This repository contains a curated set of professionally written cybersecurity policy templates designed to support governance, risk management, and audit readiness. The policies are aligned to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and NIST SP 800-53 and are intended to translate cyber risk concepts into clear, actionable governance requirements that organizations can realistically implement.
Rather than focusing on technical procedures, these policies emphasize accountability, consistency, and decision-making at the organizational level. Together, they form a foundational security governance framework suitable for small to mid-size organizations or teams seeking to mature their cybersecurity posture.
A walkthrough video providing an overview of the policy structure, alignment, and intended use.
Watch it here: https://www.loom.com/share/572e944a8d894cfea144bac579f27eb6
- Microsoft Word (policy drafting and formatting)
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
- NIST SP 800-53
- ISO/IEC 27001 (reference alignment)
- Governance-focused policy design methodology
This repository includes the following policy templates:
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Access Control & Privileged Access Policy
Governance requirements for managing user and privileged access based on least privilege and business need. -
Incident Response & Security Incident Reporting Policy
Governance requirements for identifying, escalating, and managing security incidents. -
Third-Party Information Security Policy
Risk-based governance for managing cybersecurity risks introduced by vendors and external partners. -
Security Awareness & Acceptable Use Policy
Governance requirements for responsible system use and security awareness across the organization.
Each policy is written to be clear, consistent, and adaptable without reliance on proprietary tools or platforms.
These policies intentionally prioritize clarity and business relevance over technical depth. Plain language is used to ensure accessibility for executive and non-technical stakeholders, while formal structure and framework alignment are maintained to support audit defensibility and governance maturity.
The documents are designed as policy-level artifacts, not procedures or runbooks. Organizations adopting these templates are expected to supplement them with standards, procedures, and technical controls appropriate to their environment.
These policies are intended to serve as reusable templates that organizations can adapt to their specific size, industry, and regulatory environment. Before adoption, organizations should review each policy to understand its scope and intent, then tailor references such as roles, approval authorities, review cycles, and enforcement mechanisms to reflect internal governance structures.
Once customized, policies should be formally approved, communicated to relevant stakeholders, and incorporated into ongoing risk management, training, and compliance activities. These documents are designed to function as living artifacts and should be reviewed and updated periodically as business operations, technology environments, and threat conditions evolve.
This policy library demonstrates how cybersecurity governance can be formalized in a way that supports risk reduction, accountability, and informed decision-making. When used together, these policies establish a cohesive framework for managing internal access risk, third-party exposure, incident response readiness, and human-driven security risk.
The collection reflects a governance-first approach to cybersecurity, positioning policy as a foundational control rather than a compliance afterthought.
Future iterations of this policy set could include mapping requirements to specific organizational procedures, integration with GRC platforms, or expansion into additional policy areas such as data classification, cloud security, or business continuity. These enhancements would support scaling the framework for larger or more regulated environments.
This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.