ISO/IEC 27001 Certification: Information Security Management System

• Obtain the standard:

Get a licensed copy of the relevant standard and familiarise yourself with the requirements to decide whether certification or registration to this standard is appropriate for your organisation.

• Review available literature and apply digital tools

Explore available literature, guidance from the standard owners (e.g. ISO/TS 9002 for ISO 9001, ISO 14004 for ISO 14001) and digital sources and tools that can support implementation. As a DNV customer, you also get access to tailored tools that can help you.

• Assemble a team and define strategy:

Implementing a management system should be a strategic decision for the entire organisation. Senior management must be engaged in the decision, committed to it, and involved in shaping the system. They decide the business strategy the management system should support. In addition, you need a dedicated team to develop and implement your management system.

• Determine competence needs:

First, your team responsible for implementing and maintaining the management system needs a thorough understanding of the chosen standards. Later, the wider organisation needs awareness training. DNV offers a variety of public and in-house courses worldwide that meet competence development needs at all levels of your organisation.

• Review consultant options:

Independent consultants can advise on a workable, realistic and cost-effective implementation strategy if you do not already have this competence or capacity in-house.

• Develop management system documentation: 

Decide on an appropriate platform for your documented information (e.g. software, process map- or SharePoint-based). The right platform is important to ensure effective management, communication and implementation.

• Determine, manage and document processes:

First, identify key processes – what they are, how they work and how they interact. Each process should have a clear purpose, defined responsibilities and expected outputs. The level of documented information needed depends on the organisation’s size, complexity and the importance of each process, but it must include the relevant processes and other documented information needed to deliver intended outcomes and comply with the chosen standard’s requirements.

• Implement management system:

Clear communication and appropriate competence training are essential. During the implementation phase, you will work to ensure that your organisation operates in line with defined and documented processes. Once this is achieved, you can demonstrate the system’s compliance and effectiveness.

• Select a certification body/registrar:

Selecting the right certification body or registrar can make a difference throughout your certification journey. DNV offers a trusted partnership approach, a risk-based approach and a range of free digital tools to help you manage your certification journey before, during and after the audit.

• Consider a pre-audit gap analysis:

Consider a preliminary evaluation by your certification body or registrar to identify and correct non-conformities before starting the official certification process. The purpose is to identify areas of non-conformance or weakness, allowing you to address them before the official certification process begins.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally recognised standard for information security management systems (ISMS) relevant for any organisation with assets that need protection. It provides a structured framework for establishing implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving an organisation’s information security management system. The ISO/IEC 27001 standard provides a holistic, risk-based approach to managing threats across people, processes and technology. It helps a company understand its risks and ensure that security is consistent, documented and auditable. ISO/IEC 27001 is applicable for organisations of any size, sector and location.

The cost of ISO 27001 certification depends on the organisation’s size, complexity and the extent of required external support, especially to develop and implement the management system.

Development and implementation costs can include gap assessments, training and a consultant, if one is hired. Companies should also cost of internal resources spent on developing processes and systems and implementing the management system.

Then comes the cost of accredited third-party certification by someone like DNV, which starts with the initial certification audit and continues with the mandatory annual audits. The total cost will depend upon the scope of the certification, number of sites, employee count, etc.

To achieve ISO/IEC 27001 certification, an organisation must first develop and implement an information security management system (ISMS) that meets the requirement of the standard and then undergo an independent third-party audit for verification of conformity.

The amount of time it takes to achieve initial certification depends on the size and complexity of the organisation, as well as how mature their information security practices are and how much external support is required. For organisations with one location and small systems, it can take as little as 3 months to achieve certification. For larger or more complex organisations, such as those with multiple locations, complex IT environments, regulated industries or extensive evidence collection and alignment work, it can take up to 18 months.

To achieve ISO/IEC 27001 certification, an organisation must implement a compliant information security management system (ISMS). Before the certification audit by an independent third-party like DNV, it is recommended that the organisation has completed internal audits and the necessary management reviews to confirm that the ISMS is operating effectively and identified remaining gaps are closed.