The institution incorporates security measures in its database systems, especially those storing critical data.

This involves: database administration procedures and practices; system accounts, privileges and roles; identification of users of applications; and database infrastructure.

The institution implements a comprehensive system to control access to technological equipment and devices and software systems.

This includes mechanisms for data access control, endpoint access control, authentication and identification, user privilege management, network access control, password management and logs.

The institution establishes security measures to enforce data privacy policies for personal and sensitive data in particular.

This covers specific security issues affecting the implementation of a global system for the protection of privacy and personal data, and measures specifically related to privacy and personal data (covering both routine files containing personal data and sensitive personal data files).

The institution establishes policies on data privacy management based on the corresponding regulations.

This refers not only to national regulations but also to requirements related to international data exchange.

The institution establishes an information security management framework which defines the main procedures, duties and responsibilities in this domain.

This section of the guidelines provides a high-level reference point for the management of information security and privacy in social security institutions. The eight guidelines which follow form a starting point from which institutions can develop their own policies and plans, and will assist in addressing the challenges of information security through a consistent and standards-based approach. They are also intended to raise awareness of the security risks to information assets and to indicate how to deal with them.

The institution defines technical standards for interoperability technologies to foster the consistency and compatibility of ICT systems.

The institution develops interoperable shared data services (basic registries) in accordance with the interoperability application model.

Shared data services play an essential role in the implementation of integrated social security systems. This includes the sharing of core social security data. Typically shared is data on benefits granted to beneficiaries, beneficiaries’ family links, employees’ worked periods, salaries and contributions, employers and contracted employees.

The institution implements a strategy on developing information resources that fosters semantic interoperability and mainly consists of metadata systems.

Semantic interoperability concerns the non-ambiguous definition of core concepts used in the institution. It has a key impact on the success and quality of system interconnections as well as on the shared use of common information systems.

The institution defines a service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based model to guide the application of interoperability in the implementation of integrated social security systems.

In order to provide practical benefits to implementation, the model comprises key components such as basic registries and interoperability services.