While a variety of highly visible newsworthy events were occurring during 2020, a critical advancement in the world of cybersecurity quietly passed through the House and Senate to be signed into law....
1/27/2021
ISO-27001 Compliance is a security certification for Information Security Management Systems.
If your company has achieved ISO-27001 compliance than you are better prepared to combat or counter a cyber attack, you have identified your risks. It shows that you have identified the risks and consequences of breaches, you are keeping supplier/customer data up to date, and you are taking the essential steps to protect that data and keep it from the wrong hands.
This is peace of mind for both you and your customers and clients.
Request a Free Assessment to see how close you are to becoming ISO-27001 compliant.
Let’s look a little more closely at what ISO-27001 is and what it means for your organization.
What is ISO-27001?
ISO-27001 is a compliance regulation, part of the ISO family of standards designed around the increasing importance of managing information security.
27001 is the most frequent and most relevant regulation for organizations utilizing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It specifies requirements for creating, implementing, using, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining, and continually improving a documented ISMS as part of the organization’s risk management policy.
Unlike HIPAA, ISO-27001 compliance isn’t mandated by the state, nor is it enforced by regulators such as PCI. Rather, it’s an optional certification to be earned at the discretion of the organization. That doesn’t mean that it’s not important, however. Digital security threats are becoming an increasingly prominent and important issue in modern business, and ISO-27001 compliance acts as the proof that your organization takes data security seriously.
Related: How to Obtain PCI DSS Compliance Automatically
What’s an Information Security Management System?
Also known as an ISMS, this is the system put into place for the protection of sensitive data, such as financial records, customer information, medical information, employee data, and any other data that demands protection. The ISMS includes the data itself, the people who access and utilize the data, the technology used to host and transfer it, and the policies and practices involving the use of that data.
Why companies need ISO-27001 compliance
If your business uses IT systems, then it needs a certain degree of IT security protection. ISO-27001 is designed to ensure that controls are put in place to offer this much needed protection. Requirements for the certification required that you are able to identify IT security risks, build a framework for implementation and management of security processes and practices, maintain legal and regulatory compliance, and so on.
The benefits of ISO-27001 compliance
Since ISO-27001 compliance isn’t required either by the state or industry regulatory bodies, you may wonder why your organization should make the effort to attain it. However, as digital security threats are increasingly more common and publicized, more people want to ensure that they are working with companies that take those threats seriously. ISO-27001 compliance can show customers, clients, vendors, suppliers, service providers and others that your business is compliant. Here are a few more benefits worth considering:
- An Information Security Management System improves and organizes your approach to day-to-day IT processes and strategies.
- A standardized approach to team roles, which improves efficiency in resolving security risks and maintaining and operating your IT systems as usual.
- Your staff will be better educated about safer IT practices like using external drives safely and managing their passwords better.
- You will have a more secure organization that is better protected against digital threats.
- Avoid data breaches and incidents that can lead to both major fines if you’re found to have not protected sensitive data.
- Maintain your reputation and trust that come with great security.
- Some businesses and clients may require ISO-27001 compliance as part of any contract they take on with new vendors or service providers.
ISO-27001 is currently one of the only widely used, independently certified assurances of IT security policy. It shows that your organization is up to date on security practices.
Attaining ISO-27001 compliance
There is not a one size fits all compliance for ISO-27001. Organizations differ in size, scope, and IT systems. An adequate ISMS for one organization may not be enough for a bigger, more tech reliant organization. Instead, the mandatory certification requirements are determined by the activities that must be performed to provide the proper security.
Organizations implement ISO-27001 through the following series of steps:
- A project mandate that determines goals and defines the scope.
- Write an ISMS policy defining issues of IT security for the organization.
- A risk assessment defining the methodology before implementing assessment and treatment processes.
- Write a Statement of Applicability and Risk Treatment Plan. This is a methodology for measuring the effectiveness of control.
- Controls, mandatory procedures, and training and awareness programs are implemented.
When complete, the ISMS must be operated, monitored, audited, and reviewed, with continual actions taken to correct and prevent risks and errors within ISMS. This is all done with the help of an independent ISO-27001 Certifier, who will aid the organization through the registration and provide a certificate at the end.
Does your organization need ISO-27001 compliance?
In many cases, organizations will first begin to look into the ISO-27001 registration and certification process at the behest of clients, customers, suppliers, or other business partners.
However, as the demand for data security business practices grow it is more important that organizations take the time to become compliant on their own initiative.
If you would like to find out more about becoming ISO-27001 compliance, BitLyft is happy to help.
Our services aim to provide you with a simple no-nonsense solution to keep your business safe from online threats. If you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today to speak to one of our friendly representatives.
You can also Request a Free Assessment.
We’ll help explain the services we offer and how they can be customized to your exact needs.
