minimize risk through the ISO 27001 framework
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is an Information Security Standard published by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) in partnership with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ISO 27001 is a framework that can be adopted by any organization of any shape and size or industry to protect their Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
ISO 27001 framework revolves around the triad of– Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (C.I.A). It’s an international standard and globally recognized. It’s a framework of policies and controls that help in managing risk and security across your organization. Implementing and achieving ISO 27001 certification gives many benefits to an organization, some of the prominent ones are:
Achieve Security and Legal compliance – Being the base standard for information security, this standard provides a solid framework which can be further enhanced.
Edge over other competitors – In today’s day and age, information or data is the most critical asset that needs to be protected and secured. Certification in the ISO 27001 standard demonstrates that security is taken seriously and the management has the full support of the security program.
Security Awareness – People are the weakest link in security, but they can also be a very strong supporting pillar to the security program in your organization if they undergo periodic security awareness training. Risk-aware culture should be practised in the organization.
Reduced cost of impact – Continuous improvement and robust monitoring of the ISMS program help in combating most of the incidents by proactively addressing the gaps in the security controls.
Compliance with regulations, standards and laws – Enables an organization to grow business, instil client trust and demonstrate a good security posture.
ISO 27001 standard describes 93 security controls (in the 2022 update to this standard) which are to be implemented, configured appropriately and managed adequately to reduce risks to an acceptable level. Security controls include Organizational, People, Physical, and Technological controls.
Common Challenges Faced by the Businesses
Organizations that do business traditionally and in the old-school way fail to see Information Security as a primary driver for businesses in today’s day and age. Governed by many regulations, standards and laws, organizations holding confidential information they own or that belongs to their clients are still not geared up to either build an ISMS or to have a functioning ISMS. The absence of a fully functioning and auditable ISMS can lead to many issues:
- Out-of-date inventory of assets which forms the very base of risk management – You cannot protect something that you cannot see. Going wrong in the initial step will result in a shaky foundation.
- Lack of understanding of the risk exposure – Executive C-suite and board does not have a holistic view of the risk exposure which can lead to risks being unnoticed and not being addressed. Security weaknesses can be exploited resulting in an incident or breach leading to data leak, exposure or data exfiltration. This greatly increases the chance of suffering a security incident or breach resulting in liability.
- Non-compliance with security, privacy and financial regulations – Failure to comply with the applicable regulations and laws which is crucial as part of Due Care will attack regulatory fines, negatively impact the reputation and impact client trust.
- Loss of business and Insurance Coverage – Lack of Due Care and Due Diligence in exercising security can lead to not having insurance coverage for security incidents. You cannot enforce favourable terms in the contract when you are unable to demonstrate coverage by insurance. Once an organization suffers a breach or security incident, insurance companies are either reluctant to provide coverage or increase the premium considerably.
- Lack of security awareness – With all the security products and services that are deployed in your organization, if they are not managed by security-aware professionals, the purpose of security is not fulfilled. Partially implementing security controls is the same as having no security controls.
The human element was involved in approximately three-quarters of the analysed breaches – Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
How can we Help
Defentrix relies on its extensive experience in the Design of Information Security Management System (ISMS) and provides the following offerings:
Design of ISO 27001 Security Framework
Some of the key considerations in designing the framework
Organization
- Management support and budget
- Stakeholder participation
- Applicable regulations and standards
- Information Security policies and exclusions
Process
- Governance
- Risk Management
- Incident Management
- Change Management
- Internal Audit process
Technology
- ISMS Tool
- Reporting Tool
- Awareness and Training
People
- Defined Roles and Responsibilities
- Required skills
- Team size
Documentation
- Inventory
- Standard Operating Procedures
- Guidelines
- Security awareness training content
Aligning the above considerations to the following
Business lines of the organization
Industry that the organization belongs to
Type of clients
Third parties supporting the organization
End Result
Stakeholder buy-in and management commitment
Scope of the ISMS
Alignment to applicable regulations, standards and laws
Resources required for implementation
Cost-benefit analysis of the tools
Input to the Roadmap for implementation of ISMS
Worried about your Information Security and TPRM?
Contact us today for complete consulting and implementation of Information Security
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