What is involved in managing my ISO 27001 certification?
Managing your ISO 27001 certification can be a significant overhead and it needs resources that are skilled and experienced in information security management and compliance.
Cyber21 has an ISO 27001 management service that this designed to manage and maintain your Information Security Management System (ISMS) to the level required to match the requirements of the standard.
Maintaining ISO 27001 certification requires ongoing effort, including regular audits, security updates, employee training, and continuous risk management. The overhead varies based on company size, complexity, and existing security practices.
🔹 Key Areas of Overhead in ISO 27001 Management
1️⃣ Internal & External Audits 📋
🔹 Annual internal audits – Ensures ongoing compliance (time & resource-intensive).
🔹 Surveillance audits – External auditors assess compliance (yearly, post-certification).
🔹 Recertification audits – Every 3 years, full external reassessment is required.
🔹 Time commitment: 1–2 months per audit cycle.
2️⃣ Risk Management & Security Controls 🔐
🔹 Continuous risk assessment & treatment for new threats.
🔹 Monitoring & testing of security controls (e.g., access controls, encryption).
🔹 Incident management – Responding to security incidents & breaches.
🔹 Time commitment: Ongoing, but quarterly risk reviews are recommended.
3️⃣ Policy & Documentation Maintenance 📑
🔹 Updating the ISMS documentation (policies, procedures, asset registers).
🔹 Keeping logs of security events, access controls, and change management.
🔹 Ensuring compliance with new regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
🔹 Time commitment: Monthly updates & reviews.
4️⃣ Employee Awareness & Training 🎓
🔹 Conducting mandatory security awareness training for all employees.
🔹 Role-specific training for IT/security teams on advanced security measures.
🔹 Phishing simulations & incident response drills to improve resilience.
🔹 Time commitment: Quarterly or annual training sessions.
5️⃣ Continuous Improvement & Technology Updates 🛠️
🔹 Implementing security patches & software updates to prevent vulnerabilities.
🔹 Conducting penetration testing & vulnerability scans.
🔹 Adjusting security policies based on lessons learned from incidents.
🔹 Time commitment: Ongoing, with major updates yearly.
🔹 Estimated Costs & Resource Requirements 💰
🔹 Small Business (1–50 employees): £10K–£20K/year
🔹 Medium Business (50–250 employees): £20K–£30K/year
🔹 Large Enterprise (250+ employees): £30K+/year
Costs include:
✅ Consultants (if needed)
✅ Certification body audits
✅ Security tools & technology
✅ Training & employee time
Note - the above cost estimates are based upon outsourcing the management and maintenance to Cyber21. If you needed to hire internal resources for this, the costs above would be significantly higher.