Drafted by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 27001 is designed specifically to help build an information security management system (ISMS).
An ISMS is a framework of policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical, and technical controls involved in an organization's information risk management processes.
The most notable thing about ISO 27001 is that it is the only internationally-accepted and recognized information security standard in existence.
ISO 27001 is such a flexible standard that it can be implemented in any organization (regardless of size), in any vertical. Retail, Finance, Healthcare, Education, Public Infrastructure, you name it, ISO 27001 fits the bill.
ISO 27001 was developed to help organizations, of any size or any industry, to protect their information in a systematic and cost-effective way, through the adoption of an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Not only does the standard provide companies with the necessary know-how for protecting their most valuable information, but a company can also get certified against ISO 27001 and, in this way, prove to its customers and partners that it safeguards their data.
Individuals can also get ISO 27001-certified by attending a course and passing the exam and, in this way, prove their skills to potential employers.
Because it is an international standard, ISO 27001 is easily recognized all around the world, increasing business opportunities for organizations and professionals.
It’s purposefully designed to accommodate what your organization does. It’s mostly concerned with the assets you have in your organization that enable you to do business, the value of those assets, and how those assets may be at risk.
It’s both context-based and risk-based. This means you can better achieve balanced information security spend while vastly improving your information security posture.
The flexibility of ISO 27001 makes it an ideal umbrella framework beneath which you can manage multiple requirements. Once you have implemented the ISO 27001 ISMS you can easily nest everything else beneath it, such as SSAE 16, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI, HIPAA and document an organization's alignment and compliance to all of these (and more), by using cross-mappings. It’s a very cost-effective and powerful approach.
ISO 27001 uses a top-down, risk-based approach and is technology-neutral. The specification defines a six-part planning process:
- Define a security policy.
- Define the scope of the ISMS.
- Conduct a risk assessment.
- Manage identified risks.
- Select control objectives and controls to implement.
- Prepare a statement of applicability.
After the implementation of the Information Security Management System (ISMS), a third-party auditor (certification body) comes in to validate everything. That certification body ultimately determines ISO 27001 suitability and issues the certification.
There are many benefits to holding an ISO 27001 certification. Some of those benefits are:
- Helps protect and manage confidential information
- Helps improve and streamline third-party vendor interactions
- Helps improve reputation and gives your business a competitive edge
- Helps avoid financial losses from data breaches
- Helps your business establish a workable information security management system that's followed by employees from the C-Suite to the Front Desk
- Helps decrease the need for customer audits
- Helps increase customer retention
Not exactly, but it is a large part of a healthy, balanced Information Security diet.
There’s no such thing as a 100% foolproof security posture, but ISO 27001 gives you a very real blueprint from which you can ultimately build your security defenses practically and effectively which enables an organization to safely conduct business amidst dynamic threats.
Interested in finding out more about ISO27001 and how geevo® helps businesses implement a good Information Security posture?
If you think you're ready to start your ISO 27001 journey please contact us!
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