ISO/IEC 27001

The International Standardization Organization was established in 1947. Since then, it has helped many businesses, governments, customers, and even developing countries to establish and maintain effective and secure business systems. In 1993, the ISO/IEC 27001 started to focus on information security by forming a working group charged with discovering effective and efficient ways of protecting digital systems and information. What eventually matured into ISO/IEC 27001:2005 has its roots in this early working group.

However, as the years passed, various elements have been added to the ISO/IEC 27001 portfolio, such as:

1. ISO 27005:2008 – Guide for Risk Management 
2. ISO 27006:2007 – International Accreditation Requirements
3. ISO 27007 – Guidelines for Information Security Management Systems Auditing
4. ISO 27011:2008 – Information Security Management Guidelines for Telecommunications

Each of these iterations, as their names indicate, includes guidelines that target specific objectives or business sectors, such as telecommunications. The most recent iteration of ISO standards is ISO/IEC 27001:2013, which was also amended in 2017.

By offering certified companies a set of internationally acclaimed standards adapted to match the distinctive structure and function of each organization, ISO 27001 enables enterprises to better secure their information and systems. These guidelines establish effective risk management techniques and guidelines for assigning data protection duties across the organization. They also establish specific security objectives so that the company can continuously monitor and improve its data protection over time.

Additionally, ISO 270001 incorporates regular risk analysis assessments to make sure that any changes made to the organization's systems will continue to support its information security. In this way, ISO/IEC 27001 serves as a “true north,” something companies can continually refer to as they try to keep their information as safe as possible.

A company that wants to align its data security with ISO/IEC 27001, can develop a straightforward ISO 27001 compliance checklist built on specific audit controls. These controls segment the overall job of securing the organization into 14 different domains. By breaking down the general security of its assets into the following 14 domains, an organization can attack each element, one by one, making sure they do not overlook any critical systems or data. The 14 domains include:

1. Information security policies          
2. Organization of information security
3. Human resource security   
4. Asset management
5. Access control         
6. Cryptography
7. Physical and environmental security       
8. Operations security
9. System acquisition development and maintenance
10. Supplier relationships         
11. Information security incident management
12.  Information security aspects of business continuity management      
13. Compliance

To make it easier for you to achieve ISO 27001 compliance, here is a brief checklist:

Recognize the different controls and decide which ones you need to put in place to create an effective ISMS and achieve ISO 27001 compliance. To identify insufficient controls, make sure everyone first understands the organization’s unique business environment. Then dive in to figuring out the company’s risk landscape and perform a gap analysis, which identifies security holes and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

To determine the risks that your organization faces, their possible effects, and their likelihood, it is essential to conduct an organized ISO 27001 risk assessment. This helps define your acceptable risk thresholds, develop attack-based scenarios, and understand the methods and objectives of hackers. Before performing your risk assessment, be sure your process includes all enterprise stakeholders and can be done consistently every year.

To deploy an ISMS and achieve ISO 27001 compliance, you need the support of senior management. Top management should be ready to provide the project's funding and resources. They should also be personally involved in frequently assessing the ISMS to ensure it continues to adhere to ISO 27001 criteria.

An ISP, which does the same thing as an ISMS, outlines the fundamental standards for information security. It should describe all information security guidelines and practices, identify the advantages of your security strategy, and specify who will be responsible for putting the policy into effect.

To determine which ISO 27001 controls apply, you need a statement of applicability. Your risk assessment should determine which controls to employ. Your SoA should detail your implementation strategy and include a list of all applicable security controls. For example, you would want to outline the kinds of encryption your human resources department will use when transmitting sensitive employee information to a third party.

You should design a procedure for risk management after completing your risk assessment. The goal is to use the ISO/IEC 27001 Annex A controls to reduce unacceptable risks, such as those that could expose sensitive data to attackers that try to hack data storage devices. Your implementation plan also specifies who will implement the controls, when they will be implemented, and how.