Building security policies from scratch is a huge waste of time. When you're facing a deadline for SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA, writing audit-ready documents can take weeks you don't have. We've gathered the best sources for proven information security policy templates to get you started fast.

We analyzed each one to help you find the right fit, whether you're a startup needing a basic framework or a larger company managing complex compliance. This guide helps you build the foundation so you can move on to testing. At Affordable Penetration Testing, we know policies are just the first step. Once your documents are ready, our affordable penetration testing delivers reports in days, proving your policies actually work.

SANS Institute Cybersecurity Policy Templates

For companies building a security program from scratch, the SANS Institute is a great, free starting point. It offers over 30 downloadable policy templates, perfect for IT managers and founders who need to establish governance without a budget. The library is curated by security pros and is well-regarded for its practical, straightforward approach.

These documents cover essentials like access control and incident response, giving you a solid base. While the templates are great, you'll need to adapt them to your specific environment. You can learn more about using these templates at SANS Institute’s policy resources.

• Best For: US-based SMBs and startups needing a free, auditor-friendly foundation.
• Pros: Totally free, from a trusted authority, and covers a wide range of security topics.
• Cons: Not a complete ISO 27001 toolkit; requires a lot of internal work to customize.
• Link: SANS Information Security Policy Templates

ComplianceForge Cybersecurity Policy Templates

If you need more than just basic policies, ComplianceForge offers a premium, comprehensive solution. It provides documentation sets mapped to major frameworks like NIST 800-171, CMMC, and ISO 27002. This is a huge time-saver for companies that need to prove compliance without spending months writing from scratch.

Unlike free options, these paid information security policy templates are a complete governance package. The detailed mapping saves a ton of time preparing for audits. While it costs more, the investment cuts down on internal labor and gives you confidence your documents will pass an audit. For companies that need a direct path to compliance, it's a solid choice.

• Best For: US companies and DoD contractors needing to comply with NIST or other strict frameworks.
• Pros: Extremely comprehensive, audit-tested content, and saves hundreds of hours.
• Cons: Premium pricing can be too high for early-stage startups.
• Link: ComplianceForge

IT Governance USA ISO 27001 Cybersecurity Toolkit

For businesses going for ISO 27001 certification, the IT Governance USA toolkit is a complete, premium solution. It gives you over 140 documents, including policies and procedures, refined over two decades. This toolkit is designed to speed up your ISMS implementation and get you ready for an audit.

The investment is higher, but it provides a proven path to certification from a reputable company. To use these policies well, you need to understand your company's risks, which you can learn more about in a cybersecurity risk management framework. This resource gives you the documents you need to build and maintain a certified ISMS.

• Best For: US companies that are serious about achieving ISO 27001 certification.
• Pros: A proven toolkit that covers all ISO 27001 requirements, saving you a lot of time.
• Cons: Has a higher one-time cost and is focused only on the ISO 27001 standard.
• Link: IT Governance USA ISO 27001 Toolkit

Advisera 27001Academy ISO 27001 Documentation Toolkit

Advisera's toolkit is another great option for ISO 27001 certification. It offers over 45 editable documents, including information security policy templates and checklists aligned with the latest ISO 27001 standard. This is perfect for companies that need audit-ready documents without hiring expensive consultants.

What's different about Advisera is its guided approach. The toolkit includes an AI wizard to help fill out documents, video training, and direct email access to ISO 27001 experts. This support makes the certification process much more manageable for internal teams. A free trial is available to check it out.

• Best For: SMBs pursuing ISO 27001 certification with internal teams who need structured guidance.
• Pros: Good value with expert support, templates are regularly updated for ISO 27001:2022.
• Cons: The focus is only on ISO 27001, and support can be limited depending on your plan.
• Link: Advisera ISO 27001 Documentation Toolkit

Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls Policy Templates

If you just need to establish basic cyber hygiene, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) is an excellent free resource. Its information security policy templates are mapped to the CIS Controls v8, specifically for Implementation Group 1 (IG1). This makes it perfect for SMBs that need to establish baseline security practices without getting lost in complex frameworks.

These templates cover key areas like acceptable use and vulnerability management. The clear alignment with CIS Controls provides simple, actionable guidance. While these documents are a great start, they focus on foundational security and will need more work to meet advanced requirements for audits like SOC 2.

• Best For: US-based SMBs seeking a simple, framework-aligned starting point for basic security.
• Pros: Completely free, mapped to the respected CIS Controls, and designed for quick wins.
• Cons: Limited scope beyond basic controls, requiring customization for full compliance.
• Link: CIS Controls Policy Templates

Secureframe ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Policy Templates

For companies pursuing certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2, Secureframe offers a modern, compliance-focused platform. It provides a library of auditor-approved information security policy templates designed to meet specific framework requirements. This helps teams that need to show formal governance without getting bogged down in writing policies.

While Secureframe’s main product is its paid compliance automation platform, it also offers several high-value templates for free. The full platform helps manage the entire policy lifecycle, from creation to employee sign-off. If you need help with your incident response, you can find guidance on creating a security incident response plan to go with these templates.

• Best For: Tech startups and SMBs seeking SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification.
• Pros: Strong alignment with major compliance frameworks and useful free templates.
• Cons: The best features are locked behind a paid subscription.
• Link: Secureframe

Vanta Policy Templates for SOC 2 and ISO 27001

Vanta offers prebuilt policy templates integrated directly into its compliance automation platform. This approach is designed to speed up audit readiness for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 by linking policies to control monitoring. Instead of just giving you documents, Vanta’s system tracks policy approvals and employee acceptance, creating a clear audit trail.

