What is ISO 27001 & Why You Should Get Your Business Certified

The ISO or International Organization for Standardization is a global body that is involved in collecting and managing a broad range of standards for different disciplines.

With an ever-increasing number of industries around the world getting increasingly reliant on IT Systems, the technology portions of ISO standards are assigned higher priority amongst organizations. If your business is looking to take its information security to the next level, achieving ISO 27001 compliance and certification should be made an immediate priority.

What is an ISMS? 

Implementing an Information Security Management System is one of the most important methods of securing your organization’s intellectual property, financial data, and third-party or employee information.

An ISMS is a combination of processes and policies that help you identify, manage, and protect your sensitive data against external threats. The ISMS’s main objective is to make sure that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your company’s data and information is maintained. 

What is ISO 27001?

The ISO 27001 is a globally recognized standard for information security. It allows for your business to equip itself with a risk-based approach to information security that is internationally accepted as best practice. 

One of the key ways it achieves this is through the introduction of an Information Security Management System. An ISMS assists businesses in identifying, assessing, mitigating, and managing the risks involved in managing corporate information. 

Achieving ISO 27001 certification proves to your customers and partners that your business is committed to achieving an international standard of information security. The certification helps towards improving the trust customers are comfortable putting into your business and is a huge differentiating factor amongst competitors. 

Why get ISO 27001 certified?

Here are 6 key benefits of an ISO 27001 certification:

Enables a secure exchange of information

The ISO Standard helps your organization anticipate and identify a possible threat to your information security and create a plan of action for addressing it. The standard makes sure that someone in your organization is well equipped to handle a threat if it cannot be prevented. The ISO 27001 makes sure your organization can manage and mitigate risk exposure which in turn leads to a safer exchange of information.

Increases the awareness of Information Security 

Choosing to implement the ISO 27001 in your organization increases the overall awareness of information security amongst your employees. By providing information security training to all employees regardless of their role in the company, you allow them to be held accountable for the overall information security of the organization. 

Eventually Integrating data protection into the organization’s culture simplifies the process of information security, making it common practice amongst your employees.

Increases your reputation and builds trust amongst your customers

All your clients and customers expect information to be secure by your organization regardless of its size. Trust goes a long way in building loyalty and any sort of data breach can lead to a massive loss in reputation. One step towards preventing cyber attacks like a data breach is to get your Information Security Management System ISO 27001 certified.

By getting an ISO 27001 certification, customers will recognize you as reputable and safe when it comes to information security and it shows that you care about the safety of not only your data but the customers too.

Gives you a competitive advantage and helps attract new customers thus increasing revenue 

The ISO 27001 is a huge distinguishing factor that helps demonstrate good security practices when compared to your competitors. A client or customer may choose to avail of your services or buy your product when they notice that you, out of your competitors, are the only one who has achieved ISO 27001 certification. 

Avoid the financial penalties and loss associated with data breaches

According to the 2019 Cost of Data Breach Report from Ponemon Institute and IBM Security, the global cost of data breaches in 2021 is expected to reach $6 trillion annually. As the globally recognized standard for information security, ISO 27001 enables organizations to avoid the potentially devastating financial losses caused by data breaches.

Helps meet legal regulations and client’s contractual obligations

Imagine your organization is required by a client, third party, or by law to show your organization's capability in information security. In situations like this, ISO 27001 could be an excellent choice, this standard is recognized and used by many organizations worldwide.

Is your business looking to align systems and processes to achieve the ISO 27001 certification? The team at StickmanCyber can help with ISO 27001 assessment and implementation and get you aligned with the gold standard of information security management.