Definition
ISO 27001 accreditation bodies are authoritative, nationally recognised entities that audit and approve certification bodies. They are the top tier of the compliance hierarchy. They ensure that the firms issuing your certificate maintain strict standards of competence, integrity, and impartiality.
You will never hire an accreditation body directly. Instead, you hire an accredited ISO 27001 certification body that has been approved by them. If your auditor lacks this top level approval, the certificate they sell you is commercially worthless.
Table of contents
The Checkers of the Checkers
The compliance industry relies on strict oversight to prevent fraud and maintain global trust. This system operates on a rigid framework of international standards.
- The Accreditation Body: Governed by ISO 17011. They audit the audit firms.
- The Certification Body: Governed by ISO 17021-1 and ISO 27006. They audit your business.
- Your Startup: Governed by ISO 27001. You implement the security controls.
Global Recognition and the IAF
Early stage tech and AI businesses sell software globally. You cannot afford to buy a different certificate for every country you operate in. To solve this, national accreditation bodies belong to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
The IAF enforces mutual recognition. Because of this agreement, an ISO 27001 certificate backed by the UK accreditation body holds the exact same weight as one backed by the US or German equivalent. Enterprise procurement teams across the globe will accept it.
Global Accreditation Bodies Listed
When you check your final ISO 27001 certificate, you must look for the logo of a recognised national authority alongside your auditor’s logo. If it is missing, you have bought a fake certificate. Common examples include:
- UKAS: United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
- ANAB: ANSI National Accreditation Board in the United States.
- JAS-ANZ: Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand.
- DAkkS: Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle in Germany.
Accreditation rules vary by country, but most major national bodies belong to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to ensure global trust and mutual acceptance.
| Accreditation Body | Abbreviation | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom Accreditation Service | UKAS | United Kingdom |
| ANSI National Accreditation Board | ANAB | United States |
| Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand | JAS-ANZ | Australia & New Zealand |
| Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle | DAkkS | Germany |
| Standards Council of Canada | SCC | Canada |
| China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment | CNAS | China |
| Comité Français d’Accréditation | COFRAC | France |
| National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies | NABCB | India |
| Ente Italiano di Accreditamento | ACCREDIA | Italy |
| Japan Accreditation Board | JAB | Japan |
| Raad voor Accreditatie | RvA | Netherlands |
| Entidad Nacional de Acreditación | ENAC | Spain |
| Singapore Accreditation Council | SAC | Singapore |
| Korea Accreditation Board | KAB | South Korea |
| General Coordination for Accreditation | CGCRE / INMETRO | Brazil |
| South African National Accreditation System | SANAS | South Africa |
| Swiss Accreditation Service | SAS | Switzerland |
| Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación | EMA | Mexico |
| Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment | SWEDAC | Sweden |
| Turkish Accreditation Agency | TÜRKAK | Turkey |
| Akkreditierung Austria | AA | Austria |
| Instituto Português de Acreditação | IPAC | Portugal |
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