How an ISO Certified ISMS Works to Safeguard Your Business Information

Businesses need a strong Information Security Management System (ISMS) such as ISO 27001 to keep their precious data, which belong to their customers, staff, or suppliers, safe. The ISO 27001 certificationis a widely accepted international certification provided to businesses for having a competent ISMS. It indicates that their ISMS is comprised of best practices to manage all types of information assets and prevent risks such as privacy attacks, cyber frauds, data loss, data misuses, etc.

A competent ISMS works beyond securing your organization’s information assets! It helps to:

• Safeguard the corporate reputation of your business by demonstrating to the stakeholders, including clients, that their confidential information is secure
• Continuously improve your information security measures to keep up with emerging threats and opportunities

Most organizations seek to get ISO 27001 because it makes their ISMS fully-organized and effective. An ISMS that meets all the requirements of the standard is comprehensive and covers all your asset types.  It is hence capable of addressing risks faced by each type of your organization’s assets. Establishment of a standardized ISMS also makes it easier for you to make people responsible and proactively involved in the information security procedures.

Here is how an ISMS works to protect the information of your business.

Defines Policies and Processes

The ISMS certified with ISO 27001 helps to put actionable policies and procedural controls for information security into place. You need to define the policies, measures, procedures, and tools that should be adopted to protect your information assets. Everything is defined according to your:

• Organization’s objectives
• Information and cyber security needs
• Types and volumes of data assets
• Information-based processes
• Information storage systems and distribution modes

To make your policies and practices effective, you need to ensure that authorized information security personnel have access to all types of data. The ISMS also defines the standard way for implementation of the policies and practices by the concerned members.  It ensures that security is a crucial element in every process across your organization. Besides, defining the policies and practices earlier helps you to know the exact requirements for implementing them and plan resources (time, money, employees and tools) accordingly. 

Guides Compliance with Laws

Businesses need a strict ISMS to not only protect their information but also to maintain compliance with other obligatory industrial, statutory, legal, and contractual regulations regarding information security.  The ISO 27001 standard supports the implementation of extensive security practices, half of which are meant to meet the specified industrial and regulatory requirements.  So, when your organization establishes an ISMS conforming to ISO 27001 guidelines, it gives a competitive edge to your information security efforts. Your company can earmark its ISMS and attract many new potential clients. Many businesses only seek to partner, invest, or buy from organizations that have been successful in managing their information security and ensuring confidentiality of their clients.

Ongoing Improvements in Information Security

A standardized ISMS must always be kept up to date, i.e., alert to the newly rising security threats, data systems, management practices and data regulation norms. It should be reviewed and evolved from time to time to cope with the organization’s increasing requirements regarding information security. As your organization grows, acquires new clients, and partners with new suppliers, your information security needs and objectives become more complex.  You need to ensure that the ISMS is tailored with new practices to address the emerging challenges in your information security processes.

Most organizations follow some general practices for information security to meet the basic regulations regarding data protection. It does not necessarily involve the people of the organization. It also does not lead to defining policies and technology practices that secure all forms of information (collected, used, processes, saved, and transmitted) by your organization. An ISMS which is validated with a ISO 27001 certification is not just effective for protecting your valuable data assets, but it also safeguards your corporate reputation.  The more you are capable of elevating your security intensity, the better you can impress your current as well as potential stakeholders.