- Current section: Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Why is information security important?
- 2 Information, information security and information security management
- 3 Information security imperatives and incentives
- 4 Information assets
- 5 Planning an information security management system
- 6 Risk assessment and asset identification
- 7 The PDCA cycle
- 8 Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
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An introduction to information security
Headline news scares about stolen or missing data are becoming a frequent...
Headline news scares about stolen or missing data are becoming a frequent occurrence as organisations rely more and more heavily on computers to store sensitive corporate and customer information. This unit discusses the importance of protecting information and gives an overview of information security management systems.
By the end of this unit you should have developed an understanding of:
- how you select appropriate techniques to tackle and solve problems in the discipline of information security management;
- why security and its management are important for any modern organisation;
- how an information security management system should be planned, documented, implemented and improved, according to the BSi standard on information security management.
- Duration: 55 hours
- Published on: Wednesday 18th May 2011
- Level: Masters
- Posted under: Computing and ICT
Contents
An introduction to information security
Introduction

Information security underpins the commercial viability and profitability of enterprises of all sizes and the effectiveness of public sector organisations. This unit begins by explaining why information security and its management are important for any modern organisation. The unit continues by examining the value that can be placed on information as an organisational asset. The protection of information assets is the subject of the BSi standard on information security management, and the unit goes on to explain how an information security management system should be planned, documented, implemented and improved, according to the standard. This unit is based on readings from the book IT Governance: A Manager's Guide to Data Security & BS 7799/ISO 177799 (2nd edition) by Alan Calder and Steve Watkins (Kogan Page, 2003). In order to study this unit you will need to buy this set book. You will also need to pay if you want access to the British Standard (mentioned above) using British Standards Online.
This unit is an adapted extract from the course Information security management (M886) [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
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- Creative-Commons: The Open University is proud to release this free course under a Creative Commons licence. However, any third-party materials featured within it are used with permission and are not ours to give away. These materials are not subject to the Creative Commons licence. See terms and conditions. Full details can be found in the Acknowledgements section.
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