification to the people involved and make sure that there are strict standards for handling the data.

References

Beres, Y., & Griffin, J. (2012). Optimizing network patching policy decisions. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 424–442. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30436-1_35

Dey, D., Lahiri, A., & Zhang, G. (2015). Optimal policies for security patch management. INFORMS Journal on Computing, 27(3), 462–477. https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2014.0638

Hrischev, R. (2020). ERP systems and Data Security. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 878(1), 012009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/878/1/012009

NIST, S. (2020). 800-53; Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-53r5.pdf

Stamp, M. (2011). Information security: principles and practice. John Wiley & Sons.

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Data Classification and Handling Standards

Data classification, in the context of information security, is the classification of data based on its level of sensitivity and its potential impact to the organization should that data be disclosed, altered, or destroyed without authorization. Without classifying data into data classification categories and classifying how to handle the data, valuable information will be vulnerable.

Develop a three-level classification system for your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system by creating a 825- to 1,000-word policy. Consider the type of access control your users will be using and address the following:

Data Classification and Handling Standards Policy for ABC ERP System

• Information Ownership: Thoroughly explains the meaning of information ownership and how to classify, handle, and label. 15 points
• Vulnerability Mapping, Management, and Trackability: Comprehensively describe vulnerability mapping, management, and trackability. 15 points
• Significance of Configuration and Patch Management: Explain the significance of configuration and Patch management within the policy in-depth. 15 points
• Communicating the Assigned Classification: Take into consideration who should be able to access, alter, save, or print the data. For each classification, decide how you will label your data to communicate the assigned classification. 15 points
• Handling Standards: Professionally develops handling standards for each classification. 25 points.