If information security is one of your priorities, then you must learn about ISO 27001 and Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). In this article, we present a beginner’s guide, helping you understand what is ISO 27001, what is the ISO 27001 certification process and the associated cost.

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What is ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is a part of a series of ISO standards that were developed to address information security. It was created by the amalgamation of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in partnership with the International Electrochemical Commission (IEC), both leading entities that are famous for creating recommendations for organisations.

The purpose of the standard is to present organisations with a set of policies and processes that can help them build a framework that protects their information in a cost-effective and systematic manner. This framework is known as the Information Security Management System that protects the three aspects of information, namely confidentiality, integrity and availability.

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What is an ISMS?

The purpose of an ISMS is to ensure that only authorised persons have the right to access to information and the integrity of the information can only be altered by authorised person and accessibility is limited. In order to establish an ISMS, organisations need to:

  • Identify the stakeholders and their expectations in terms of information security.
  • Identify the information related risks.
  • Define appropriate safeguards or controls that can be used to mitigate the identified risks and handle the expectations of the stakeholders.
  • Set clear objectives on what needs to be achieved with respect to information security.
  • Implement all controls and continuously measure them.
  • Ensure that continuous improvement takes place through regular evaluations.

 

Organisations can either write down these rules in the form of policies, procedures or any other type of document or in the form of established technologies that are not documented. You can get more information about this by reading the article What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 certification process

The length of time it takes for you to become ISO 27001 certified depends on how diligently you introspect your information security risks. The journey to certification involves several key steps including:

  1. Developing a project plan: It is necessary to treat the ISO 27001 certificate as an initiative that requires assiduous managerial support.
  2. Performing a risk assessment: The goal of the risk assessment is to identify the scope of the report including the assets, threats and overall risks within the organisation, in addition to building a hypothesis whether the ISMS will pass or fail. Additionally, the secondary aim of conducting a risk assessment is to build a preliminary roadmap that will represent how the security controls will deal with the significant risks.
  3. Designing and implementing controls: Based upon the roadmap of your security threats, design and implement controls utilising Annex A as a guide.
  4. Document everything: During a certification audit, you will need to provide the external auditor with evidence of how you are meeting the requirements of ISO 27001. This includes how you identified your security processes, how you selected your controls, how you performed the risk assessment and how you implemented these safeguards. Documenting everything that you are doing helps to conduct an informed assessment and increases the speed of the certification process.
  5. Monitoring and remediating: If any deviations are hidden in your processes, monitoring the documented procedures helps to reveal them. Additionally, if you do not regularly evaluate your processes, you may never uncover the non-conformances or deficiencies, thereby leading to a failure of your external audit. Monitoring gives you the power to fix issues before it’s too late. There is a popular saying that evaluation is similar to the “last dress rehearsal,” where you can tweak anything that does not satisfy you and focus on your strengths. Utilising this time to finalise your documentation helps to assure that your certification process goes smoothly.

 

ISO 27001 consultant

ISO 27001 consultants help to develop, define and review your information security policies, procedures, guidelines and forms as per the best practices. They also assist business owners in security metrics and maturity, providing track dashboard and report as defined by parameters. They also help provide support post implementation through continuous reviews of your ISMS, so that compliance can be ensured. Risk assessment of activities and coordination with stakeholders is also within their bracket of duties until closure, sign off or risk assessment.

What is the cost of ISO 27001 certification

Although, we understand that it is helpful to have specific numbers in mind when you are estimating your own ISO 27001 compliance costs. However, the answer is a little complicated and depends upon the complexity of your processes. However, on an average, organisations can expect to pay up to 40,000 USD during the audit preparation process and approximately 15,000 USD for the certification audit itself. The maintenance and surveillance audits come up to approximately 10,000 USD per year.

Conclusion

The ISO 27001 certification process begins with developing a project plan, performing risk assessment, implementing controls, documenting, monitoring and re-mediating your ISMS. An ISO 27001 consultant helps you in the process by developing, defining, and reviewing your information security policies. The average cost of the certification audit is approximately 15,000 USD, however, the actual price depends upon the complexity of your processes.