What is ISO 27001?
In today’s society everything is intrinsically connected whether you like it or not, and with that comes some inherent threats to your organisation’s information assets. Information assets are considered valuable and important to many organisations. The importance and value of such assets should be reflected in the way that these are secured. Not all organisations know how or where to start when it comes to protecting information assets and this is where the ISO/ICE 27001:2013 standard can help. The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is an internationally recognised standard governed by the International Organization for Standardization. The standard was set up in order to help organisations keep information assets secure. The standard was initially conceived 1995 as BS 7799 and later evolved into ISO 27001:2005. The latest version of the standard was released in September 2013. The standard offers a set of controls that provide best practices in securing information assets by enabling organisations to set up an Information Security Management System (ISMS). As most organisations utilise Information Technology they are inherently open to threats from internal and external parties. Threats can come in the form of malicious malware attacks, hacking activities, theft of information and misuse of data by employees. Implementation of an ISMS can help to mitigate many of these threats by putting in place the necessary controls. There are a number of benefits to implementing and gaining ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification:- Clearly demonstrates an organisations commitment in managing information security;
- Minimises risks to the company by ensuring the necessary controls are in place to reduce the risk of security threats and prevent potential weaknesses being exploited;
- Improves benchmarking, enabling companies to more readily implement best practices and reach set goals and objectives;
- Independently demonstrates that applicable laws and various regulations regarding data protection, privacy and IT governance are observed;
- In a market, which is proving to be more and more competitive, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 provides a competitive edge by meeting contractual requirements and demonstrating to your clients that the security of their information is paramount.
FAQs
To get ISO 27001 certified, an organization must establish, implement, and maintain an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This involves setting up a thorough understanding of the company’s security risks, a management commitment to the policy, control objectives, risk management process, and regular reviews of the system’s effectiveness.
ISO 27001 controls refer to the best practice security measures that an organization should implement under the standard’s guidelines. The objective of these controls is to identify risk and put in place robust procedures and policies to keep information secure. The standard offers a set of specified controls organized into specific categories such as organizational, physical and technical security.
The pre-requisites for ISO 27001 certification include understanding the organization’s security requirements, implementing security protocols, risk assessments, and management processes, creating policies and control measures, training employees on these policies, and continually monitoring, reviewing, and improving the ISMS.
Yes, ISO 27001 is worth it as it demonstrates an organization’s commitment towards managing and securing information. It helps in minimizing risks, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and providing a competitive edge in the market. Certification assures customers and stakeholders that your ISMS has been independently audited and meets an international standard.