While its full library is part of the subscription, Vanta offers a free, downloadable ISO 27001 policy pack to get you started. These information security policy templates are made for modern tech companies and map directly to control requirements, saving a lot of time during audits.

• Best For: SaaS companies and startups needing audit readiness for SOC 2 or ISO 27001.
• Pros: Speeds up audit prep, links policies to controls, and offers free starter docs.
• Cons: The full library requires a paid subscription, and some materials require an email.
• Link: Vanta Policy Templates

Drata Policy Center for Security and Privacy

Drata is another compliance automation platform with a comprehensive Policy Center for businesses pursuing SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Drata integrates its information security policy templates directly into its workflow. This is great for companies that need not only the policies but also the tools to manage them, including evidence collection and employee tracking.

The platform maps its policy templates directly to specific controls within multiple frameworks, which simplifies audit prep. Access requires a subscription, but it provides a continuously updated, audit-ready policy library. This ensures your policies are active parts of your compliance program, saving time during audits.

• Best For: Companies undergoing audits like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 that want an all-in-one platform.
• Pros: Policies are pre-mapped to compliance controls and integrated with employee training.
• Cons: Not available for free; requires a full platform subscription.
• Link: Drata

PurpleSec ISO 27001 Policy Template Package

For small businesses pursuing ISO 27001 on a tight budget, PurpleSec offers a practical and affordable toolkit. Their package provides the core documents needed for an ISMS without the overwhelming scope of enterprise solutions. This makes it a great choice for startups that need to get compliant quickly.

The package includes editable policies for key areas like access control and business continuity. While PurpleSec provides these foundational information security policy templates, you still need to put in the work to customize them. A free sample is available so you can check it out before buying.

• Best For: SMBs and startups looking for a budget-friendly starting point for ISO 27001.
• Pros: Lower price point, aligned with ISO 27001, and focuses on essential policies.
• Cons: Less comprehensive than larger toolkits and does not include vendor support.
• Link: PurpleSec ISO 27001 Policy Template

ISMS.online Platform with Pre-configured Policies

ISMS.online offers a full SaaS platform instead of just standalone documents. Its "Headstart" feature provides pre-configured policy content to speed up ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance. This approach gives you a structured framework from day one, complete with virtual coaching to guide you.

The platform manages the entire lifecycle of your information security management system (ISMS). While it's not a source for free information security policy templates, it's an all-in-one solution for teams that need to maintain compliance for auditors. The system supports over 100 standards, making it scalable for businesses that need to expand their compliance programs.

• Best For: SMBs and mid-market companies needing a guided platform to achieve and maintain certifications.
• Pros: Strong implementation guidance, reduces documentation time, and supports multiple frameworks.
• Cons: Subscription-based pricing, and all policy templates are integrated within the platform.
• Link: ISMS.online

JupiterOne Open Source Security Policy Templates

For modern, cloud-native companies, JupiterOne’s GitHub repository offers a free, community-driven collection of security policy templates. These modular documents are designed for flexibility and are easy to integrate into a development workflow. The policies are mapped across multiple compliance frameworks, including SOC 2 and HIPAA.

What makes this resource unique is its transparent, version-controlled nature. Since it's on GitHub, your team can track changes and adapt the documents to fit your cloud architecture. While this DIY approach offers great customization, it requires technical skills and lacks the vendor support of paid solutions.

• Best For: Cloud-native companies and DevOps teams needing flexible, version-controlled policies.
• Pros: Completely free and open source, mapped to multiple compliance frameworks.
• Cons: Requires technical expertise and significant effort to tailor and implement.
• Link: JupiterOne Security Policy Templates on GitHub

DataGuard Free ISO 27001 Mini-Toolkit

For companies just starting with ISO 27001, DataGuard offers a lean and completely free mini-toolkit. It provides a baseline set of editable documents, including a core Information Security Policy. This makes it a great resource for small businesses that need to establish foundational policies without an initial investment.

These documents are designed to align with ISO 27001 controls, giving your team a practical starting point. While the kit is a great free entry, it is not a complete solution. Your company will need to develop more policies and procedures to achieve full compliance.

• Best For: Small US companies and startups seeking a free, entry-level set of ISO 27001 policies.
• Pros: Completely free and easy to download, provides a solid starting point for key policies.
• Cons: Very limited document set; significant additional work is required for a complete ISMS.
• Link: DataGuard ISO 27001 Toolkit

Information Security Policy Template Comparison

Turn Your Policies into Proof with Affordable Pentesting

You now have a solid list of the best information security policy templates available. These tools provide the framework to document your security controls for compliance like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. A good policy is the blueprint for your security program.

But a policy is just a document. It's a statement of intent, not proof of security. To satisfy auditors and clients, you need to validate that your controls actually work. This is where you move from paper to practice. The most critical step after establishing policies is testing them against real-world attack scenarios. This process shows you the gaps between what your policy says and what your systems can actually withstand.

Think of it this way: your policies are your security rulebook. A penetration test is the game that shows if your team can execute under pressure. It's the only way to know if your access control and vulnerability management policies hold up. Without this validation, you're just guessing. Traditional pentesting firms make this step hard with high prices and long wait times. It doesn't have to be that way.

The templates in this guide give you a massive head start, but don't stop there. Test your defenses and find weaknesses before an attacker does. Turn your policies into proven, resilient security. This is what separates a compliant company from a secure one.

Ready to prove your policies work? At Affordable Pentesting, we offer fast, affordable penetration testing services for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance. Our OSCP and CEH certified experts deliver comprehensive reports in under a week. Get a quote today from Affordable Pentesting and show auditors you're serious about security.