HIPAA, CMMC, PCI, ISO, NIST The variety of security frameworks. The certifications a business can select from today is an alphabet soup that could cause even the most experienced compliance expert’s head to spin! Amid an ever-growing array of industry-specific and country-specific alternatives and industry-specific options. It is clear that the ISO 27001 standa has remain a wise option due to its ability to be used across both regions and business verticals. If your company is thinking of starting an ISO 27001 compliance journey. They follow this guide to learn more about what this standard covers. How to become ISO 27001 certified, and how Rogue logics can assist you!
Quick overview: What is ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 standard, also known as the ISO 27001 standard. They more formalized by its formal name of ISO/IEC 27001, 2013 Information Security Management. It is focus on developing and administering information security management systems (ISMS). A joint effort by ISO International Standards Organization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ISO 27001 is the most widely known of the many standards that belong to the ISO/IEC 27000 family.
Are ISO 27001 compliance or certification obligatory?
The short answer is there is no. Although some people mistakenly associate ISO 27001 compliance with legal requirements. They handful of countries have laws on their books requiring organizations to adopt the framework. It’s not that simple, but it is accurate. There are situations where your company must have the ISO 27001 certification. Contracts and policies on procurement for vendors may and frequently do require ISO 27001 compliance, especially in sensitive industries, such as finance and healthcare.
How can I be ISO 27001 certified?
The process to obtain ISO 27001 certification can be extend, and the process usually takes one time of a year or even more. The ISO itself doesn’t give out ISO 27001 certificates. Instead, auditors from third parties or assessors confirm that an organization has implemented all relevant best practices per the recently published ISO standard. This approach and the framework’s emphasis on risk management over technically-based controls that are prescribe means that there is no standard “ISO 27001 compliance checklist” that guarantees the certification. Each organization can decide on how to use the bar, and the auditors will utilize a certain amount of discretion in how they judge each case.
There is an established procedure for getting certification when an organization is ready to invite an auditing or certification company.
Three steps split it:
- One phase: An external audit or certification agency will conduct an in-depth examination of the company’s ISMS. A large portion of the work done in this phase is used to determine if the company is prepared to proceed to the more in-depth second phase. The absence of essential documentation, insufficient management support or poorly defined measures can make any ISO 27001 audit a slow stop.
- Second phase more thorough audit is conduct, looking at how specific security controls are being implemented within the business to comply with the standards laid into the standards. In this stage, the auditor will seek evidence that the company implements everything in the document assessed in phase one.
- Phase three: After receiving official certification, an organization has to undergo annual surveillance audits to ensure ISO 27001 compliance. Although these audits may not be as rigorous as the ones performed in the second phase, the non-conformity of any of the requirements could cause the cancellation of a company’s ISO 27001 certification before its specified expiration date.
As you’ll probably see, obtaining certification is quite rigorous, and any business that wishes to obtain certification will need to complete a lot of research before contacting the certification body. The amount and length of time by employees will vary. External consultants are often employ to assist an organization prepare for an audit. Unofficial “gap analysis” audits are frequently recommend to prepare for the certification audit.
Tips to ensure ISO 27001 compliance
An ISO 27001 certification is only valid for three years; even within three years, annual surveillance audits are mandatory. The framework is, therefore, not a single initiative but an ongoing process that requires constant attention. As businesses continue to grow and develop, the methods by which the ISMS is applied will change too. Take an example of a company that has moved from on-premises applications to cloud ones in the past decade. The ways security for information will likely be different.
- To ensure ISO 27001 compliance, a company may want to establish an ISO 27001 “task force” composed of diverse stakeholders from all over the organization. The task force should regularly meet to discuss any issues that remain open and discuss changes to the ISMS.
- Integrate compliance into the daily activities of the business. Do not think of the structure as something that only should be review periodically to ensure conformity.
- Maintain senior management involvement throughout the entire cycle. In the end, buy-in from top-level stakeholders cannot stop once the initial certification is obtain.
- Examine and monitor the framework and ISMS to determine if they are part of the security strategy. Security event? Examine the way your ISMS affected the outcome and record any corrective actions.
- Be aware of any of the latest threats. Be mindful of this: the ISO 27001 standard primarily focuses on managing risk. Risks don’t stay static; they change as new cyber threats become apparent and businesses continue to grow. The company should constantly examine and assess the unique risks that emerge.
- Regularly conduct internal audits and gap analysis. Recertifying an auditor isn’t the time to determine if a critical control is not being implement.
- Participate in other areas of the company. Did you realize the points listed in Annex A cover HR Security? That means HR, as well as other departments of the business, should be part of the continuous ISO 27001 maintenance, not just IT.
- Document, Document, Document. A large portion of the actions your company takes on its own could apply to the ISMS; however, they can’t assist in future audits without adequately documented procedures.
- Keep following through on the information in the document. Remember that during the second phase, or recertification audit, an auditor will look for evidence that what’s written in the papers is implement. If the company’s policy states that employees should be provided with regular safety awareness classes, they must receive that training.
- Assess the scope regularly. Suppose the business is setting up an entirely new business unit or launching into the market of a different region. Will ISO 27001 compliance need to be extend to this new section of the business?
- Don’t forget about the supply chain! When cloud-based or SaaS services are an integral element of your business process, you must also address these in your ISMS.
Closing Thoughts
It is possible to achieve complete ISO 27001 compliance may seem to be a daunting endeavor at first. Still, in a society where partners, customers and employees are becoming increasingly worried about the security of their personal information, it can prove to be an essential benefit.
