It’s possible for a startup to remain in business for years without seriously considering ISO 27001. An enterprise customer who is a good fit is contacted via email “Please provide ISO 27001 as part of our vendor review.”
The issue of certification is no longer a subject that is going to be discussed in the coming year. It’s due to a contract the company is trying to end.
ISO 27001 can be a great starting point, especially for businesses that are growing. It’s difficult to figure out what must be done in order to turn a simple project into an invasive compliance programme that is geared towards enterprises.
Week One should be all about Scope, not Shopping
It’s commonplace to assess compliance platforms as well as consultants. The best place to start is by defining the requirements that an ISMS or Information Security Management System needs to incorporate.
The scope of the document is important because trying to include ineffective systems, locations or procedures can result in more documentation and require additional evidence.
A small SaaS company might have an environment that is mostly focused on cloud infrastructure, employee devices and the information of customers. It could also be dominated by a few key suppliers. Understanding this environment will help establish the specific issues that the certification process will need to focus on.
Take Inventory of Security You Already Have
Certain companies that are researching ISO 27001 as a startup assume that they must build a new security operation.
However, this may not be the case.
Modern startups might already be using cloud providers, require multi-factor authentication as well as restrict employee access. They may also keep the system logs and backups. The existing practices need to be compared against ISO 27001 requirements. However, starting with the things that work will help avoid unnecessary duplicates.
The remaining tasks include establishing guidelines, conducting the risk assessment, determining the applicable Annex A controls, completing the Statement of Applicability and obtaining proof.
You can now identify which invoices pay for what
The ISO 27001 cost becomes much easier to understand when expenses aren’t lumped into a single number.
A small company could be between $10,000 to $30,000 once the independent certification audit, compliance software, as well as internal staff time are taken into account. Consulting is a different expense, but it is optional rather than an automatic obligation.
The ISO 27001 certification cost charged by an accredited certification agency is particularly important to differentiate from software-related fees. A compliance platform is a great tool to in the organization of work, however it’s not able to issue the certificate. Certification is awarded through an audit conducted by an independent company.
Then comes the accusations
An employee policy that states that employees’ access rights to company resources is revoked after the employee’s departure is not enough. Auditors require proof that the procedure is effective.
This distinction between saying and demonstrating is the defining factor of ISO 27001.
CertAssist facilitates this process without having to directly connect to live systems. It displays all 93 ISO 27001-2022 Annex A control templates on a single board. A customizable policy and an templates for evidence are also available.
For small teams, templates can also eliminate the inefficient process of writing every policy on a blank sheet.
Certification Day Isn’t the Finish Line
A company that is starting from scratch may require between three and six month getting prepared for certification. It all depends on the security procedures they have in place, as well as available resources. The body that certifies will then complete the Stage 1 and Stage 2 auditories.
After passing the audits, it isn’t enough to forget about your ISMS. The ISMS should continue to monitor controls and provide evidence. Following the certification, surveillance audits are conducted.
This is an important aspect to be considered when creating the program. Small businesses don’t only need to have an ISMS they can afford. It requires one that its team is able to operate once the initial project has ended.
Rarely is the ISO 27001 programme for smaller companies the most effective. It’s one that complies with the ISO 27001 requirements, is based on real security practices, withstands independent scrutiny and is manageable after everyone is back to their regular jobs.
