How to Organize Your Knowledge Library

According to a McKinsey report, employees spend 1.8 hours every day — more than 20% of their time, on average — searching for and gathering information. Information security (infosec) teams are responsible for security questionnaires that can contain hundreds, if not thousands of questions. This process requires extensive info gathering across a variety of teams, and it’s vital that questionnaires are accurate, compliant, and completed quickly.

Having an updated, easy-to-navigate knowledge library not only ensures that critical business information is shared across teams, but it significantly reduces the time it takes to complete security questionnaires, increases confidence in response accuracy, and builds trust with customers that their data is private and secure.

What is a knowledge library?

A knowledge library is a centralized repository of information and resources that can be used to support info sharing, decision-making, and problem-solving. Your knowledge library typically includes a wide range of materials including documents, articles, videos, databases, and other informational content that are organized and categorized for easy access and retrieval across teams.

The key components of a knowledge library include:

• Centralization: All relevant information is stored in one place, making it easier for team members to find what they need without having to search through multiple repositories.
• Organization: Information is categorized and indexed in a systematic manner, often with the use of metadata, tags, and search functions to facilitate easy retrieval.
• Accessibility: The library is designed to be user-friendly, with tools and interfaces that allow users to easily access and use the information they need.
• Updates and maintenance: Regular updates and maintenance ensure that the information remains current and accurate.

So often, information is siloed across teams. A centralized knowledge base facilitates seamless knowledge sharing, empowering employees from various teams to access the information they need when they need it. Plus, your knowledge base acts as a single source of truth, ensuring that everyone has access to the same information, reducing the risk of miscommunication or misinformation.

Building your knowledge library to streamline info sharing

Structuring a knowledge library effectively is crucial for maximizing its utility and ensuring that information is easily accessible for all users. Here are steps enterprises can follow to structure their knowledge library:

1. Define objectives and scope: Clearly outline the purpose of the knowledge library and what it aims to achieve. Identify the types of information and resources it will contain (e.g., incident response guides, compliance documents, training materials).
2. Organize by categories: Create broad categories that align with the main functions of the infosec team, such as Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, Compliance, Training, and Vulnerability Management.
3. Use subcategories for granularity: Within each broad category, create subcategories to further organize content. For example, under Incident Response, have subcategories like Playbooks, Runbooks, and Past Incident Reports.
4. Standardize naming conventions: Develop and adhere to a consistent naming convention for documents and resources to ensure uniformity and searchability.
5. Implement metadata and tagging: Use metadata and tags to describe the content in detail, allowing for more efficient search and retrieval. Tags can include keywords, document type, date created, and relevant security domains.
6. Integrate search functionality: Ensure the library has a powerful search engine that supports keyword searches, filters, and advanced search options.
7. Provide user training and support: Offer training sessions and support resources to help team members effectively navigate and utilize the knowledge library. Create user guides and FAQs to assist with common queries.

How you structure your knowledge library can significantly impact employee adoption, implementation, and ease of use. Keep these best practices in mind while building your knowledge library to ensure that it’s organized and easy to navigate, making it easier for your team to find the information they need quickly.

Keeping your knowledge library secure

Because your knowledge library contains critical sensitive information, it’s important that it’s secure at all times. Insufficiently securing your library can leave the most important information regarding your company’s data and security in the wrong hands.

Here are a few best practices to help keep your knowledge library secure:

• Access control: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific sections of the knowledge library based on job functions and responsibilities. Grant users the minimum level of access necessary to perform their duties. Regularly review and adjust permissions as needed. Require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing the knowledge library to add an extra layer of security.
• Data encryption: Ensure that all data stored in the knowledge library is encrypted at rest to protect it from unauthorized access. Use secure protocols (e.g., HTTPS, TLS) to encrypt data in transit, preventing interception during transmission.
• Regular audits and monitoring: Maintain detailed access and modification logs. Monitor these logs for unusual or unauthorized activities. Conduct regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security policies.‍
• Backup and recovery: Implement a robust backup strategy to ensure that data can be recovered in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or a security incident. Develop and test a disaster recovery plan to ensure that the knowledge library can be quickly restored in the event of a catastrophic failure.‍
• Security policies and training: Develop and enforce comprehensive security policies covering access control, data protection, and acceptable use of the knowledge library. Provide regular security awareness training to all users of the knowledge library to ensure they understand and adhere to security policies and best practices.‍
• Secure software development: Keep the knowledge library software and underlying infrastructure up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Regularly scan the knowledge library for vulnerabilities and promptly address any identified issues.‍
• Incident response plan: Develop and maintain an incident response plan specifically for the knowledge library. Ensure that all users know how to report security incidents. Conduct regular drills and simulations to test the effectiveness of the incident response plan and identify areas for improvement.‍
• Segmentation and isolation: Segment the network to isolate the knowledge library from other parts of the organization’s IT infrastructure, reducing the attack surface. Use separate environments for development, testing, and production to prevent unauthorized access to the production data.‍
• Third-party security: Assess the security practices of any third-party vendors involved in the operation or maintenance of the knowledge library. Ensure that contracts and service level agreements (SLAs) with third-party vendors include security requirements and obligations.

Updating your knowledge library

One of the most important – and challenging – parts of managing a knowledge library is keeping it up to date. Business operations are constantly changing, including policies, product information, roles and responsibilities, and more. Ensuring that your knowledge library is constantly up to date is essential for maintaining its value and reliability.

Here are best practices to keep your knowledge library current:

• Regular reviews and audits: Establish a regular schedule for reviewing and updating the content. Depending on the volume and criticality of the information, reviews can be quarterly, bi-annually, or annually. When conducting audits, check for outdated, redundant, or irrelevant information.
• Ownership and responsibility: To reduce the risk of redundant or inaccurate information, designate specific individuals or teams responsible for maintaining and updating different sections of the knowledge library. This ensures accountability and consistency. Define clear roles and responsibilities for those involved in the content update process, including authors, reviewers, and approvers.
• Automated alerts and notifications: Set automated alerts to notify content owners when a document is due for review. Implement a notification system that alerts relevant stakeholders when there are updates or changes in related documents or policies.‍
• Version control: Use a version control system to track changes and updates to the documents. This helps in maintaining a history of revisions and understanding the evolution of content.‍
• Metrics and reporting: Monitor the usage of the knowledge library to identify which content is frequently accessed and which is not. This helps prioritize updates. Generate regular reports on the status of content updates, review schedules, and user feedback to keep track of progress and identify areas needing attention.

Simplify knowledge library management with SecurityPal

A well-organized knowledge library is pivotal for streamlining information sharing, enhancing efficiency, and maintaining a robust security posture. SecurityPal Knowledge Library is the definitive, continuously updated repository for your security and GRC information. Say goodbye to disjointed communication and hello to streamlined, unified security management. Designed for effortless integration and ease of use, the Knowledge Library keeps your security posture accurate and actionable, empowering your team to focus on what matters most.