Continual Improvement is a recurring process to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of an organisation’s Information Security Management System (ISMS). In the context of ISO 27001, it’s about making ongoing, incremental changes to the ISMS to ensure it remains relevant, effective, and aligned with the organisation’s changing security needs and objectives.
Core Activities & Examples
- Performance Monitoring and Measurement: Regularly collecting and analyzing data on security incidents, audit findings, and control performance. For example, tracking the number of failed login attempts or the time it takes to patch a system.
- Audit and Review: Conducting internal and external audits to identify non-conformities and opportunities for improvement. The results of these audits are a primary driver for improvement actions.
- Corrective Actions: Implementing changes to fix problems identified in audits or incident reports. For instance, updating a policy or re-training staff after a security breach.
- Management Review: The top management of an organisation regularly reviewing the ISMS to ensure it’s still fit for purpose and to allocate resources for necessary improvements.
ISO 27001 Context
Continual improvement is the final stage of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and is a mandatory requirement under ISO 27001 Clause 10.1 Continual Improvement of the ISO 27001 standard. It ensures that the ISMS doesn’t become static and provides a framework for learning from mistakes and adapting to new threats.
