ISO 27001
What is ISO 27001
ISO 27001 is a highly renowned and globally recognized Information Security Standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is a certifiable framework consisting of security policies and procedures designed to help organizations protect their data through an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Getting ISO 27001 Certified
ISO 27001 certification is achieved by meeting requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an ISMS that meets your business needs. The ISO 27001 standard is broken into two separate parts, Clauses and Annex A.
Clauses 4-10 are mandatory requirements that all organizations seeking certification must satisfy. Each clause features a number of sub-requirements. Here is a high-level description of each clause:
Clause 4: Context of the Organization: Identify internal and external stakeholders, client lists, regulatory environments, etc.
Clause 5: Leadership: Identify strategic objectives and the necessary resources.
Clause 6: Planning: Detail how security objectives will be met.
Clause 7: Support: Detail how the organization will provide the resources needed to establish, implement, and maintain the ISMS.
Clause 8: Operation: Identify processes to mitigate risks that arise.
Clause 9: Performance Evaluation: Requires the monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation of the ISMS.
Clause 10: Improvement: Identify actions designed to continuously better the ISMS.
Annex A consists of a set of security controls that are not required but can be implemented on an as-needed basis for your organization. A risk assessment can effectively identify the controls that are a good fit for your organization’s security program.
Once your organization has the policies, procedures, documentation, etc. in place it can bring in an accredited certification body to conduct an ISO 27001 audit. If the audit is successful, you will be issued an ISO 27001 certificate.
Benefits of ISO 27001 Certification
Meeting ISO 27001 standards will result in your organization having the policies, procedures, and technology in place that will protect your data wherever it lives, reducing the risk of cyber-attacks, and establishing a culture of information security.
ISO 27001 certification is a differentiator for businesses, regardless of their industry or size. Your certification will prove to customers that you are committed to protecting their data and will help you meet contractual security obligations. Recognized in countries worldwide, ISO 27001 certification can play an important role in gaining international business.
The ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 Relationship
ISO 27701 is an extension to ISO 27001 that focuses on managing privacy and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) through a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). ISO 27001 certification is a prerequisite to securing ISO 27701 certification. Organizations can leverage ISO 27701 to manage information security and privacy simultaneously.
How ISO 27001 Compares to SOC 2
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are both popular information security frameworks. The standards share common goals, but have significant differences.
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized framework, making it a good option for businesses with a global customer base. SOC 2 is highly regarded in North America but doesn’t have international recognition.
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 allow organizations to customize some of their scope based on their specific needs and operations. SOC 2 offers more flexibility because it doesn’t have a required set of controls.
Typically, ISO 27001 audits are more expensive than SOC 2 audits because they require additional documentation.
Read our ISO 27001 vs SOC 2 blog for a more in-depth comparison of the frameworks.
How we can Help
At CompliancePoint, we have a team of former ISO auditors and experienced practitioners that can prepare your organization for a successful ISO 27001 audit. We will put you on the path to certification by helping you identify and remediate gaps in your existing security program and implement the necessary policies, procedures, and technologies.
Once you have achieved your ISO 27001 certification, we can manage and maintain your ISMS to ensure compliance with ISO 27001 for future certifications.
The experts at CompliancePoint are here to help you avoid breach of data, loss of ability to process or handle 3rd party data, loss of business customers or partners or regulatory fines. Find out how.
Frequently Asked Questions
ISO 27001 is an Information Security Standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that is recognized across the globe. It is a certifiable framework consisting of security policies and procedures for data protection through an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
ISO 27001 certification is an effective way for organizations to demonstrate to customers and prospects that they have effective procedures and policies in place to protect data.
ISO 27001 is a certifiable framework consisting of security policies and procedures for data protection through an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
ISO 9001 is a quality management standard. It helps organizations of all sizes and sectors to improve their performance, meet customer expectations and demonstrate their commitment to quality.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The answer depends on the organization’s operations, requirements from third parties, and security goals.
From a high-level perspective, ISO 27001 could make the most sense because it is an internationally recognized and certifiable standard. It's a full-on information security management system with security controls. Many of the ISO 27001 controls will also satisfy SOC 2 and NIST requirements. If you decide to pursue one of those standards later, you can fill in any gaps, but your ISO certification will have you already well on the way to compliance with the other frameworks.
Yes, ISO 27001 certification will result in better security for your organization’s sensitive data, but it's not an end all be all. Implementing ISO 27001-compliant processes and procedures needs to be accompanied by a security-focused mindset from the organization's personnel.
If you're getting a lot of privacy-related inquiries, building a framework around privacy makes sense to address concerns from your customers. It depends on the information that you're protecting and who you're trying to demonstrate that you have it secured.
A privacy information management system is not going to cover the broader range of ISO 27001.
It shouldn’t be too heavy of a lift. The keys will be understanding the new controls and getting personnel ready to move forward with a new framework. You need to educate staff on the new controls and the timing for when they need to be implemented.
Set your organization’s goals and objectives and determine what new controls need to be prioritized.
The real impact is the changes in focus. ISO 27001: 2022 focus more on items like the use of cloud resources and continual improvement. The new controls are getting up to speed with how businesses are managing their data in the current environment. The 2022 version is a modernization of the framework that addresses the new security challenges organizations are facing.
Think of working backward as broadening what you already have. You're already meeting the SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, so you have predictable, repeatable processes implemented. You have a great deal of the ISO 27001: 2022 requirements in place with the assignment of controls, control owners, and management.
ISO 27001 will have requirements that are not part of SOC 2, so you’ll need to identify those gaps. Map all the Annex A controls and make sure you cover the ISO requirements for an ISMS.
Yes, we have a customer that reduced their compliance or audit overall work effort by 40% for the next year by overlapping the evidence, using the same personnel, etc. There are privacy-related controls that need to be implemented in addition to Annex A of ISO 27001.
