What is ISO 27001? From Overview to Certification

Hello everyone,

This is the EXO Security Support Center.

How much do you know about information security?

If you are safely protecting personal and confidential data within your company,

both users and customers can use the service with peace of mind,

but how can you prove this?

In fact, you can prove it through ISO 27001, the most recognized international information security certification system!

ISO 27001 is officially called ISO/IEC 27001,

but this time, I would like to introduce what kind of certification ISO 27001 is.

Table of Contents

1. What is ISO 27001?
2. Is ISO 27001 certification necessary?
3. ISO 27001 VS ISMS
4. What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 27001 certification?
5. How to obtain ISO 27001?
6. Summary

1. What is ISO 27001?

ISO/IEC 27001 is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

It is an international standard that defines how to build and operate an information security management system (ISMS).

Information security in companies and organizations has three core properties: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Confidentiality: Information is protected from being leaked to anyone without authorization (e.g., access control, password authentication)

Integrity: The state of being maintained and transmitted from unauthorized tampering (e.g., digital signature)

Availability: Information systems are accessed by authorized persons at the required time and provided securely (e.g., cloudification of systems)

2. Is ISO 27001 certification necessary?

ISO 27001 is not mandatory. …But, in fact, it is mandatory.

What this means is that certification is not enforced by law,

but in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic as a starting point, most of companies’ business and work environments have changed to the Internet and the cloud.

This is because information security has become essential in the “Digital Transformation Era”!

(Using or providing online services without introducing information security is like jumping onto the battlefield without wearing a bulletproof vest.)

3. ISO 27001 VS ISMS

However, ISO 27001 is not the only security certification system.

ISMS, like ISO 27001, is one of the most recognized security certification methods.

There are some differences, but the two most representative differences are as follows:

1. ISO 27001 vs ISMS

   ISO 27001 is an international security certification system.

   One certification has the advantage of obtaining a level at which the company’s security level is recognized worldwide.

   Therefore, many companies that are developing global businesses or are trying to develop global businesses are certified.

   ISO 27001 refers to “international standards for operating and building ISMS”, and ISMS refers to “a mechanism for managing an organization’s information”.

2. Voluntary vs Mandatory

   ISO 27001 does not force certification by laws or regulations, and companies voluntarily obtain certification for information security.

   However, ISMS often requires ISMS certification as a bidding condition for undertaking business from administrative agencies, so many companies obtain it for this reason.

4. What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 27001 certification?

• Improved Customer Trust: Proves that customer information is being safely protected in an era when people are more sensitive to personal information than ever before.
• Avoidance of Management Risks: Safely protects important information within the company, such as customer information, confidential information, and technical information.
• Avoidance of Compliance Risks: Prevents risks by complying with legal and regulatory matters required by information protection laws.
• Global Reliability: Used as a measure to recognize the stability of companies in the global industry.
• Increase in Sales: Companies are particularly sensitive to information security, so companies that provide B2B services and products can give a good impression to clients.

5. How to obtain ISO 27001?

Regarding how to apply for ISO 27001 certification,

it is necessary to establish, operate, record, and apply for an audit of the information security system within the company, including the necessary documents.

After that, the ISO 27001 audit will be conducted through a domestic audit agency.

This is done in two stages, so you need to check the following:

1. You must show that your company’s quality management system has been fully operating for at least 3 months.
2. You must show that you have conducted an internal audit at least within the last year.

The certificate is issued by the audit agency and then maintained through a maintenance audit and a renewal audit program every three years.

Summary

This time, we introduced everything from the overview of ISO 27001 to the method of obtaining certification.

I hope this will be of some help to those who are worried about protecting your valuable information assets!

So, please keep in mind! Information is an asset if protected, but a liability if taken away.

For EXO Security inquiries, please contact globalsupport@jiran.com.