What is ISO compliance? A comprehensive guide

Key takeaways

1. ISO compliance involves meeting the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) technical and administrative standards. ISO frameworks provide best practices across various fields, from quality management to data protection.
2. Benefits of ISO compliance include the adoption of up-to-date methods and technology. Companies ensure regulatory compliance in critical areas like data protection. Standards are internationally recognized, while their flexibility makes them suitable for organizations of all sizes.
3. The 27001 family includes critical ISO frameworks in the IT domain. This family of standards addresses specific areas of management, quality, safety, information security, and privacy, catering to different organizational needs.
4. ISO compliance challenges include managing information overload, knowing what needs to be done, securing sufficient project resources, and ensuring continuity. Organizations can address these challenges with proper planning and investment.
5. ISO certification enables organizations to prove their compliance with ISO best practices. Independent assessment bodies conduct third-party audits to determine compliance and issue certificates accordingly.
6. ISO compliance should be a strategic priority, as it enhances security and data management while building trust with stakeholders and reducing the risk of compliance violations.

The benefits of achieving ISO compliance

ISO standards are widely used across the world. For instance, over 1 million ISO 9001-certified organizations use ISO materials to guide their Quality Management strategies. The standards have broad appeal for several reasons.

Benefits of using the ISO compliance model include:

Adopting up-to-date methods and technology

ISO compliance frameworks are constantly updated. They integrate the latest expert knowledge and research. This expertise enables companies to overhaul existing systems and engineer projects to cutting-edge specifications.

Ensuring regulatory compliance

ISO standards are not legislative regulations. However, the ISO designs standards to cover critical regulatory areas. For example, ISO data protection standards are suited to achieving GDPR or HIPAA compliance.

International recognition

ISO frameworks are a gold standard across the world. Companies can implement ISO recommendations and optimize their operations wherever they operate. Certification also promotes trust in all jurisdictions.

Flexibility

ISO standards seek to accommodate large and small organizations. They apply to Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs), non-governmental organizations, and multi-national corporations. Businesses can apply ISO guidelines to departments and sub-divisions or use them for individual projects.

Enabling constant improvement

Companies may not possess the internal expertise to modernize their processes and technology. Organizations can use ISO standards as part of ongoing improvement efforts. They can incorporate ISO best practices into commissioning, compliance, and training operations.

Why ISO compliance is a business essential

ISO standards are so important because they provide clarity in a complex and hazardous modern economy.

Companies face the threat of data leaks and cyber-attacks. IT systems may fall behind competitors. Manufacturers may lose control of product quality. Health companies may expose confidential data with catastrophic results.

ISO standards deal with these issues by providing powerful risk management tools. Organizations that achieve compliance can identify and fix vulnerabilities or flaws in their operations. Many additional benefits result when companies follow ISO standards diligently.

ISO-certified companies tend to be safer. They suffer fewer data breaches and cybersecurity incidents. Certified organizations experience efficiency gains, enabling them to serve customers more effectively. ISO compliance also cuts the risk of regulatory penalties. Better compliance saves money and avoids reputational harm.

When added together, these reasons make ISO compliance essential in many cases. Organizations should always assess which standards apply to their operations.

Introducing the main ISO standards

ISO 9001: Quality Management System (QMS)

ISO 9001 is one of the most widely used and well-known ISO standards. This framework provides a roadmap for organizations to improve their Quality Management System (QMS).

Quality management involves delivering the highest possible quality of goods or services. This focus makes ISO 9001 applicable to almost all industries. Critical elements of the ISO 9001 standard include:

• Taking a process-oriented approach to quality
• Focusing on customer requirements
• Setting objectives to achieve continuous improvement
• Recording information to audit QMS performance
  
  

Who should use it? This standard applies to organizations that need to streamline their business management processes. ISO 9001 has wide relevance as it enables companies to constantly improve their services or products.

ISO 45001: Safety Management Systems (SMS)

ISO 45001 is a critical framework that enables companies to comply with occupational health regulations.

