In a world where people have higher expectations than ever before, standing out can be tough. One way to distinguish your organization and show the world that you’re reputable, reliable, and competent is through certifications like ISO standards.
ISO standards are one of the most widely acknowledged ways to prove your organization’s worth. But what exactly does it mean to have an ISO certification, and why is it so important companies to have?
In this article, we’ll look at what ISO standards are, why they’re valuable, and how to go about preparing to comply with ISO standards.
What Are ISO Standards?
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, the international organization that develops standards for organizations to follow in various areas.
According to the ISO website, “Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent — people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers, customers, trade associations, users or regulators.”
ISO standards exist in multiple areas like health, food safety, and environmental management. The ones we’ll focus on here relate to IT security.
For example, ISO/IEC 27001 is a set of standards that covers best practices for information security management systems. Organizations that closely follow these guidelines will ensure much greater security when it comes to their infrastructure, assets, and data.
Are All ISO Standards Equally Important?
In the area of IT security alone there are more than a dozen separate ISO standards.
The good news is that you don’t need to worry about all of them. Only those that apply to your organization, industry, customers, and goals are important.
How Do I Know if I Need to Abide by ISO Standards?
Nobody needs to comply with ISO standards — they aren’t laws or government regulations. However, ISO compliance (supported by an official certification) can be extremely beneficial for your organization. Here are a few reasons why:
- ISO standards are recognized and trusted around the world, across multiple industries. Compliance here immediately marks your company as a reliable, trustworthy operation.
- Adhering to ISO standards helps your business run more effective operations, improve security, and deliver better services to customers and clients.
- Although ISO standards are not regulations, they do align closely with laws and regulations, making it much easier to comply with various legal requirements.
Once you’ve decided that ISO compliance and accreditation is something you want to pursue, it’s time to get started bringing your organization in line with the right standards.
How Do I Bring My Organization up to ISO Standards?
The specifics will be different for every organization, but there are six steps you can take to bring your company up to ISO standards.
- Determine the standards to focus on. As mentioned, there are many different types of ISO standards, even within the realm of IT. Take some time to work out which specific standards you want to focus on complying with, as this will influence the rest of the process.
- Assemble the right team. Your ISO compliance project will be much more successful if it’s driven and supported by the right people. Your implementation team should have talented and experienced individuals from all the relevant areas, brought together under a reliable manager.
- Conduct a gap assessment. A gap assessment is a way of working out how your organization currently aligns with ISO standards. This allows you to focus your efforts on the areas where improvement is needed and allocate your resources more efficiently.
- Address the gaps. Based on the areas for improvement that you identified during the gap assessment, develop a detailed, comprehensive management system. Ensure everyone on the team has a clear set of tasks and goals. This system should clearly identify key processes to follow, metrics to track, and milestones.
- Carry out an internal audit. Before applying for ISO accreditation, have your own employees or a third party perform an internal audit to confirm everything is in line with ISO standards. An audit should take place regularly — even after accreditation — to ensure you’re still adhering to ISO standards and identify areas for improvement.
- Get certified. Once your audit is complete (and the results are satisfactory), it’s time to get ISO certified. Take some time to find a reputable certification body with good reviews and experience working with organizations like yours.
The certification body you choose will carry out a thorough audit of your company to make sure you are complying with ISO standards. If this is the case, you’ll receive your certificate along with a validity period. Your certifier may also provide you with feedback and pointers to improve your processes further.
Work With DYOPATH
At DYOPATH, it’s our job to ensure our clients have the strongest cybersecurity possible. Our suite of services is designed to keep your organization protected in the face of new and evolving threats.
By working with us, you’ll establish a strong security infrastructure that aligns with ISO 27001 standards and is well-placed to sail through ISO certification.
Get in touch with us to learn more.
