ISO 27001

ISO 27001 requirements are laid out in clauses. Each addresses a different aspect of implementing, maintaining and improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Your organisation must meet the following ten clauses to successfully become certified:

1. Scope: States the standard’s purpose, which is to help create a solid system for managing information security.
2. Normative references: Any important documents or standards related to ISO 27001 that you might need.
3. Terms and definitions: Explains certain phrases within the standard.
4. Context of the organisation: Expects you to consider the needs of interested parties such as clients or shareholders. Considers external and internal factors that affect your information security system.
5. Leadership: Emphasises the role of upper management in showing strong leadership, establishing the policy and setting up roles and responsibilities for the system.
6. Planning: Assesses risks, sets security goals and makes plans to achieve these goals.
7. Support: Identifies the resources and training you need and determines how to inform your employees. You will also need to decide how to communicate and document important information.
8. Operation: Involves carrying out the plans and processes necessary to keep the system running. This includes assessing and treating any risks and documenting everything.
9. Performance evaluation: Requires you to check on the system’s performance and effectiveness, including running internal audits and management reviews.
10. Improvement: Involves organisations identifying and improving the system, fixing anything that’s not working and taking corrective actions as necessary.

When preparing for ISO 27001 certification, it’s important to tailor the process to the standard’s unique requirements to make it simpler and more manageable.

The first step is to learn what the ISO standard requires – this is a good way to understand what you’ll need to do.

Here are some things to think about when working towards your certification:

• Understand the standard: Preparation is key and involves understanding the standard itself. It’s crucial to familiarise yourself with its requirements, which are divided into two parts – Annex A and Clause 4 to 100.
• Get buy-in from stakeholders: Achieving certification requires both commitment and support from top stakeholders. They are critical in allocating necessary resources and ingraining information security into the organisation’s culture.
• Perform a gap analysis: Evaluate the current state of your ISMS versus the ISO 27001 requirements. This will help you identify the necessary actions needed to meet those requirements.
• Risk assessment: This is key to any ISMS. Identify potential threats and vulnerabilities that could impact your organisation’s confidential information and assess how they should be managed.
• Document your ISMS: Include your information security risk treatment plan, controls, roles and responsibilities, metrics and more.
• Implement your ISMS: This includes training staff about new procedures and responsibilities to ensure they know how to fulfil their roles within the ISMS.
• Internal audit: Check that the ISMS meets the standard’s requirements and that your organisation follows its procedures.
• Corrective actions: Maintain the ISMS and take any corrective actions identified in your internal audit.

Getting your certification is not the end of the journey – it’s the start of an ongoing process. Continually improving your ISMS is vital to keeping your certification.

Download our free ISO 27001 Checklist to help you prepare for certification.

An ISMS, defined by ISO/IEC 27001, is a structured set of requirements designed to support the protection and management of important business information. 

The ISMS is designed based on the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, which outlines the best practices and requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving information security within an organisation (the ‘IEC’ prefix indicates that it was jointly developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)).

It covers:

• People: Ensuring that employees are aware of their responsibilities and trained in information security practices.
• Processes: Implementing consistent procedures that address risk management and information security.
• IT Systems: Using technology to safeguard data and mitigate vulnerabilities.

This standard is built on a ‘spot and fix’ approach to identify and deal with potential threats effectively. The standard evolves continually to stay up-to-date with new risks.

By implementing ISO/IEC 27001, your business could better guard against cyber attacks, adapt to new threats and lower the costs associated with maintaining information safety and security.

Implementing an ISMS also demonstrates your commitment to information security to customers, partners and stakeholders.

While it might seem like a significant investment, the long-term benefits make ISO 27001 certification a positive strategic move for any organisation.

Achieving ISO 27001 certification doesn’t have to be complicated, and the time needed can vary depending on your organisation’s size and complexity. Bear in mind there are several steps involved to make sure your business is ISO compliant, including:

• Initial consultation: Identify the unique requirements of your organisation and lay out a suitable plan.
• Training: Get guidance and education on the necessary steps and controls to implement in accordance with the standard.
• Gap analysis: Which areas need improvement? Formulate an effective plan that meets ISO 27001 standards.
• Implementation: This can take several months, depending on the efficiency of your existing systems.
• Certification audit: Review your internal processes to ensure adherence to the standard. This two-stage process can take a few weeks to a few months.
• Continual improvement: Constantly develop your ISMS, make sure it stays updated and you are prepared for emerging security threats.

Watch our video to find out why it’s important to become ISO 27001-certified.

ISO 27001 is designed to be flexible and scalable, so organisations of any size can use it.

Whether you are a small start-up, a medium-sized enterprise, or a large multinational corporation, you can implement the standard to improve your information security management.

Smaller organisations can benefit from a structured approach to managing information security risks, while larger organisations can integrate ISO 27001 into their existing management systems to support security across all departments and locations.

The standard’s adaptability means that it’s suitable for organisations in any industry or sector that want to keep their information secure.

We offer a variety of ISO 27001 courses which are relevant to support every stage of your learning journey. You’ll discover the standard and learn about the key systems, methodologies and techniques required to implement or conduct audits aligned with ISO 27001.

Our training courses include:

• Free introduction course: An overview of the standard to help you understand the fundamentals of Information Security Management Systems.
• Awareness training: Provides a deeper understanding of ISO 27001, aimed at raising awareness across your organisation and explaining the standard’s benefits.
• Lead Auditor training: Comprehensive training for those looking to lead certification audits. It covers planning, conducting and reporting on audits.
• Internal auditor training: Equips you with the skills needed to conduct internal audits to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Implementation training: Provides guidance on implementing an ISMS, from the initial gap analysis to full deployment.

Explore our ISO 27001 training courses to find the course that best suits your learning needs.