What do policies communicate regarding activities and behaviors?

Policies serve as formal guidelines that outline specific actions that are expected, permitted, or prohibited within an organization. By communicating which activities are required and which are not allowed, policies help establish a framework for acceptable behavior. This clarity aids employees in understanding their responsibilities and the boundaries within which they must operate, thereby promoting compliance with organizational standards and reducing the risk of security breaches or other negative outcomes.

While best practices for technology use, networking protocols, and data encryption standards are important aspects of cybersecurity, they do not directly communicate the required and prohibited activities that policies are fundamentally designed to address. Policies are intrinsic to the governance structure of an organization, ensuring that everyone understands the expectations regarding their actions and decisions related to security and operational activities.