Instrumental Group is a North American digital marketing agency delivering services across CRM optimization, sales enablement, digital advertising, web development, software training, and demand generation. The agency serves enterprise and mid-market clients operating in regulated and security-conscious environments, where protecting sensitive client data is non-negotiable.
Instrumental Group identified ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification as a strategic next step to demonstrate its commitment to secure operations and meet the expectations of increasingly rigorous client procurement and security teams.
Business Challenge
As Instrumental Group began securing larger clients and working in sectors handling sensitive data, client-side due diligence intensified. Procurement teams increasingly asked for evidence of structured security practices and formal risk management protocols.
Although Instrumental Group was already well-recognized for its technical capabilities, the absence of information security-specific certification created a barrier during vendor evaluations—often requiring the team to produce bespoke documentation or respond to security questionnaires.
With growing threat levels, a need to scale, and an ambition to move further upmarket, the agency recognized that implementing a certified Information Security Management System (ISMS) would be key to sustaining momentum—and to proving that security was embedded in how they work, not just in what they deliver.
The Solution
After evaluating several providers, Instrumental Group selected Amtivo as its ISO 27001 certification provider based on service fit, approach, and the way we structure and deliver ongoing client services. While the agency had previously achieved certifications aligned with digital platforms and technology providers, this was its first engagement with an internationally recognized, independently audited standard for information security.
Through ISO 27001, Instrumental Group could help establish, document and continually improve its ISMS—aligning operations with a specification that is widely recognized across sectors as a trusted measure of security posture.
The certification process helped the team strengthen specific aspects of their internal systems.
Instrumental Group:
- Leveraged their management system during the onboarding process to identify key areas for improvement, enabling proactive remediation under their own control.
- Experienced a clear, structured audit process across all stages, assessing controls and verifying alignment with ISO 27001 requirements.
- Built confidence in their certification readiness, knowing their systems had been reviewed and verified by experienced information security professionals.
Key Results
- Procurement credibility: ISO 27001 has enabled Instrumental Group to confidently satisfy security requirements during vendor evaluations, particularly when engaging with larger and more regulated clients.
- Commercial differentiation: Certification serves as a clear market signal that the agency operates securely and takes data protection seriously—a competitive advantage in client pitches and renewals.
- Improved internal governance: The ISMS has helped formalize operational processes, improve documentation, and strengthen accountability across teams handling sensitive data.
- Client trust reinforced: The agency is now better positioned to meet the expectations of enterprise clients with complex compliance obligations.
- Strategic growth support: Certification has equipped Instrumental to scale with confidence into new sectors and partnerships where third-party assurance is essential.
Certification Journey With Amtivo
Instrumental Group described Amtivo’s support as clear, practical, and genuinely collaborative. With no prior ISO certification experience, the agency valued the structured approach—ensuring each stage of the process was transparent, manageable, and aligned with ISO 27001 requirements.
By following this structured process, the Instrumental Group team were able to identify areas for improvement within their own systems and address them proactively, building confidence ahead of the audit. The step-by-step progression helped them understand the purpose and benefits of the controls required under the standard, reinforcing their ability to maintain and continually improve their information security practices beyond certification.
