Tips to Maintain ISO 27001 Certification

Anyone who has experienced the process will understand that obtaining ISO 27001 certification will be difficult whether you are a small organization with limited resources or a large organization. You must put together a team, conduct an evaluation and risk assessment, implement security controls, make documentation, and train employees on staff awareness. It takes time, effort, and genuine commitment to the organization to find the right certification body and complete the certification process. Therefore, it can be enticing to celebrate after achieving your goal and then put the whole thing behind you. However, ISO 27001 is not a set-it-and-forget-it standard. To keep your ISO 27001 certification, you must undergo a three-year audit cycle.

This blog will look at the essential issues that must be addressed to maintain ISO 27001 certification.

What is ISO 27001 certification?

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized certification that implements, maintains, and defines an organization’s best practices for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It increases the organization’s credibility and market value. Far above protecting the data from a breach, obtaining ISO 27001 certification has many advantages for improving products. Additionally, it can help you gain the confidence of the clients and shareholders while giving customers a significant competitive advantage.

Need to renew ISO 27001

The ISO 27001 certification body will closely monitor the information security management system or ISMS. For the duration of the three-year life cycle of the certification, it will be subject to routine external maintenance audits. ISO 27001 certification is valid for three years. The certificate will include the certification’s issued date and expiration date. Organizations must be ready for ISO 27001 recertification at the end of the three years.

Tips for maintaining ISO 27001 certification

Following are the steps to maintain ISO 27001 certification.

1.Keep your information security management system up to date and evolving

We all know that information security is more than just checking a box. It’s a long process that never stops. ISMS must keep reviewing and updating its information security policies and procedures and putting processes and controls in place. The ISO 27001 standard says an internal auditing program should be set up. This way, you can identify possible issues and resolve them before they get worse and put your certification at risk.

2. Updated documentation

The policies and processes which were written during the initial implementation will have been created specifically for the organization’s operations. However, the operations will inevitably change, and you must ensure that your documentation reflects this. It is required that you amend your documentation whenever you make significant changes to perform any actions or undertake new activities involving important data.

3. Perform internal audits

An internal audit provides a thorough glimpse of how well your ISMS works. A risk assessment and documentation review will assist you in assessing the status of your ISO 27001 compliance. Internal audits are helpful during the first step of the certification process. It ensures you already have the framework you need, which you can repeatedly use as part of your compliance maintenance.

4. Keep senior managers up to date

One of the most important ISO 27001 requirements is that your top leaders must be involved in a regular management review process. If you do these things, you will find weaknesses you need to fix if you intend to stay compliant. Keep top managers up to date on the fast-changing world of data security by giving them information about

• Any cybersecurity risk to ISMS
• Your risk assessment or management strategies
• Other ISO 27001-related developments and implementations

So, keep upper management informed of what you’re doing to keep the ISMS running and what benefits it has brought.

5. Establish a routine management evaluation process

Establishing a regular management evaluation process is good for ISMS success. In this part, you can evaluate necessary changes and discuss different opportunities.

6. Keep track of what needs to be done

We know that cyber threats are growing continuously, and keeping track of the actions that need to be done is an important way to maintain ISO 27001 certification. You can fix any issues before they become catastrophic by checking how well your ISMS is functioning. Some actions will require you to change the way you do things completely. These should be discussed during the management review process and might need to be changed and watched over time.

About Azpirantz

ISO 27001 certification shows that an organization is committed to the continuous improvement, growth, and security of its information assets by using the right risk assessments, rules, and controls.

Azpirantz is a cybersecurity consulting advisory and service company that helps companies focus on their core business by improving security and compliance with top-notch services and real-world solutions. We provide security and compliance services following the latest versions.