To achieve ISO 27001 certification, your company must develop & implement an information systems security management system that fulfils the requirements of the standard while training employees and conducting internal audits. Afterward, register for certification with an accredited registrar. There are various ISO 27001 consultant services which help make the process easier.
Every business requires different data protection measures, so it is essential that you determine which of the 114 ISO 27001 controls are applicable for your organisation. Once this information has been compiled, an accredited auditor should conduct a certification audit.
Cost
The cost of ISO 27001 certification may seem intimidating at first, considering all its components. However, its benefits far outweigh its initial expenses. These include making you more competitive, showing your dedication to information security, and helping avoid costly cybersecurity incidents—all qualities that make the investment worthwhile.
Step one of implementing any standard is preparing your organization. This may involve scoping the ISMS, assessing risks and gaps, and training employees. Depending on the size of your business, this step could take several months and require dedicated time from team members, resulting in a loss of productivity.
Once your ISMS is implemented, to achieve certification, you will need to conduct internal and external audits for certification purposes. While this can be a lengthy and expensive process, auditing can help identify vulnerabilities within your security system while strengthening it overall, thus saving time and money in terms of data breaches or compliance fines down the line.
Hire an external ISO 27001 consultant to manage your ISMS to lower costs when going through ISO 27001 certification. They possess in-depth knowledge of this standard and can guide your company through it all, saving both time and resources by performing such tasks as scoping your ISMS and conducting risk assessments on your behalf.
Choose an ISMS platform online that will automate the entire process for you. While these platforms come equipped with various features, most are tailored for larger organisations requiring full-time management by an employee and may charge a recurring monthly fee. A consulting or online solution would likely prove much more cost-effective in the long run.
No matter your chosen method of certification, ISO 27001 certification can be time-consuming and expensive. To find the best deal among certification organisations and auditors, compare prices and services before making your selections. Once complete, your ISMS will be approved for three years by an external body.
Implementation
Accrediting your business to ISO 27001 can be a substantial undertaking, demanding time, resources, and the assistance of outside experts to manage the process. Internal or external experts with experience implementing an ISMS and managing certification processes, as well as understanding how to apply ISO 27001’s 114 controls, should manage this endeavour for your organisation.
The first step in developing an ISMS is determining its scope. This step helps identify which parts of your business must be addressed and protected; having a firm grasp on its requirements can prevent costly mistakes while ensuring all necessary processes are in place to prevent cyber attacks and data breaches.
Once you understand the scope of implementation for your ISMS, the next step should be creating an action plan to address any gaps identified through gap analysis. This document should contain specific steps that your company will take towards meeting ISO 27001 standard compliance; once in place, your organisation can start rolling out and registering its ISMS with an accredited ISO certification body.
Although achieving ISO 27001 certification may seem expensive, its benefits are numerous. First and foremost, it will enhance customer and partner satisfaction by showing you’re committed to protecting their data. Increased security can boost your company’s competitive edge and open doors to new business opportunities. As the global average cost of data breaches continues to skyrocket, ensuring the safety of your information has become ever more vital. ISO 27001 can help your organisation do just that, and this green paper outlines some basic recommended approaches. To learn more about implementing an ISMS and becoming ISO 27001 compliant, click here for a free trial of Conformio, one of the leading ISO 27001 compliance tools.
Auditing
Auditing ISO 27001 can be time-consuming and challenging. To prepare, write security and privacy policies, collect evidence of controls, train staff members on those controls, and evaluate them, this process may take up to three months; without internal resources available, you may require external consulting help with this endeavour.
An independent external auditor will perform a certification audit on your ISMS and Annex A controls to make sure they comply with industry standards. While the process can be intimidating, its benefits far outweigh its shortcomings. In addition to increasing cybersecurity, you’ll build client trust while unlocking new business opportunities.
Start by developing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This consists of policies, procedures, and measures to help safeguard data ranging from physical assets such as virtual servers or physical computers to third-party-managed information managed by third parties. Be mindful of potential risks related to each asset as well as the potential impacts of breaches in this process.
Once your ISMS is in place, the next step in ISO audit preparation should be performing a risk evaluation and documenting its results. A great tool to make this easier would be Sprinto; its software makes the entire process simple while keeping track of security activities.
Step two in the certification process involves conducting a stage 1 audit. This involves reviewing ISMS documentation to verify compliance with ISO 27001 requirements outlined in clauses 4–10 and Annex A, while simultaneously identifying nonconformities and areas for improvement. Major nonconformities require corrective action plans with evidence of correction or remediation before issuing certificates of compliance.
After successfully passing both stages 1 and 2, you will earn your ISO 27001 certification, valid for three years. Within this timeframe, surveillance audits should be performed regularly to monitor your ISMS against its stated standards.
ISO 27001 provides an exhaustive framework to manage information security. Comprising best practices and regulations that protect sensitive business data, gaining certification with this standard can make your organisation more appealing to customers while improving your reputation.
Maintenance
For your ISMS to remain secure, effective internal audits must be run regularly in order to meet ISO 27001 certification goals and maintain your status as an organisation with that certification. Ideally, this process should form part of its implementation as well as your annual management review; however, it can often prove challenging in practice.
For an easier ISMS management experience, incorporating the ISO 27001 framework as part of your company culture may prove to be helpful in identifying vulnerabilities before they pose threats to data while monitoring changes and improving policies as necessary—for instance, if new software comes out that poses new risks or threats that must be managed accordingly.
An ISMS should include clear roles and responsibilities so that each participant knows who is accountable for which tasks. This helps avoid miscommunication between employees, which could prove disastrous to your business. In case an employee leaves unexpectedly, plans should already exist in place to cover their duties to ensure your security doesn’t slip through the cracks.
Acquiring ISO 27001 certification may not be simple, but using an automated compliance platform can make the process more manageable and less time-consuming—something especially helpful when seeking certification in a short period of time.
Your ISMS should go through an annual surveillance audit to prove it meets the ISO standard; otherwise, its certification could lapse. To keep it compliant and avoid this happening again, implement an ongoing improvement programme focused on strengthening those areas that need it the most.
Noncompliance with ISO 27001 can have serious repercussions for your business, as British Airways and Marriott Hotels were both fined for failing to protect customer information. These fines demonstrate how costly non-compliance can be; these fines demonstrate just how detrimental non-compliance can be to reputation as well as financial loss for a company—something Secureframe’s compliance automation platform could help prevent. To mitigate against this scenario, implement an ISO 27001 compliance solution such as Secureframe’s compliance automation platform today!