Why you need a consultant to pass ISO 27001

Complexity demands expertise

ISO 27001 serves as a comprehensive blueprint for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an organization's information security management system (ISMS). Its principles and guidelines aid in identifying, managing, and mitigating information security risks through people, process and technology-based controls that support the overall management system. However, the intricacies involved in implementing this standard in an organisation demand a specialised skill set and a nuanced understanding of both the standard and your business’ unique operational landscape. It’s resolutely not a tick box exercise with a set of cookie cutter policies which may online providers of tools will lead you to believe.

Implementing ISO 27001 involves a multifaceted approach encompassing risk assessment, policy development, controls implementation, staff training, and continual monitoring. Navigating this complexity requires not just theoretical knowledge but also practical experience—a depth of understanding across multiple implementations and organisations that seasoned consultants bring to the table.

Our experience, when talking to organisations about implementing ISO 27001, is that they often think that they’re well on their way to meeting the requirements, mainly because they have implemented a number of security controls such as anti-virus protection, 2FA, password policies etc. But what they don’t realise is that ISO 27001 is not just about a bunch of controls: it’s also a Management System that is risk based. As a result, most companies we talk to have done nothing around the actual clauses of the management system and, as such, may have missed controls they need (or sometimes actually implemented controls they don’t need), as they haven’t understood their risk appetite to begin with.

Above all else, ISO 27001 involves a change in culture in the business. This shift in attitude must be driven from the top down so that the policies and processes developed become part of business as usual. No downloadable toolkit is ever going to achieve that.

Knowledge transfer & empowerment

Working alongside consultants isn't just about achieving immediate compliance. Rather, it's an opportunity for knowledge transfer. Consultants impart invaluable insights, training, and skill development to your org’s internal teams, empowering them to sustain and evolve the ISMS independently. We often have feedback from customers that the most valuable part of working with a consultant is the amount of information they picked up as a result. It doesn’t end at the end of the certification process either, as our consultants will still be available to support ongoing internal audits if your business needs it, and their knowledge of your ISMS will be invaluable in supporting this. Equally, if you decide that you can’t manage the ISMS yourselves and need someone to keep you on track, making sure those regular activities that need to be performed such as risk assessments, management reviews, training (and etc) are completed.. well, it sounds like you could use a VCISO to help you.