It’s possible for a new company to remain in business for years without seriously considering ISO 27001. Then an email arrives from an enterprise client who is promising: “Please provide your ISO 27001 certificate as a part of our security review for vendors.”
The certification process isn’t something to think about next year. The company needs to conclude the specific contract.
ISO 27001 can be a ideal starting point for companies that are growing. The trick is to understand what’s needed without turning a manageable compliance program into a massive security project.
The first week of the week should be focused on Scope, not Shopping
It’s natural to look at compliance platforms and consultants. It is more beneficial to know what ISMS (Information Security Management System) must protect.
The scope of the project is essential, as adding unnecessary processes, systems, or locations to the documentation may cause additional evidence or the need for documentation.
Small SaaS companies, for instance could have an environment which is centered around cloud infrastructures employees’ devices, client information, and just few key vendors. Knowing the context will aid in determining what certification is required.
Review the Security You Already Have
Companies researching ISO 27001 for startups sometimes assume they need to build an entirely new security program.
It might not be the instance.
Modern startups could already utilize cloud providers, and may require multi-factor authentication and restrict access to employees. They might also maintain systems logs and handle backups. It’s important to test current practices against ISO 27001, but if you start with the practices that work now, it will help avoid unnecessary duplicates.
The rest of the work involves preparing policies, conducting risk assessments, making decisions about Annex A controls applicable, completing Statements of Applicability (SOA) and collecting evidence.
What is the best way to determine which invoice pays for what?
The ISO 27001 cost becomes much easier to understand when expenses aren’t lumped into a single number.
When you consider the cost of an audit by an independent certifier, tools for compliance and staff time the first-year expense could range from $10,000 and $30,000. Consulting may be an additional expense, but it is optional rather than a mandatory necessity.
The ISO 27001 Certification Cost charged by a certification organization that is accredited is particularly important to distinguish from the software fees. While a compliance platform may help in the process of organizing work, it’s not able to issue the certificate. The process of independent auditing is the one that certifies the certification.
Then, we will look at the evidence
A policy that stipulates that the employee’s access to company resources is revoked after their departure does not suffice. The auditor needs evidence that the system is working.
ISO 27001 is concerned with the difference between stating that something, and proving it.
CertAssist helps to manage this work without needing to directly connect to the live system. It shows all 93 ISO 27001-2022 Annex A control templates on one single board. The ability to edit the policy and evidence template are also provided.
For a small team, templates could also help to eliminate the inefficient process of drafting every policy from an unfinished document.
Certification Day isn’t the Final Line
A company that is starting from the ground up may need to spend between three and six month getting ready for certification. It all depends on their security policies and procedures, as well as the resources they have available. The certification body conducts its audits at Stage 1 and Stage 2.
After passing the audits you should not just ignore your ISMS. The ISMS must continue to ensure that it has adequate controls and proof. After certification, surveillance audits are carried out.
This is an important element to take into consideration when developing the program. It’s not enough for a small-sized business to simply use an ISMS that they can afford. It should have an ISMS that the team can use after the project is over.
It is rare that the largest organization has the most effective ISO 27001 program. It’s one that is in line with the requirements of the standard, incorporates genuine security practices, survives independent scrutiny, and remains easily manageable after everyone has returned to their jobs.