ISO 27001: What is it?
ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the internationally recognised standard for information security management. The standard is used by businesses in a variety of industries worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to the best information security practices.
As a result of ISO 27001 introducing a best-practice approach, your organisation will be able to better manage information security by addressing people, processes, and technology. ISO 27001 is a framework that helps businesses to establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain, and continually improve an ISMS (information security management system).
Your Company Should Consider ISO 27001: Here’s Why…
Living in a digital age means that our lives can often be improved through technology, however, it also brings the risk of cyber threats. Is your organisation confident that they are prepared to deal with the associated risks? In the event of a cyber-attack does your company have a plan? And better still, does it have a plan to mitigate such attacks?
If the answer is yes, keep reading as there is always room to tighten your security measures. If the answer is no, now more than ever is a critical time to make sure your information assets are protected. With cyber criminals increasingly launching attacks that are more advanced, many businesses are seeking ISO 27001 certification this year to ensure that they are best protected against cyber threats.
Here are some benefits of ISO 27001 to consider:
- Demonstrate legal compliance
- Minimise risk exposure
- Achieve greater customer satisfaction
- Create a culture of security
- Ensure your information assets remain secure
- Achieve greater customer satisfaction
Is ISO 27001 Suitable for Our Company?
The first question that businesses typically have is ‘is ISO 27001 applicable to our business?’. No matter the size of your business, or the industry in which it operates, ISO 27001 is relevant and most definitely applicable. In fact, smaller businesses can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking they are safe as they aren’t a likely target. This is a myth and in fact, many cybercriminals launch attacks on smaller businesses as they don’t always have resources or sufficient information security measures in place.
However, some industries do benefit immensely from becoming ISO 27001 certified when compared to others. That’s something we will delve into further in this blog.
Information Technology Industry
IT support companies, software development companies, and cloud companies are the biggest beneficiaries of the ISO 27001 standard. The reason being is that they have to prove to their clients that they can safeguard any sensitive information.
Many IT companies implement the standard to ensure they are compliant with contractual security requirements from clients.
Telecoms Industry
Internet providers and other telecommunication companies often recognise ISO 27001 as an essential certification in their industry to ensure the highest security for the large number of clients’ data they handle. Typically, telecommunications companies seek to become certified to reduce the number of outages caused by cyber threats.
Financial Industry
Legislation and regulations can sometimes require financial institutions such as insurance companies, brokerage firms, and insurance companies to obtain ISO 27001 certification as a compliance threshold. This is because the data protection legislation is primarily based on the standard. Another significant reason for becoming ISO 27001 certified is to mitigate the fiduciary risk that financial firms can be faced with.
The Process Explained
The process of achieving ISO 27001 Certification is simple.
- Preparation – one of our expert auditors will be in touch to go through the audit plan in preparation for your Stage 1 assessment, answering your questions and ensuring you have all the information you need.
- Stage 1 assessment – this will involve reviewing the practices you already have in place and identifying any areas that require improvement in order to achieve your certificate. Your auditor will issue a report highlighting areas that need improvement prior to the next step.
- Stage 2 assessment – when you are ready, your auditor will visit again to see whether you have met the requirements of the standard. Your auditor will then highlight any further areas for improvement, if necessary.
- Annual assessment – as part of the ISO Certification, you are required to have an annual surveillance visit to ensure you have maintained compliance.
You can find out more about the process here.
Swift Certification Can Help
Overall, ISO 27001 not only ensures you are keeping your information assets and customers’ data safe but also means you are compliant with legislation, avoiding costly fines and downtime.
Our friendly and professional ISO 27001 auditors work with organisations of all sizes, in a variety of industries to ensure your audit is conducted in a swift manner, ensuring outstanding customer service and support every step of the way.
Click Here to receive a Free, No Obligation Quote today.