Administrative safeguards are a critical category of security controls in cybersecurity, encompassing organizational policies, procedures, and workforce management practices designed to protect information systems and sensitive data. Unlike technical or physical controls, these safeguards establish the foundational rules for information security governance, addressing risk management strategies, personnel security screening, information access management, and incident response planning. They define roles and responsibilities across the organization, mandate security awareness training, and outline procedures for secure data handling and access provisioning.

These safeguards are essential for ensuring compliance with both internal security policies and external regulatory requirements related to data protection and privacy. By systematically documenting, communicating, and enforcing operational guidelines, organizations foster a culture of accountability and significantly reduce human error as a potential attack vector. Administrative safeguards strengthen overall defense mechanisms, proactively mitigate vulnerabilities, and help maintain a resilient, secure environment for all information assets throughout their lifecycle.