5 Benefits Of Implementing ISO 27001

Are you a small business or a startup? Want to know how upping your information security game and achieving ISO 27001 certification could benefit your organisation? Read on to find out how a certificate could change your life.

I’m Stuart Barker: Founder of High Table (the fastest growing ISO 27001 company, globally), ISO 27001 Ninja, and author of that famous, ISO27001 toolkit written for small businesses like yours. But we’ll talk about that later…

At High Table, we’re the ISO people who want to help people like you. We inject personality, 20 years’ experience and expert ISO knowledge into a dull industry. (It’s boring stuff, we get it!) We want to help you install an ISMS (Information Security Management System) minus the stress. It’s our job to make the ISO 27001 certification process easy and accessible for small companies, so you can focus your efforts on winning new contracts.

Ready? Let’s get information security savvy. 

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is the leading international standard for information security. In simple terms, it’s a set of guidelines and best practices required to create and maintain an effective ISMS.

An ISMS is a framework of policies, procedures and controls designed to monitor and protect your organisation’s sensitive information via effective risk management. Like a security guard for your information, or a data-Iron Man. (Avengers fans, we see you.)

What does ISO 27001 do?

By implementing an ISMS, you can better protect your information and assets from cyber threats, data breaches, and other security risks.

ISO 27001 essentially protects information from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It goes beyond just digital or electronic information and includes physical records, intellectual property, financial information, plus any form of sensitive or valuable information – ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

What is ISO 27001 Certification?

ISO 27001 certification is an independent verification that confirms that your organisation’s management system meets the standard. 

An accredited body conducts an audit of your business’ ISMS. Here, they ensure whether the correct risk assessments, policies and controls are being implemented and continually developed. If all requirements are met and are in compliance with the international standard, your certificate is issued and a world of opportunity is unlocked.

The benefits of ISO 27001 certification for your business

There are many advantages of certification, including:

1. It demonstrates your commitment to information security
2. It helps you win more contracts and protect your reputation
3. It helps you avoid expensive fines for security breaches
4. It shows regulatory bodies that your business is in compliance with the standard
5. It decreases the need for constant audits

Let’s explore these 5 key benefits in more detail.

Certify to ISO 27001 to demonstrate your commitment to information security

Certification shows your existing and potential clients, partners and stakeholders that your company: 

• Complies with the standard
• Is serious about improving their information security posture
• Follows international best practices to keep their company information safe
• Employs a management system that meets global best practices
• Can them time and effort authenticating the supplier’s security procedure
• Can save them on costs due to improved security measures and risk management
• Is committed to creating a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing risk assessment

In a nutshell, organisations require assurance that you’re a safe bet and give a damn about their information security.

ISO 27001 accreditation will help you win new business and protect your reputation

You want to be known for being the best in your industry, right? 

ISO 27001 is great for your clients

Getting your certificate demonstrates that you have procedures and security measures in place to protect your clients’ information assets in the case of a security incident. This will give you a competitive advantage as potential customers are more likely to choose a provider who is certified over one that isn’t. It’s as simple as that.

In a world where data breaches and cyber security threats are rife, most organisations now expect their suppliers to be certified as standard.

ISO 27001 is great for your company

Every business owner wants to succeed, don’t they? But without an ISO 27001 framework in place, you are potentially missing out on new business.

Sound familiar?

• That huge tender you wish you could win (but you need to be ISO 27001 certified to bid)
• That organisation you’re desperate to gain as a customer (but they won’t touch a business who hasn’t been through the accreditation process)

Gone are the days where only the big organisations can access the accreditation process. Thanks to companies like High Table, getting accredited is faster and more affordable than ever. So, what’s stopping you?

ISO 27001 will help you avoid costly fines: breaches are expensive!

Robust information security practices are a must in today’s world. According to the latest IBM Cost of Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach hit $4.3 million in 2022, up a staggering 12.7% since 2020. But get this, of those breached organisations, 83% of them had been attacked before. Astonishing, isn’t it? With these rising costs in mind, the ISO 27001 framework is vital step towards keeping yours and your customers’ sensitive information secure.

ISO 27001 shows accreditation bodies that you’re on top of your regulatory compliance 

ISO 27001 aligns with legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements related to information security. By implementing the standard, you can ensure that your organisation satisfies GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) and data protection requirements, industry-specific requirements, and contractual obligations. 

As soon as you get your business certified, regulatory bodies can see that you’re bossing compliance.

ISO 27001 will reduce the need for frequent audits

Being certified reduces the requirement for audits because it provides independent authentication, simplifies due diligence, aligns with regulatory compliance, and demonstrates proactive risk management. 

Accreditation is credible evidence of a well-established information security management system, which reduces the demand for additional audits or assessments.

Reap the benefits of ISO 27001 

Now we’ve addressed 5 key benefits of getting your small business ISO 27001 certified, here’s the process you must follow to get that certificate in your hand:

Follow these steps to ISO 27001 accreditation success:

1. Identify the information assets that need protection and the processes that need to be included in the ISMS (Information Security Management System) 
2. Identify the risks to the information assets and evaluate their impact. This helps to prioritise which risks to address first and what controls to implement.
3. Once the controls have been identified, the organisation needs to implement them.
4. Conduct internal audits to make sure that the ISMS is operating properly and meets the ISO 27001 standard.
5. Conduct a management review of the ISMS to make sure it’s meeting the organisation’s goals and objectives.
6. Book an external accreditation body to perform an audit to determine whether the ISMS meets the ISO 27001 standard. If it does, certificate granted. Mission accomplished.

Are you still with us? Does it all just feel a little too complicated? There is an easier, faster, less complex route to getting that certificate…

Certify to ISO quickly and affordably with High Table

Want to get serious about protecting customer information?

Fast-track your way to guaranteed accreditation and generate new business with the most value-for-money ISO 27001 Toolkit on the planet.

You’re about to discover the best kept information security secret on the planet. You’ll find it here in the ISO 27001 Toolkit.

A helping hand with your ISO certification

If robust security and getting accredited are top of your list but you feel like you could use some extra guidance from the ISO guy himself, this one’s for you.