Know You Are Secure & Prove You Are Compliant
Organizations need to prove they are secure to stay competitive. In today’s world, it’s not enough to just claim you are secure — potential clients, business partners, board rooms want proof. With CBIZ Pivot Point Security as their partner, hundreds of our clients have achieved ISO 27001 certification over the last 19 years. With CBIZ Pivot Point Security as your partner, attaining and maintaining ISO-27001 certification is guaranteed.
Benefits of the As-A-Service Model:
We empower organizations to establish, implement, and achieve certification for a robust and effective Information Security Management System (ISMS) through our specialized ISO/IEC 27001 consulting services. Our team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive experience and expertise in the information security field. Holding recognized certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, CISSP, CISA, and CRISC, our experts are dedicated to helping you attain ISO/IEC 27001 certification efficiently and within your budget.
We partner with you throughout your ISO 27001 certification journey, providing support from defining the scope of your ISMS to assisting with the on-site certification audit. Beyond the audit, we offer a range of ongoing services to our clients, including ISMS support and internal ISMS audits. Our services are tailored to meet your specific needs, ensuring alignment with your business goals and industry requirements. Here is a breakdown of our approach, which shares many characteristics with the approach we use to implement other Information Security frameworks like CMMC, FedRAMP, HITRUST, & SOC 2:
Phase 1: Defining the ISMS Scope and Risk and Gap Assessment
Phase 1 begins with a meticulous “scope” definition (what ISO 27001 Clause 4 refers to as context). We take time to understand the information your organization is processing and:
- How the data flows through your and other third parties
- Laws and regulations governing its operation
- Contractual obligations surrounding it
- Cyber Liability Insurance requirements
- Organizational goals impacting cybersecurity, privacy, & AI
Inherent in this process is understanding the risks to the information and documenting/assessing those risks in a risk register. We use the aforementioned scope/context and the risk assessment to properly contextualize a gap assessment. The gap assessment determines which controls and the appropriate extent and rigor are required to reduce information-related risk to an acceptable level, achieve business objectives, and meet these contractual and regulatory requirements.
We then deliver an actionable plan that prioritizes Risk/Gap Remediation based on the risk to the organization and aligns each action with your long-term strategy. Our goal is to move information security/compliance from a pure “value preservation” exercise to also include “value creation” by ensuring that the cybersecurity, privacy, and AI objectives necessary to achieve your business goals are in place when you need them to be.
Phase 2: Executing the Gap Remediation Plan, Conducting the ISO 27001 ISMS Internal Audit, and Supporting the Certification Audit
In this phase, we remediate gaps identified in the first phase by:
- Offering consultative guidance on strategic remediation and how to implement best practices for your organization.
- Providing project leadership.
- Delivering contextualized procedures, policies, and standards and all required ISO 27001 artifacts for your team’s review, tuning, and approval.
- Ensuring the controls’ design and operation are optimized to your long-term objectives.
- Operationalizing the program using the right tools for your particular organization (e.g., OSCAR, Jira, ServiceNow, GRC platform).
- Building your Internal Audit Program and executing the Internal Audit.
After your internal audit, we will work with your team to address any non-conformities with Corrective Action Plans and ensure they go through a Management Review. Finally, our work isn’t done until you have your certification.
ISO 27001 Certification Audit Preparation
An ISMS Certification audit has two key stages:
- Stage one, often referred to as a “Tabletop Review,” is focused on the actual clauses of the ISO 27001 standard. Any non-conformities identified during this stage need to be addressed prior to proceeding to stage two.
- Stage two is focused on the Annex A controls and is similar to other control audits that you have been subject to prior.
Many organizations prefer to have a CBIZ Pivot Point Security consultant on-site during one or both of the certification audit stages. It can simplify the process and reduce the risk of non-conformities being cited. If non-conformities are identified, we will work with you to develop and submit the required Corrective Action Plans to the registrar to move you to certification. Our work is not done until you have a certificate in hand.
A qualified ISO 27001 consultant offers valuable support throughout the certification process. From initial plan development to plan execution and internal auditing, these experts can offer assistance to help you succeed. They can also provide advice on how to implement and monitor the ISMS properly for effectiveness.
A consultant can be instrumental in preparing for the certification audit, increasing the chances of a positive outcome. Their professional guidance helps your organization continually improve its security posture and successfully maintain certification.
With CBIZ Pivot Point Security as your trusted partner, getting ISO 27001 certification is guaranteed. We have helped hundreds of companies achieve and maintain their ISO 27001 certifications over the last 19 years. When you work with us, you can rest easy knowing our extensive experience will be beneficial in helping you attain ISO 27001 certification.
We have a 100% success rate in bringing clients to certification, demonstrating our ability to help organizations across diverse industries achieve this important standard. We offer comprehensive, end-to-end support, taking you from the initial assessment to ongoing compliance, whether with ISO 27001 or another certification such as CMMC. Our process has a record of success, and we can scale it to match your organization’s requirements.
Our solutions are not one-size-fits-all. We tailor our ISO 27001 services to align specifically with your business goals and industry requirements. Our expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments and security challenges allows us to effectively meet your needs.
ISO 27001 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
ISO 27001 is the most important standard in the ISO 27000 family of globally recognized standards that provide guidance and a logical framework that organizations use to keep information secure. It is the “de facto standard” for Information security and is widely recognized as the best way to prove to key stakeholders that you have a strong cybersecurity program.
An ISMS is a systematic, risk-based approach to managing sensitive data to remain secure.
A Risk Assessment or risk analysis is a key element of an ISO 27001 implementation. Its purpose is to identify the risks associated with loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets and rank each risk’s importance to focus on risk mitigation efforts.
An organization seeking to achieve or maintain ISO 27001 certification must conduct periodic internal audits, per clause 9.2 of the ISO 27001 standard. Conducted by in-house staff or a trusted third party at least once every year, the internal audit’s purpose is to help management verify the effectiveness of the ISMS (e.g., does it conform to the organization’s own requirements as well as those of the standard).
Conducted by a certification body (often referred to as a registrar), an ISO 27001 Certification Audit determines whether an organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS) conforms to the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard. If the findings are satisfactory, the ISMS is certified as conforming to the standard. The ISO 27001 Certification Audit covers the full ISMS and occurs in the first year of the three-year ISO 27001 certification cycle.
ISO 27001 Surveillance Audits cover a subset of the ISMS and are conducted by a certification body in years two and three of the three-year ISO 27001 certification cycle.
Achieving ISO 27001 certification typically takes between 6 to 12 months, depending on the size and complexity of the organization. The time frame can vary based on the current state of an organization’s cybersecurity program and the resources dedicated to the certification process.
An ISO 27001 internal audit assesses the effectiveness of the ISMS and ensures adherence to ISO 27001 standards. It identifies areas for improvement and checks that the organization’s security practices align with its policies and procedures.
During a certification audit, an external auditor evaluates the organization’s ISMS against the ISO 27001 standards to verify conformance and effectiveness. This process typically includes document reviews, interviews with staff, and observations of the organization’s practices and controls.
ISO 27001 certification benefits all industries where data security and privacy are critical (e.g., legal, finance, healthcare, technology, etc.). Organizations across these sectors can gain a competitive advantage by demonstrating their commitment to information security.
Get Started With ISO 27001 Consulting
Getting started is simple. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, and our experts will guide you through the entire process of achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 certification.
