What is an ISO certification?
In its simplest terms, the ISO 27001 certification is proof – from a third party body – that a company has been formally recognised as working to the ISO International Standards for information security.
And this seal of approval is vital, as it vouches for your company’s credibility and capability in protecting information and the systems they reside on. More importantly, it can help to instil confidence in potential clients because they’ll know that you’re fully capable of keeping your promises and meeting their expectations in this valued business discipline.
Now at this point, it is important to iterate that ISO themselves do not perform certifications nor can they certify your business.
True, they participate in the development of the International Standards, however, they are NOT involved in the actual certification process. These are completed by external certification bodies, as we’ll explain later.
Why get ISO certified?
An ISO certification is confirmation – to prospective clients, stakeholders and employees – of your company’s credibility and reliability in a given discipline. The certification is a statement to your clients and stakeholders that you plan to operate within a set framework that will enable you to fulfil your company objectives. By setting yourself a goal to maintain this external certification, you will continue to inspire confidence in your brand, services and products.
Yet, being ISO certified is more than just a label…
Being ISO certified can also help you to win and retain new customers, as these accreditation and certificates will highlight your business’s commitment towards employing transparent, ethical and secure policies and procedures. This means all of your policies and practices will have had had to undergo appropriate improvements to ensure you meet the given requirements.
And this is great news for your business, as not only will these improvements to your management systems. help to minimise the risk of incidents, their subsequent fines, and damage to your reputation; these upgrades can also help you to: enhance safety; quickly rectify issues, and save money because everything will work better.
More importantly, ISO certifications can also help to level the playing field(amongst your competition, as they’ll improve your odds of tendering. Even more so, when public and private sectors request these certifications as a pre-requisite to engagement.
ISO 27001: Information Security Management
ISO 27001 is the international standard for managing and securing data . It encourages responsible management of information, and can help you to identify any existing or potential gaps in the security of your storage and processes. In doing so, you to take steps to improve your information security practices.
You could say that it was created to help businesses to implement, improve and maintain their information security practices, by getting them to initiate transparent, ethical and safe policies and procedures when handling client information.
Benefits of having this standard include:
- Ability to win new customers – this is due to many businesses requiring that their suppliers have this standard accreditation
- Reduced risk of data incidents
- Protection against regulatory fines and loss of reputation
- Improved internal data processing
- Increased safeguarding of information and data – by helping you to implement secure and efficient information security processes that are based around your employees’ capabilities, your industry and your budget.
- Having all of the relevant documentation and processes required to fulfil your management responsibilities.
Best processes for internal audits, and corrective and preventative action (in relation to the data that you manage).
Now, as ISO 27001 requires the cooperation of all members of your organisation; implementing the preparation you need to become certified can prove to be a daunting and difficult task.
At Economit, we recommend to our clients that they undergo a gap analysis to help them better understand where there are inconsistencies in their data management processes. By identifying these gaps, you can create a prioritised plan of action and seek relevant advice.
How to become certified
Getting your business certified can make a massive difference to your client retention, reputation and credibility in the industry. This means, you cannot take getting certified for granted, as you need to make sure every one of your practices, processes and procedures meet certain requirements. Likewise, you will need the cooperation of your staff.
Economit can help to make this process easier. Alongside offering free initial consultations to help attain a greater understanding of your current information security posture – our consultants will tailor their advice to your business, on policies and practices, as well as will walk you through step-by-step the changes you need to make to attain this certification. In doing so, you can save time and money , as they will cover all the bases to getting your business certified.
From scope and gap analysis, internal audits and planning/implementing changes, to training your employees’, supporting you through the implementation process, and supplying you with ongoing support; at Economit we can help your business to get certified.
For more information on our consultancy service, contact us at Economit today.