This family of documents provides an international occupational health framework, making it popular with businesses that operate across borders. It sets out a series of best practices to create safety management systems. These occupational health recommendations often go well beyond the requirements of national legislation.

Who should use it? Companies with a need to make workplaces as safe as possible. Businesses that wish to protect their reputations and demonstrate a commitment to safety.

ISO 27001: Information Security Management Systems

ISO 27001 relates to securing confidential data and protecting against data breach attacks.

Specifically, ISO 27001 describes how to create secure Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). These systems safeguard data against internal and external threats. They provide a robust basis for risk management when protecting private information.

Companies can use ISO 27001 to establish and implement an ISMS. The framework also covers ISMS maintenance while providing advice about how to audit and improve information security processes.

Elements of ISO 27001 include:

• Risk assessment
• Organizational structures
• Classifying information
• Access controls
• Physical safeguards
• Technical safeguards
• Information security policies
• Auditing information security
• Incident reporting and response
  
  

ISO 27001 has regularly changed to keep pace with technological change. For instance, a fresh update arrived in 2022, adding advice about threat prevention and related subjects. Companies should always use the latest iteration when building their management system.

Who should use it? Any company that is concerned about the risk of data breaches should be ISO 27001 compliant. ISO 27001 is the gold standard for protecting data and ensuring personal and business privacy.

ISO 27002: Information Security Controls

This ISO standard complements ISO 27001. The 27002 framework provides extra information about how to implement appropriate security controls. Important components of the standard include:

• Policies and procedures to create and maintain security management systems
• Assessing risks to critical information
• Access controls to ensure only authorized users can access confidential data
• Environmental and physical security controls. For example, cameras and locks to safeguard servers.
• Incident response management
• Complying with relevant laws and regulations. Reporting incidents as required.
  
  

Who should use it? ISO 27002 works in tandem with ISO 27001. This framework is most useful for organizations that have implemented ISO 27001 but need more detailed information about how to put in place a secure management system.

ISO 27005: Managing information security risks

The 27005 ISO standard guides organizations as they assess information security risks. It provides a framework for robust risk assessments and specifies a mitigation action for every critical risk.

• Organizations that follow the 27005 standard will learn how to:
• Identify risks to information security and integrity
• Classify risks according to their severity and probability
• Decide appropriate measures such as avoidance and mitigation
• Communicate decisions about risk within the organization
• Carry out surveillance audits to monitor risks
• Document risk analysis and auditing to allow continuous risk management
  
  

Who should use it? All organizations that handle private data should comply with this ISO framework. The 27005 standard helps companies that must ensure confidentiality and avoid data exposure. Other compliance benefits include efficient resource allocation and enhanced trust from customers and stakeholders such as executive officers.

ISO 27032: cybersecurity

The 27032 framework seeks to standardize cybersecurity methods within organizations and across industry sectors. It provides a collection of practical steps to secure internet-facing IT infrastructure. Another over-arching goal of the framework is to make networks more resilient in the face of cyber threats.

Sections of the 27032 standard deal with:

• Cybersecurity governance. How to create management systems that promote online security.
• Policy development. Developing cybersecurity policies that meet business objectives.
• Operational security. Risk assessments, internal audits, and continuous security monitoring.
• Collaboration. Best practices to share information with other organizations and build institutional knowledge.
• Communication. How to spread cybersecurity awareness throughout an organization.
  
  

Who should use it? Any organizations that rely on web connectivity and networking. If a company faces cybersecurity risks, it should comply with this framework.

ISO 27017: Cloud security

The 27017 ISO standard guides organizations as they secure cloud assets. This framework suits both cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud service users. Elements of the standard include:

• Guidance about roles and responsibilities when securing cloud environments
• Classifying and protecting information in multi-tenant environments
• Access management in the cloud
• Implementing data encryption at rest and in transit
• Responding to and handling cloud security incidents
  
  

Who should use it? Companies that operate cloud deployments or provide cloud-based services to clients. Cloud service users can refer to the 27017 standard when selecting CSPs.

