The Benefits of Implementing ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is the International Standard for Information Security Management, providing organisations of all sizes and in any sector with a framework and approach for protecting information. It is one of the most widely adopted ISO standards, as well as one of the fastest growing.  

ISO 27001 is a risk-based business standard, rather than an IT standard, and is based on the principle of continuous improvement. Comprised of 2 parts, ISO 27001 provides a complete framework for approaching information security. 

Reasons to implement ISO 27001 

ISO 27001 enables you to identify all types of information your company holds, including digital, hard copy, personal, financial, etc., and takes a holistic approach to assessing threats to the security of this information. This can include cyber threats, lack of staff vigilance or awareness, and ineffective procedures and policies. Implementation of ISO 27001 is also one of the most cost-effective means through which your organisation can protect its information. The risk assessment, mandatory for conformance to the Standard, allows you to make informed decisions about which measures and controls you need to implement and avoid those that aren’t necessary for your organisation.  

As well as embedding good practices and helping to enhance your organisation’s culture internally, ISO 27001 certification demonstrates a commitment to maintaining information security to clients and stakeholders, providing reassurance that you will handle their data securely.  

Conformance to ISO 27001 requires you to develop and implement an information security management system (ISMS) which will allow you to constantly adapt to the ever-evolving threat and business landscape. As the Standard emphasises continual improvement, monitoring, auditing and correcting, the controls you implement will be regularly updated and will therefore always work effectively. Not only does conformance to the Standard assist with reducing the risk of security breaches, but also helps you manage and quickly recover from incidents.    

Why should you partner with URM in your journey to ISO 27001 conformance?  

Experience and expertise – Having assisted over 350 organisations to achieve certification to the Standard without a single failed certification project, URM has the experience necessary to help you get as much as possible from implementing ISO 27001.  Our senior consultants have extensive experience both working at a senior level within a business as subject matter experts and as consultants, advising organisations on the best approach to take in their development and implementation of an ISMS. 

Risk specialists – Effective and robust risk management is essential for any organisation looking to conform to ISO 27001, assisting considerably in the selection and prioritisation of appropriate information security controls. URM’s consultancy services, purpose-built risk assessment tool (Abriska) and training courses can help you to develop your risk management capabilities. Our training courses are aligned with the BCS Practitioner’s Certificate in Information Risk Management (PCIRM) curriculum, providing you with the opportunity to gain an industry-recognised qualification and demonstrate your risk management competence. 

Knowledge transfer approach – Our consultancy approach hinges upon the goal of helping your organisation to become completely self sufficient by developing your in-house competencies. With extensive experience delivering training courses, our consultants have strong knowledge transfer skills which will allow you to increase your understanding of what they do, how they do it and why.  

Assurances – We offer a 100% certification guarantee to any organisation that leverages our consultancy services, and the ISMS we develop will be implemented with the assurance that it is tailored, appropriate, and sustainable for your organisation. If any major nonconformity is identified which can be attributed to URM’s work, this will be rectified free of charge.  

Flexible and tailored approach – Having worked with hundreds of organisations over nearly 20 years we understand that every organisation is different and has unique requirements. As such, we will always make sure to tailor our approach your specific needs, whether that be a full ISO 27001 lifecycle consultancy in which we take the lead, or a light touch approach including mentoring or output reviews.  

If the latter is more appropriate for your organisation, URM can help with specific activities such as developing policies and procedures, conducting risk assessments and audits, and delivering awareness sessions. We are able to tailor our services to a range of factors, including internal resource availability, budgets and timescales.  

Business-led Approach – When helping your organisation to implement ISO 27001, we will always do so with the goal of achieving a balance between meeting the mandatory management system requirements and ensuring that the ISMS is well suited to your organisation’s size, culture and objectives. We provide consultancy with the aim of adding value to your business and always make recommendations which are appropriate and pragmatic.