ISO Certification plays a very important role in the world of business. It helps establish credibility and denotes compliance with norms. There are different types of certifications. One important area is that of Information security management. Today, businesses deal with vast information. Most of this information is stored online. Security became a key factor. If information is not secured, it can be compromised, misused, lost, hacked, or can fall in the hands of competitors. This is why information security is important.
A business needs to have a system to manage information security. ISO IEC 27001:2013 is an international standard that provides guidance to businesses on managing information security. Compliance with ISO 27001 helps in the effective management of all types of information. It assures customers that an effective system is being followed. Certification helps the business to assure its customers that its information security management system has been assessed and found compliant.
How does the certification work?
Any business that is interested in proving its commitment to information security can apply for ISO 27001 certification in Australia. It doesn’t matter what kind of business they run or how many employees they have or their turnover. Any business interested in securing its information can get certified.
If you have a business and are interested in getting certified, then here is how it works:
- Certification is awarded by certifying agencies. These are independent bodies that visit the company facilities and verify if they are following the ISO 27001 standard.
- These certification agencies are in turn accredited by registrars. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, the JAS-ANZ is the registrar that is most preferred. You can select a certification body that is accredited by JAS-ANZ.
- You can choose to implement the standard and get certified yourself. For this, you need to be aware of the standard and understand certification practices. If you are not conversant in this, you can take the help of consultants who will hand hold you through the process.
- A gap analysis is recommended as the first step in the process. This is basically a detailed system study. The gap analysis will reveal the extent to which you are complying with security management. It helps identify gaps that can be addressed.
- Once you address all the gaps, you can start implementing the standard and maintain documents and records. You can then contact the certification agency to commence the certification process.
- The first step is Stage 1 assessment. Here, the assessors would go through the documents, policies, processes, etc. and understand if it meets the requirements of the standard.
- In the second stage of certification, an audit is carried out. This can be an onsite or e-audit. The auditors would verify if you are following the system.
- Once you complete stage 2 certification, you will be awarded a certificate. The certificate is valid for three years during which regular assessments will be done to verify the maintenance of the system.
The information provided would have helped you understand how certification works. You can get in touch with a certification body to take the process forward.