IT Governance Blog on IT governance, risk management, compliance and information security.

You, like every other modern business, are dependent upon IT. But are you getting the best out of your IT systems and infrastructure?

Ensuring that all your IT systems, frameworks and practices work together is a headache for most organisations. Getting the best out of them, and delivering effective and coherent systems can save you huge amounts of time, money and as importantly drive your business forward.

The IT Governance Framework Toolkit enables any organisation to create a single framework to achieve its IT strategies and objectives.

For a limited time the IT Governance framework toolkit comes with a free ICT strategy toolkit >>>

The IT Governance Framework Toolkit is compatible with ISO/IEC 38500, the international IT governance standard. The ISO/IEC 38500 Standard provides an efficient framework for IT Governance and provides business benefits including:

• Managing the organisations investment in IT responsibility
• Meet compliance requirements
• Improve the performance of the organisation
• Introduce effective project governance

If you just want to get on with improving IT governance in your organisation, and want to spend less than one day of consultant cost for dramatic improvements, then buy today.

The ICT Strategy Toolkit works hand in hand with the IT Governance toolkit and will help you ensure that your IT strategy delivers business benefit. This easy to use 24-page documentation toolkit covers all the key areas of formulating an ICT strategy. Read more about the ICT strategy toolkit here >>>

Our COBIT Foundation Course gives the delegate an introduction to the benefits of a sound IT governance framework, and explains how they can be realised using the COBIT best practice framework.

Delivered by an experienced ISACA-licensed trainer, the ISACA-defined, 2-day COBIT Foundation Course includes the ISACA COBIT Foundation exam that leads on to the ISACA certificate. This is an interactive classroom-based training course based on the latest version, COBIT 4.1.

Book today for the March 2012 course.

Understanding the management and governance of IT.

COBIT Foundation training is the first step in understanding the management and governance of IT, as an organisational resource is imperative for good business vale and risk management.

The course emphasises the identification of issues and presents a governance structure that identifies information criteria that will help correct or mitigate issues, through the use of well defined processes and resources, in a manageable framework to sustain and help grow an organisation.

Completion of the training course and successfully passing of the 40 question classroom based exam, will earn the delegate an official COBIT Foundation certificate from ISACA as well as 14 CPE credits. To date, we have achieved a 98% pass rate!

Book your place on this course today >>

Social Media Week (SMW) commences this week, reflecting on the global impact of social media and its role as a “catalyst in driving cultural, economic, political and social change in developed and emerging markets.” (Source: SMW)

Taking place in 21 cities around the world, including London, Glasgow, New York, Toronto, Mexico City and Hong Kong, this event will raise awareness surrounding social media, discussing ideas and ways it can affect and benefit your business.

Reap the benefits social media can bring to your business with the Social Media Governance Toolkit. This toolkit contains a comprehensive suite of documents and templates that will help you develop, implement, monitor and improve social media activities across your organisation.

Kick-start you social media plans and objectives with the Social Media Governance Toolkit >>

The templates and guidance in this toolkit should help an organisation create an appropriate social media governance framework. It will help organisations identify appropriate social media objectives, as well as assign roles and responsibilities. It contains a full set of policies and procedures that help organisations implement appropriate acceptable use frameworks, reduce risk from the corporate use of social media while helping them integrate social media into their marketing, communication and positioning strategies.

Kick-start you social media plans and objectives with the Social Media Governance Toolkit >>

More to explore:

Is your organisation implementing the COBIT IT governance framework?

Closely aligned with ISO27001, the ISO/IEC 27002:2005 standard serves as a practical guideline for all members of staff as they initiate, implement and maintain information security. An understanding of the best practice guidance as outlined in ISO27002 is essential to achieving the goals of COBIT.

COBIT is an IT governance control framework that helps organisations meet today’s business challenges in the areas of regulatory compliance, risk management and aligning IT strategy with organisational goals. Although information security is one of these goals, COBIT does not supply any guidance to how to achieve this objective. This is provided by the ISO27002 Standard which draws on the experience of practitioners in over 40 countries to set out best practice for the delivery of an effective information security programme.

The one-day Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 training course is designed for anyone in an organisation who is responsible for the security of information assets and directly supports the implementation of COBIT.

Delegates attending the course will learn about:

1. Information and data relationships (security, governance, assurance)
2. Defining threats and vulnerabilities and understanding Risk Management
3. Risk analysis with Impacts, Likelihood and Probability
4. Required policies and an Information Security Plan
5. External relationships with 3rd party organisations
6. Protective marking and the relationship to Impact (Risk)

Achieve EXIN Certification

The Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 course is based on the EXIN Information Security Foundation syllabus and prepares delegates for the EXIN ISFS examination which is taken at the end of the day. Successful candidates will be awarded the EXIN Information Security Foundation Certificate.

Book on the Information Security Foundation based on ISO/IEC 27002 training course now.

If you are considering implementing COBIT in your organisation, we can also recommend that you consider attending our COBIT Foundation training course. Please see www.itgovernance.co.uk/products/2295 for further details.

Realise the benefits of a sound IT governance framework with the COBIT Foundation Course

With animated and experienced trainers, the COBIT Foundation Course carefully explains all elements of the COBIT framework using case studies and interactive presentations. This course will give you an introduction to the benefits of a sound IT governance framework, and explains how they can be realised using the COBIT best practice framework.

Book your place today on this ISACA-defined 2-Day COBIT 4.1 Foundation Course, and realise the benefits it can bring >>

With a 98% pass rate, hear what some of our delegates had to say about the course:

‘Very good style and delivered with bags of enthusiasm. Very good well balanced course.’
Russell Chopping – ACCESS LLP

‘Great – most useful course I’ve been on in years.’
Geof Ellingham, Your Homes Newcastle

‘Well constructed, paced with good supporting documentation & examples provide’
Jacqueline Joyce, IT Performance Management, Aviva Investors

‘All of it (the course) brings a better understanding to my job’
Kevin Rowlands, Friends Life Services

Book your place today on this ISACA-defined 2-Day COBIT 4.1 Foundation Course, and realise the benefits it can bring >>

Download the IT Governance Framework Toolkit today and get a free ICT Strategy Toolkit >>

The ICT Strategy Toolkit helps you through the process of creating an ICT strategy which; helps satisfy customers, enables staff to perform better, delivers tangible business value and drives down costs. This toolkit will be perfect for helping you manage your budget in the new financial year.

Download the IT Governance Framework Toolkit today and get the ICT strategy toolkit free. Offer ends soon! >>

The Cloud Computing Foundation training course provides an overview of the fundamental concepts of Cloud computing and an understanding of the deployment, architecture and design of a Cloud computing platform. Delivered at our training centre in London, this 2-day session has been specifically designed to meet the needs of IT Managers responsible for the delivery of Cloud services or IT Directors who need to understand and evaluate the business case of Cloud resources.

This course also prepares delegates for the EXIN Cloud Computing Foundation examination which is taken at the end of the second day. Successful candidates are awarded the EXIN Cloud Computing Foundation Certificate.

The Cloud Computing Foundation training course delivers a comprehensive introduction to the deployment and support of Cloud IT resources AND a recognised industry standard certification awarded by EXIN.

We expect this course to sell out early – Book on the Cloud Computing Foundation training course today.

PS. If you are new to the Cloud, please see our Cloud Computing summary which provides a brief overview of its types, benefits and risks.