ISO 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for an ISMS which allows organizations to manage the security of assets such as financial and personal data, intellectual property, employee details or information entrusted by third parties.
The main objectives of ISO 27001 certification are:
- Protect data that is important to the business
- Identify and reduce cyber threats
- Mitigate risks and ensure stable operations
- Minimize business risks and liability for the customers and the company
- Provide confidence to stakeholders and customers
Any organization, employing information systems will experience some challenges regarding information security, especially while implementing one. Having the right ISMS (Information Security Management System) in place is important to properly deal with the information that clients, business partners and suppliers share with your organization.
Many organizations face the challenges while implementing ISO 27001. Here are top 3:
1. Risk assessment
Information security risk assessment is a very critical stage in the implementation of ISO 27001, during which a register of information assets is created, risks are identified, analyzed, and evaluated. The risk assessment methodology should include:
- Company security requirements
- The scale of the risks
- Acceptable level of risks
Risks should be undertaken when it comes to protecting the CIA (confidentiality, integrity, availability) of the information.
ISO 27001 is built around a Risk Assessment Methodology and an Information Security policy. The common challenge with risk assessments is that they look very complicated.
Risk assessment doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. Simply assessing the risk to the CIA of information, by scoring the impact and multiplying by the likelihood, you can determine an overall risk score or rating. Then by confirming mitigating actions to reduce the likelihood or impact, or both, you can rescore the risk and the risk rating will lower. This process is automated with DoSec.
2. Initial documentation
The initial documentation step is also a difficult part for some companies. They need to write down all the actions that the company is going to implement to comply with the full standard. The company is faced with a mountain of documentation and theory. Setting up this kind of project is a long and tedious process, especially for the companies with little experience. DoSec helps you with document management.
3. Gap Analysis and communication
During the initial phase of planning to achieve your certification, you will need to conduct a gap analysis of evidence which may or may not be missing. This can be a complex task to handle and needs to be planned concisely. Keeping the right people involved is a key to this. For instance, if you’re conducting a gap-analysis, can’t find a policy of procedure, if you write one and then find out a week later that this has already been written and just stored elsewhere, then you’ll have wasted a great deal of time and effort.
It is key to make sure all the stakeholders are involved in the gap-analysis from the beginning and then they can advise if some evidence is already written or a process is already followed. Carrying out a gap analysis or a risk assessment on your own will cause your company more challenges and the stakeholders might not be invested in the outcome of the project. Communication is essential to the outcome of any audit. Keeping individuals informed means they can provide valuable input into the certification process. DoSec helps you with Gap analysis with its tailored flow.
ISO27001 doesn’t need to be complicated or a tedious process. With the relevant focus in the right areas and some detailed project planning, you can achieve a positive result and in your desired timeframe. DoSec helps you not only to simplify certification, but to transform your ISMS to business as usual.