The ISO 27001 consultants providing your service are well aware of the standards inside and out and can quickly help your company reach compliance. This saves both time and resources. They also have tools that simplify documentation, audit reporting, and evidence-gathering processes.
ISO 27001 consultants offer thorough risk analyses of your information security processes. They can assist in creating an information security management system and implementing procedures to mitigate risks and secure systems.
Cost
The costs associated with ISO 27001 certification can be prohibitively expensive when considering how long the audit process will take to complete. Major expenses related to ISO certification include consultant fees, implementation, and ongoing maintenance services, as well as the purchase of new software and hardware required to meet compliance standards. Thankfully, there are ways of minimising these expenses; see How Can Your Organisation Achieve and Maintain Certification.
An experienced ISO 27001 consulting firm can help your company understand best practices and how they apply to your business, saving both time and money by helping to prevent costly errors and ensuring your organisation is prepared for an external audit. In addition, consultants provide guidance on making existing systems compliant and thus reducing overall compliance costs.
The first step of the certification process is conducting a gap analysis. This usually takes five to seven days of consulting time, depending on the size and complexity of your organisation, as it identifies any weaknesses that need correcting in preparation for an audit. Unfortunately, many consultants will quote their price without carrying out this step fully, potentially leading to unexpected surprises later on.
Your company must conduct internal and surveillance audits every two or three years after its initial audit, at an approximate cost of £7,500 each time. In addition, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests must also be regularly conducted.
Though ISO 27001 certification can be expensive, it’s well worth investing in in order to secure new business and enhance your brand. Many large companies require their vendors to comply with specific regulatory frameworks; ISO certification can speed up approval processes for contracts and shorten sales cycles, while also showing customers that your company takes data security seriously and will safeguard their information. With cybersecurity threats increasing day by day, it is increasingly crucial that businesses follow all relevant regulations.
Experience
No matter if it is a one-off project or ongoing support and consultation, it is crucial that you find someone with the appropriate experience when looking for an ISO 27001 consultant. Hiring one with the necessary skills and expertise will save both time and money during certification processes; in addition, having someone familiar with your company culture will allow the consultant to tailor implementation accordingly.
Acquiring ISO 27001 certification can be an arduous journey that takes both time and energy. Working with an experienced consultant to implement an ISMS more quickly and reach compliance is often beneficial; they have access to resources that make this part of the audit and certification process less cumbersome for businesses.
A qualified consultant can conduct an ISMS gap analysis and risk evaluation in order to identify weaknesses that need correcting in order to comply with the standard. They’ll also assist you with creating policies, procedures, and documentation required for certification—setting your organisation up for an external audit conducted by a certified ISO body.
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised information security management system that helps identify and assess risks to sensitive data as well as requirements for controls to protect it. Once certified, an organisation must conduct regular internal audits and updates to keep their certification current. An expert ISO 27001 consultant can assist in creating an ISMS compliant with this standard and can offer ongoing advice and support.
Costs associated with hiring an ISO 27001 consultant will depend on your scope of work and size of organisation, typically starting around £20,000 Implementation typically runs about this much, while more extensive implementation costs could increase depending on factors like multiple locations or complex business processes. Initial gap analysis and risk assessments typically cost approximately £7,500, while consulting firms also charge fees for conducting surveillance and recertification audits.
Once ISO 27001 certification is accomplished, using automation software to manage your ISMS, draft security policies, and conduct audits is much quicker and simpler. Secureframe’s compliance automation platform comes equipped with these features as well as being supported by an expert ISO 27001 team. Request a demo now to experience how our software can speed up your ISO certification journey!
Reputation
Reputation is of utmost importance for specialist ISO 27001 consultants, as a poor rep can damage trust among clients and make new customer acquisition difficult. To establish an excellent one, consultants must work ethically and deliver on promises, prioritising client needs above any specific technology or solution they might recommend, for instance.
Certification under ISO 27001 can be an empowering step in information security for any business, helping to enhance reputation, bring in new business, and increase resilience. But the process can seem complex and time-consuming; hiring an ISO 27001 consultant can expedite the implementation of an ISMS and certification.
They can assist in your preparations for an ISO 27001 certification audit by helping prepare a statement of applicability, assisting with controls mapping vis-à-vis identified risks, and justifying including and excluding certain controls. They may also develop and execute risk treatment plans and incident response plans to effectively address data breaches or cybersecurity attacks.
ISO 27001 stipulates that organisations establish policies and procedures, as well as implement controls that mitigate potential threats to their ISMS, to comply with ISO 27001 standards. This may prove challenging for smaller businesses; an experienced ISO 27001 consultant can be invaluable when it comes to creating these documents and identifying which threats must be protected against.
Training employees on your ISMS implementation and use is also invaluable; this ensures they know how to protect the information that they access. They can provide guidance on monitoring cloud storage services as well as deploy tools that scan for vulnerabilities; creating a security culture that supports compliance with ISMS is also key.
Flexibility
An effective ISO 27001 consultant should take a flexible approach when providing services for you, adapting their work according to the culture and methods of management within your organisation, and effectively identifying, assessing, and mitigating threats against confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical assets that they encounter.
Additionally, ISO 27001 consultants can assist in creating an effective ISMS that will open access to supplier supply chains while showing that data security is taken seriously and providing customer confidence that robust controls are in place. A qualified ISO 27001 consultant will be able to analyse internal processes and identify threats relevant to them before suggesting steps such as policies and procedures that can help safeguard them.
They will also conduct an internal audit of your ISMS to assist in understanding any gaps or non-conformities that need addressing; this can speed up compliance with ISO 27001, saving both time and money in the process.
ISO 27001 standards require organisations to create policies, implement controls, and document their Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Our consultant can assist in creating customised documents that suit your unique business requirements; for instance, cyber incident response management policies, vendor due diligence checks, or business continuity programmes are just a few areas we cover in these documents.
ISO 27001 consultants also assist with the risk assessment process, which is required as part of certification. They assess all of the threats your information assets face and assign risk ratings accordingly before devising risk treatment plans designed to mitigate those threats. Finally, they’ll assist in implementing them and communicating them to staff members.
Be mindful that not all ISO 27001 consulting firms are equal; some may charge you more. But if your goal is certification, paying more may well be worth it.