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About ISO 27001
ISO 27001 is becoming more relevant as the importance of cybersecurity hits mainstream business. Your clients want to have the best experience possible and losing their confidential data to a cyber-attack is not something they want to worry about. That is why an ISO 27001 is the perfect tool for demonstrating that you meet the latest cybersecurity standards. However, it isn’t always easy to wrap your head around the necessary documentation.
Getting your ISO 27001 shouldn’t be complicated, and that is why there are plenty of places that you can visit to learn more about the process. Each of the following will provide you with a new perspective on ISO 27001, but you must first know where to look. Read on to find out more.
An Audit
The only way that you can receive an ISO 27001 is by undertaking a formal audit. This process will assess several steps to ensure that all of your cybersecurity protocols are up-to-date and functional. The auditor will put your security systems through a test to highlight anywhere that you are lacking, all while making sure that you have done all that is necessary to receive the certification.
Unfortunately, the general public may have trouble understanding what each step refers to and what you can do to succeed. Everyone is encouraged to protect their data in some way, so how do you know if it is enough to pass an audit? Audits can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, all with the purpose of analysing and scrutinising your business.
Templates
Going straight for an ISO 27001 might confuse you more about cybersecurity, making the process redundant. A quick glance at the requirements is enough to make your head spin, and this fact may put you off gaining your certification in the first place. Instead of going straight for the certification, you should try to seek guidance.
There are businesses you can work with that will provide advice and assistance. Take for example the people at High Table. This company has ISO 27001 system management templates and they can take you through them one step at a time. By using an ISO 27001 template, you can learn the necessary details about cybersecurity to achieve the relevant certification. This way, you have the information to update and proceed with cybersecurity as technology moves forward.
Training Sites
It is a bit of a leap, but there are also training sites online that can give you all of the information about ISO 27001. These are the exact steps that you need to take to prepare for an audit, but they will mean nothing to those who are not already informed about cybersecurity.
You can watch step-by-step videos, query professionals, or just read pages online. However, anyone that is new to the concept of cybersecurity technology should probably ask for help instead of tackling this heavy topic alone.
Your Systems
The reason why you need to learn about cybersecurity in the first place is that you have something that you have to protect. Your business operations are going to function differently from everywhere else, which is why a blanket explanation of ISO 27001 that you find on the internet isn’t going to help you.
Cybersecurity is a complex issue, and every server will require a different type of protection. Therefore, the only way you can truly learn about ISO 27001 is by looking at your own systems.
A common way to learn about the type of cybersecurity is by running practice drills. Real cybercrime is going to harm your business’s reputation, which is why you can conduct a fake attack using the software. This software will simulate a cyber-attack and give the chance to practice dealing with this situation. You can try over and again to hone your skills and also use them to identify holes in your cybersecurity systems. If there are gaps that an attacker can exploit then you will fail your audit, so consider this a practice run for your certification.
Your Staff
The burden of responsibility shouldn’t always rest on your shoulders. Everyone in your company will use a computer at some point, which is why they need to know how to prevent cybercrime.
You should start your staff training by identifying the employees that have access to sensitive information. These staff members should be brought up to speed on everything that you wish to achieve when it comes to cybersecurity. If these individuals work in the IT department, it is highly likely that they have more comprehensive knowledge about computers and their security systems. Therefore, you should always consult them when it comes to cybersecurity and an ISO 27001.
The next stage of training your staff should focus on your company as a whole. One step in gaining an ISO 27001 certification involves teaching your staff how to exercise the best cybersecurity practices when they are in the workplace. You can brief everyone as a whole, placing a strong emphasis on why these processes are so important. You can even go one step further and give them their own set of cybersecurity drills.
Assess The Aftermath
A cyber-attack has very few positive outcomes. A breach can leak confidential data, damage your computer systems and even damage you financially. However, you should always look for opportunities when they present themselves.
The aftermath of cybercrime will provide you with the perfect situation to assess your cybersecurity systems. You can figure out what went wrong and learn from your mistakes. You should then move forward and communicate these results with the rest of your staff to make sure that the situation is never repeated. There are many causes of cybercrime, and only one of these needs to present itself for you to fail your ISO 27001 audit. Get everyone on the same page and you can present a united front.
The People Around You
One thing that you should be made aware of when it comes to confusion in the digital age is that everyone is in the same boat. You will find that there is a generational divide between computer users, and a lot of other business leaders will be struggling with how to protect their company’s data. Therefore, you will never be short of somewhere to turn.
You may find that you know someone that has been a victim of an attack, or someone that already has their ISO 27001. If you are concerned about a lack of knowledge about these things, try to be honest and open up to those around you. A rising tide raises all ships, so make sure that you are looking for help in the right places. You never know, you may have some pieces of information that you can pass on.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is something that affects all of us. That means there is no shortage of information out there regarding the subject. Getting your ISO 27001 will help put your client’s minds at ease, so make sure that you understand the certification before you attempt to gain it. You can follow the advice in this article, or gain knowledge elsewhere. It doesn’t matter how you go about it, just make sure that you are keeping your sensitive data protected.
