Startups can go for years without considering ISO 27001. An email from an enterprise customer solicits your ISO 27001 certification as part our security inspection of the vendor.
The certification process isn’t something you should be thinking about for the next year. It’s because of a contract that the company is attempting to end.
ISO 27001 can be a good starting point, especially for growing businesses. It’s a challenge to determine what must be done without turning an easily manageable project into a strict compliance program for larger companies.
The first week of the week should be focused on Scope, not shopping
The first instincts can lead you to start comparing compliance consultants and platforms. It is preferable to identify the requirements that ISMS (Information Security Management System) will need to be able to cover.
It is essential to take into consideration the scope, since the addition of locations, systems, and processes that are not needed can create the need for additional documentation or evidence.
For instance, a small SaaS company might have an environment that is heavily concentrated on cloud infrastructure including employee devices, customer information. It could be also controlled by a few key suppliers. Knowing the context will assist in determining which certification is required.
Review the Security You Already Possess
Companies researching ISO 27001 for startups sometimes assume they need to build an entirely new security operation.
This could not be the instance.
A modern business may require multi-factor authentication, deter employees’ access, keep systems logs, maintain backups, document onboarding and offboarding procedures, and make use of well-established cloud providers. The existing practices need to be compared against ISO 27001 requirements. However beginning with the elements that work already will help avoid unnecessary duplicates.
The remaining work includes documenting policies, performing the risk assessment, determining the applicable Annex A controls, completing the Statement of Applicability, and gathering evidence.
You now know the invoices that pay what.
The ISO 27001 cost becomes much more understandable when expenses aren’t all lumped together into a single number.
When you look at the cost of an audit by an independent certifier, tools for compliance and staff time the first-year cost could be anything from $10,000 to $30,000. Consulting can add another expense but it’s not mandatory instead of an automatic necessity.
It is crucial to distinguish between ISO 27001 certification costs charged by a certified certification body and the fees for software. Although a compliance platform can assist in organizing the task, it’s not capable of granting an official certificate. The certification is awarded through an independent audit process.
Next, the evidence
A policy that stipulates that employees’ access to company resources is revoked after their departure isn’t enough. The auditor needs to verify that the procedure is put in place.
ISO 27001 is based on the distinction between showing and saying.
CertAssist manages this task without the need to directly connect to an actual system. It offers all 93 ISO 27001 Annex A controls on one screen. It also provides editable templates for policy and documentation, as well as a Statement of Applicability.
Templates are a great tool for small groups of people to reduce the time-consuming process of creating every policy from scratch.
Certification Day Isn’t the Finish Line
An organization that is just starting from scratch might require between three and six months to get ready for certification. It all depends on their existing security practices, and the available resources. The body that certifies will carry out the Stage 1 and Stage 2 auditories.
The ISMS is not forgotten just because you pass the audits. Controls and evidence need to be maintained and surveillance audits must be conducted following certification.
It’s important to keep this in mind when developing the program. It’s not enough for a small business to simply have an ISMS that is affordable. It must have an ISMS that its team can utilize after the project has been completed.
It’s not often that even the biggest company has the most effective ISO 27001 program. It’s the one that conforms to the standard, reflects authentic security practices, withstands independent scrutiny, and remains feasible when employees return to their regular jobs.