The constant threat to important business information and data in Australia has led to the development of the ISO 27001. This is a system that helps protect confidential/strategic business information from risks. ISO 27001 is usually used to check these risks and is awarded as a certificate by the relevant organizations.

What is ISO 27001 certification and what does it do?

ISO 27001 is a global best practice that fully describes and lays out specific conditions for applying an enterprise information security management system. Known as ISMS for short, the information security management system of an enterprise can be assessed from time to time to determine if it is in line with important requirements as directed by the standard.

In Australia, it is used as a framework to help protect a company’s customers, its data assets, and help promote business continuity in presence of any threat to information security.

What does the ISO 27001 do when implemented in a company?

ISO IEC 27001:2013 is a strategic method of preserving the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of company information. This is carried out by the application of risk management processes which are used to sufficiently manage any threat.

The end process of a corporate ISMS is to make sure that all parts of the information technology processes of a company are considered during certification audits. This is done to address both small and big risks to the security protocols protecting enterprise information systems.

How to get the ISO 27001 certification in Australia

ISO 27001 certification in Australia is instrumental to identifying companies/businesses that prioritize the security/confidentiality of their information. The certification can be obtained in the steps outlined below:

1) Performing a gap analysis

This is the evaluation of the management system of a company that is done according to every clause contained in a relevant standard. This analysis is used to reveal your compliance level as well as any loopholes in the existing management systems of companies.

At the end of the analysis, an assessment report is produced by the evaluating organization. This report usually has detailed faults in the company management systems after evaluation. These faults will need to be corrected before the ISO 27001 certification is awarded.

2) First stage assessment

This stage involves the evaluation of relevant documentation relating to the management systems of companies. Relevant documentation includes processes, policies, scope, system implementation, management review document records, and so on. This stage is a precursor to the next stage.

3) Second stage assessment

The certifying company will need to confirm whether relevant and recorded requirements from the standard have been implemented across the business. This is an E-audit whereby an assessor remotely discusses with key personnel from companies.

This leads to a full assessment of the management system of the company. Afterwards, it is then verified as a system that has fully implemented the ISO 27001 standard.

4) Certification

The moment that a business gets verified after their second stage assessment, the process is concluded and marked as complete. They are then issued a “Statement of Certification” that is used to confirm that the system agrees with relevant standards.

What happens at the post-certification stage?

In Australia, the ISO 27001 certificates have a three year validity period. This three-year count begins from the date on which the certificate was issued. After issuance, there will be regular surveillance evaluations.

Companies that have been issued the ISO 27001 certification in Australia, are expected to perform these surveillance evaluations at least once a year. This is used to maintain the certification.

Why is it important to get the ISO 27001?

The protection of enterprise information is becoming increasingly important to companies. As the world relies more on technology, we face the risk of falling prey to various threats and dangers to enterprise information. The 27001 is mandated by governments to help companies and local agencies prevent their data from getting compromised by malicious actors.

This certification is used to ensure that enterprises have robust data security protocols in place. Such a security system is used to enforce the control of information security. This means that complying organizations must meet the expectations of regulatory bodies, the customer, and their suppliers.

This level of data protection is used to create confidence for key stakeholders of your business so they can sense your commitment to removing risks surrounding your enterprise information.

The benefits of the ISO 27001 Certification in organizations

The ISO 27001 certification comes with many benefits. It is used to implement some of the most excellent practices of enterprise information security, performing risk evaluations, and satisfying ISO 27001 requirements for information security protocols.

With the ISO 27001 in place, you can safeguard one of the most treasured internal assets of a company: data assets. Many companies and organizations have key business secrets that provide competitive advantage.

If this information gets in the wrong hands, it can potentially mean an end to the existence of such a business. Companies have lots of data that they create daily. Such companies often must keep this data safe and out of the prying eyes of enthusiastic and inquisitive hackers.

The horrific reality of poor data regimes usually means that a single threat from a hacker can result in the loss of years of business. It can quickly lead to bankruptcy, as the general public, especially your customers, regard your business as being unsafe.

However, an ISO 27001 certification stops all of these from happening and ensures your company continues to function regardless of malicious threats and risks to your enterprise information security systems. Companies and businesses that implement the ISO 27001 to their information systems have nothing to be afraid of.

Implementing your ISO 27001 systems: The process

Some companies and organizations might wonder what it takes to implement their information data systems. While they will be required to follow the steps outlined above, there will still be some procedures integrated into the process. The companies will be expected to look for risks to their information security.

They will be able to do this by using different risk assessment criteria that identify key areas that need relevant measures to consolidate enterprise data protection systems.

Many ISO 27001 certification providers usually design their certification audits to verify the effectiveness of enterprise security measures to help protect their information assets. It is also used to ensure organizations meet the best practices and protocols of security controls when it comes to enterprise data.

Tailoring the ISO 27001 certification to your organization

The ISO 27001 data protection standard is one of the most recognized and reputable information security protocols globally. This information security protocol is used to ensure that all the data assets of a company are protected by some of the most rigid and robust systems. This is a security protocol that is highly applicable to businesses from all industries and of all sizes.

Any organization or business can make use of the system irrespective of its services or products. The good thing about ISO 27001 is that it is part of the international management protocol standards of ISO.

Furthermore, the information security system can be used simultaneously with different other ISO management protocol system standards. The security protocol simply works with existing information security systems and protocols to further solidify and boost the information security system of a company.