Which of the following defines the low-level mandatory controls that enforce security policies?

Which of the following defines the low-level mandatory controls that enforce security policies?

• A. Policies
• B. Standards
• C. Frameworks
• D. Regulations

Answer: (B)

The correct choice is standards, as they represent the specific, low-level mandatory controls that enforce security policies within an organization. Standards provide detailed guidelines and processes to ensure that policies—high-level strategic directives—are effectively implemented. For example, a company may have a policy that requires all employees to use strong passwords. The corresponding standard would dictate the specifics of what constitutes a strong password, such as minimum length, complexity requirements, and password change frequency. This level of detail is essential for operational consistency and compliance. In contrast, while policies establish the overarching rules and intentions, they do not dictate the specific measures that must be taken. Frameworks are broader structures that provide a general approach to managing security and risk but do not get into the granular specifics. Regulations are legal or formal requirements that might derive from governmental or industry mandates but often do not specify how to implement the necessary controls; they outline what must be achieved rather than how to achieve it. Thus, standards serve as the practical expression of policies in the form of enforceable measures, making them the correct answer in this context.

The correct choice is standards, as they represent the specific, low-level mandatory controls that enforce security policies within an organization. Standards provide detailed guidelines and processes to ensure that policies—high-level strategic directives—are effectively implemented.

For example, a company may have a policy that requires all employees to use strong passwords. The corresponding standard would dictate the specifics of what constitutes a strong password, such as minimum length, complexity requirements, and password change frequency. This level of detail is essential for operational consistency and compliance.

In contrast, while policies establish the overarching rules and intentions, they do not dictate the specific measures that must be taken. Frameworks are broader structures that provide a general approach to managing security and risk but do not get into the granular specifics. Regulations are legal or formal requirements that might derive from governmental or industry mandates but often do not specify how to implement the necessary controls; they outline what must be achieved rather than how to achieve it. Thus, standards serve as the practical expression of policies in the form of enforceable measures, making them the correct answer in this context.