Many companies strive for excellence as a means to build and sustain customer confidence and loyalty. Your business can attain this by having an ISO certification, and the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the global standard for information security.
What is an ISO certification?
An ISO certification is proof that your corporation has all the requirements to conduct business processes that adhere to the ISO standards. These standards vary depending on the industry your company is part of.
For instance, there are quality management standards that promote efficiency while lessening product failure.
There are also energy management standards for reduced power consumption, while environmental management standards exist for eco-friendly and sustainable business practices.
What is ISO/IEC 27001:2013?
As a joint effort, the International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission published ISO/IEC 27001:2013, a set of standards for information security management.
This contains various security guidelines and requirements for protecting your corporation’s most sensitive data assets. This certification also comes with information on risk management related to cyber security, processes, and best practices for your employees.
Why should you certify?
Your business database is a valuable resource as it contains information about your organization’s financial records, intellectual property, personal data, and information on your brand’s trade secrets.
You can protect all of these by certifying for ISO/IEC 27001:2013 as it will provide you with knowledge on setting up mechanisms to safeguard sensitive data.
It also promotes the creation of a backup plan in the event of data breaches. While the certification itself does not block cyber attacks, it does help your business develop reliable security measures for your and your customers’ peace of mind.
What you need to do to certify for ISO/IEC 27001:2013
To certify for ISO/IEC 27001:2013, your business needs to meet many requirements such as:
Secure support from your stakeholders
Before you start working on your certification, you need to ensure the support of your company stakeholders. After all, they have vested interests in your business, and you want their unanimous approval on what you are planning to do.
Additionally, getting a certification means that your company will undergo changes and should follow stricter protocols. It is important that everyone complies and is willing to cooperate in implementing and upholding these changes.
Know and prepare for the cost of a certification
There are many costs associated with getting certified, depending on the size of your organization and the complexity of your information security management system.
For instance, developing and documenting your system requires financial support. Training your staff to be familiar with the new security processes, as well as conducting regular internal security audits, will also cost money. Hiring an external ISO auditor to evaluate your company’s protective measures also requires money.
Make sure that you have sufficient financial resources to cover all these costs if you plan to get an ISO certification.
Perform a risk assessment
The next thing you need to do is to make a comprehensive risk evaluation of your information security management system or ISMS and check security controls based on ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standards.
Work on determining the risks and weaknesses of your ISMS and then prioritize the ones that can pose a serious threat to your business processes.
Design a security system
Once you identify the risks present in your system, the next thing to do is design and select security controls that will minimize risk levels. It is vital to have a clear understanding of these risks so you can create a reliable security framework to keep sensitive data safe.
Implement the security measures
The next step is for you to implement your chosen protective measures and introduce these new security processes to your staff.
You should also invest time in training your employees on these procedures for added security awareness and ISO compliance. Have your team develop habits with information security in mind. By doing so, you can mitigate risks and increase the level of protection of your data assets.
Assess your system’s reliability regularly
Examine your processes and system closely to see if they comply with minimum security standards. You should also check to see how effective they are in helping your business accomplish its goals.
Find out your team’s experiences with following your updated security system — study records and logs of the system you implemented and note areas of improvement. Further, perform corrective and preventive measures as needed.
Assess your security management system regularly to ensure it is always on peak performance for your peace of mind.
Register your system
As ISO does not issue certificates to corporations, it is essential to find an accredited external ISO certifying entity instead. Once you get in touch with a certifying body, you need to submit your information security management system documents to them for review to ensure your compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standards.
They will be the ones to determine if your management system passes the minimum requirements for a certification. Part of the requirements is also committing your organization to three-year compliance with the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standards.
The importance of getting a certification
The merits of investing in a certification greatly outweigh the costs. After all, being able to protect your database from cyber attacks will surely put your mind at ease. In addition, you can reassure your clients, stakeholders, as well as suppliers that their information is safe with you.
With this, you can build their loyalty and confidence in you, leading to more positive business outcomes.
