An introduction
ISO 27001 is aimed at organisations who wish to assess their information security risks and implement ways of addressing them. The ISO 27001 standard requires management to:
Systematically examine the organisation's information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts;
Design and implement a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and/or other forms of risk treatment (such as risk avoidance or risk transfer) to address those risks that are deemed unacceptable; and
Adopt an overarching management process to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet the organisation's information security needs on an ongoing basis.
The majority or organisations already have a number of information security controls, but without an Information Security Management System (ISMS) as required with ISO 27001, these controls tend to be disorganised, often not working in continuity with other processes. This is often down to the controls being reactive to situations that have occurred at the time, instead of being planned.
The predominant principle behind an ISMS is that an organisation should design, implement and maintain a set of processes and systems to manage risks to its information assets, thus ensuring acceptable levels of information security.
The benefits
ISO 27001 shares many benefits with other management standards, like ISO 9001 and 14001. By having documented procedures and processes in place, the greater efficiency and transparency from their implementation reduces risk of mistakes and the consequent cost of re-work. These benefits are even more apparent in larger organisations where the clear channels of communication improve utilisation of time and resources.
With all of this in place, employees can feel more at ease and confident in their roles. A knock-on effect is happier clients too, because you will reduce mistakes and have traceability if things were to go wrong.
Importantly, ISO 27001 will ensure you meet current legislation. With rules changing regularly, it's important that this aspect is kept on top of. By using a Certification Body that will re-audit you each year, you're safe in the knowledge that you are meeting all legal requirements.
There are a few lesser known benefits by implementing ISO 27001. Because you're reducing risk and demonstrating professionalism and accountability, your organisation can also benefit from reduced insurance premiums and better credit terms.
The tendering advantage
Previously, organisations have been motivated to achieve ISO 27001 certified status in order to stand out from the crowd when tendering. However, beyond simple information security requirements, now the public sector often demands ISO 27001 certification as a pre-requisite. The certification body used should also be UKAS accredited too, adding another layer of formality and trust.
Outside of the public sector, larger private sector organisations who have become ISO 27001 certified are also insisting that their entire supply chain follow their lead. By ensuring their suppliers meet standards, this reassures larger businesses that continuity is strong, with numerous resulting benefits.
Getting started
Achieving the standard may be easier than you think, with many organisations having the basic processes there, they simply need tweaking and formalising.
Here at the British Assessment Bureau, we're used to working with organisations of all sizes and sectors. We provide everything you need to achieve certification, giving ongoing support so you get the most out of it.
For a no obligation fixed price quote, please use our Online Quotation Form or call us free on 0800 404 7007.
The British Assessment Bureau's reputation was established in 1969 and we achieved pre-eminent status in 1997. Today we are a revered UKAS accredited Certification Body with an enviable reputation for customer service.
As well as providing certification to internationally recognised standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, we provide a range of assessment and evaluation services for people, services and organisations of all sizes, with experience covering all sectors.
