When you’re just getting started building a cybersecurity program, it’s tempting to try to do everything at once. You might feel pressure to get every policy, control, and governance document in place right away. I get it. I’ve been there — sitting in a room full of execs, trying to explain why the business can’t run full steam without a few non-negotiables baked into the way we do things.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need to boil the ocean.
Policies are the scaffolding of your cybersecurity program. They set expectations, define responsibilities, and give shape to how the organization defends itself. But too many, too fast — especially ones you can’t actually enforce — can backfire.
Why Policies Matter
Policies are how executive leadership shares intent. They’re a formal way to say: “This is how we expect this organization to behave and operate when it comes to risk.” They also become your shield when customers, auditors, or regulators come knocking.
But if your policies don’t reflect reality, you’ve got a problem.
I’ve seen companies publish policies they can’t meet — and guess what? That looks worse than having no policy at all. It says, “We know what good looks like, but we’re not doing it.” That’s not a great message to send.
And while it’s easy to get lost in turning your policies into the perfect compliance or audit artifact, that’s not the point. Your policies should be built to support actual risk mitigation. If they’re not helping your organization reduce risk, they’re just well-formatted liabilities.
So instead of trying to write 30 policies and cross your fingers, start small. Start smart.
The Four Policies You Can’t Skip
Here’s your starter pack. These policies provide the bare minimum governance you need to reduce risk and start operationalizing your security efforts.
1. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
If employees don’t know what’s allowed, how can they be held accountable? The AUP outlines what users can and can’t do on company systems.
Real example? An employee once hosted their side-hustle’s website from their work laptop. When confronted, they said, “I didn’t know I couldn’t do that.” Without an AUP, that’s actually a fair point. With one, it’s a clear violation — and now you’ve got defined consequences.
2. Access Control Policy
Who gets access to what, when, and how? This policy should outline the principles of least privilege, provisioning and de-provisioning workflows, and access reviews.
Even if you’re not fully automated, this policy sets the expectation that access is tied to roles and responsibilities — not friendships or “just in case” thinking.
3. Incident Response Policy
This one often gets overlooked until it’s too late. You don’t want to be scrambling during a breach, wondering who’s in charge or what the comms process is. This policy should define roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, and decision-making authorities for incidents.
It’s the skeleton of your IR plan — and it should exist before you ever need it.
4. Data Classification Policy
Before you can protect your data, you have to know what you have and how sensitive it is. A data classification policy helps define what “crown jewels” actually are, and sets expectations for how different data types should be labeled, stored, and protected.
It’s a foundational step that drives a lot of downstream controls.
What Makes a Good Policy?
Let me give you a short checklist I live by:
- Short
- Simple
- Actionable
(Bonus: Realistic.)
And above all: it should drive risk reduction. If it doesn’t help reduce risk in a meaningful way, ask why you’re writing it in the first place.
✅ Short
Don’t write a novel. Save the storytelling for your blog (hi). Policies should be to the point — what’s expected, why it matters, and who’s accountable.
✅ Simple
If it reads like legalese or takes a committee to interpret, it’s not effective. Make it so that anyone in the business can read and understand it.
✅ Actionable
This is the hill I will die on. A policy that no one can implement isn’t a policy — it’s a liability. Make sure people know what to do and can realistically do it.
Free Policy Templates (That Don’t Suck)
There are some great free resources out there to help you get started:
Word of advice: Don’t copy/paste these into production without reviewing. They’re comprehensive, but they won’t match your business out of the box. Adjust them to your tech stack, your compliance obligations, and your operational realities.
How to Introduce Policies Without Scaring Everyone
Rolling out policies can trigger some panic. No one likes feeling like they’ve got new rules hanging over their head, especially if it feels like a compliance trap.
Here’s how I’ve handled it:
- Start with the essentials – Use the four above to build your foundation.
- Use the hierarchy:
- Policies = intent
- Standards = specific requirements
- Guidelines = best practices
- Processes = how-to’s
- Document what teams are already doing – This gives them credit and builds trust. “You’re already 80% of the way there” is a great way to start a conversation.
- Build iteratively – As capabilities mature, policies should too. Use exceptions and issues to track where you’re not meeting expectations yet, and review them periodically to guide progress.
Keeping Policy Governance Lightweight
You want your policies to evolve — but not become a bureaucratic black hole. Here’s how to keep your governance model lean:
- Review policies annually (or sooner if something major changes).
- Track exceptions — if you’re seeing lots of exceptions in one area, that might signal a policy is misaligned with reality.
- Use version control and change logs to track updates.
- Define ownership — who’s responsible for maintaining and approving the policy?
- (Bonus) Metrics — If you can start tying KPIs or KRIs to policy adoption or effectiveness, that’s a game changer for visibility and prioritization.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need 30 policies and a GRC platform to start securing your org. You need clarity. You need alignment. And you need to write things down.
Start simple. Get buy-in. Keep it real. And always — always — make sure what you’re building serves to reduce risk, not just check boxes.
As your security capabilities grow, your policies can — and should — grow with them.
🛠 Want to get started with those templates?
Let me know what policies you’ve found most useful to start with — or which ones you’ve seen backfire.
