What does the term "procedures" refer to in cybersecurity?

The term "procedures" in cybersecurity refers to specific implementations of techniques. This encompasses the detailed steps and actions that must be taken to carry out security tasks effectively and maintain the security of systems and data. Procedures provide a clear, actionable framework for how to implement policies and strategies in a practical manner. They serve as the operational backbone within an organization, ensuring that security measures are executed consistently and correctly.

For instance, a cybersecurity procedure might detail how to configure firewall settings, conduct vulnerability assessments, or respond to a security alert. By providing specific guidelines, procedures help cybersecurity professionals ensure that critical actions are performed in a standardized way, which is vital for maintaining a strong security posture.

In contrast, high-level strategies, security protocols, and incident response plans serve different purposes within the cybersecurity domain. High-level strategies offer overarching goals and objectives but lack the specific actionable detail found in procedures. Security protocols define rules and standards for secure communication and data handling, while incident response plans outline the overall approach to respond to security incidents but don’t necessarily detail the step-by-step actions required in every scenario. Each of these elements plays an important role, but it is the procedures that translate security policies and strategies into clear, actionable tasks.