Healthcare companies may use the framework to ensure their cloud storage management systems are HIPAA-compliant. Companies may also use the framework when securing complex multi-cloud environments.

ISO 27018: Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the cloud

The 27018 ISO standard refers to the protection of confidential personal data in cloud environments. The ISO created this regulation in 2019 in response to the increasing use of cloud platforms to host, process, and store PII.

Although 27018 is an extension of the ISO 27001 standard, it has a specific relevance to organizations that deal with patient or financial data. For example, healthcare companies use both regulations to create data policies for medical devices. Elements of the 27018 standard include:

• Protecting data against external threats
• Limiting access to authorized individuals only
• Ensuring data portability
• Maintaining data integrity. Guarding against unauthorized deletion or alteration.
• Making data usage transparent
• Compliant data retention and disposal
• Secure use of third-party data processors
  
  

Who should use it? Organizations that handle PII and must protect this data against external attack or unauthorized access. This includes healthcare companies, credit card companies, and educational institutions. Organizations can also use the standard to enhance their GDPR compliance.

Overcoming challenges in ISO compliance

ISO compliance is supposed to be demanding. ISO standards represent a library of best practices. They set out optimal technologies or procedures to solve compliance issues. Achieving compliance with ISO frameworks is not always simple.

Challenge 1: Avoiding information overload

ISO frameworks are comprehensive. They often include many controls and requirements. For example, ISO 27001 features over 100 security controls. Organizations must assess which measures are relevant to their situation and determine what they can afford. At first, this can seem like a daunting task.

Solution: Break down standards into their parts. Focus on separate security controls and don't tackle too many areas at once. Use glossaries to understand key terms and refer to executive summaries. Each standard has a summary, and it provides a useful introduction to the contents.

Challenge 2: Knowing what needs to be done

Many companies rush into ISO certification without knowing their current security environments. However, you cannot implement ISO-compliant controls or policies without understanding what already exists.

Solution: Before starting an ISO compliance process, carry out a thorough internal audit or schedule an external audit. Identify gaps in your security and management systems. Document your standard operating procedures to allow a comparison with ISO best practices.

Challenge 3: Insufficient project resources

Becoming ISO-compliant is a major undertaking. It entails in-depth investigation and analysis, reaching across the entire organization. Making management systems compliant can be hugely disruptive.

Successful compliance projects require a full-time project lead and a well-resourced team with full executive support. Despite this, teams often struggle to obtain support, extending the length of the project and compromising its ISO certification outcomes.

Solution: Prioritize the ISO project from the start. Hire or promote a specialist project manager with security awareness. Inform officers across the management system about the project and the need to share information. Make it clear that passing ISO certification audits is a critical business goal and that all staff members have a role to play.

Challenge 4: Ensuring continuity

When companies implement ISO 27001, the work does not end when they have created a secure information security management system. ISO compliance is a continuous process. Information security management systems must remain functional and evolve to meet emerging threats. Achieving this can be a major cultural and technical challenge.

Solution: Create a strategic plan to keep your ISMS ISO compliant. Schedule internal audit exercises to check information integrity, access policies, and cybersecurity posture. If needed, bring in outside consultants with information security expertise.

What is ISO certification?

ISO certification proves that an organization's systems are ISO-compliant. The ISO does not manage the certification process itself. ISO only creates standards. It does not enforce them or assess whether an organization is ISO-certified.

Instead, independent assessment bodies carry out ISO certification audits. There are hundreds of accredited certification bodies worldwide, including specialists for different sectors like HIPAA-covered entities and nuclear power contractors.

These certification providers are essentially auditors. Certification audits assess whether clients meet ISO standards. If clients satisfy the conditions stated by relevant ISO frameworks, they should pass the certification process. This allows them to enter ISO registers and publicly display their certification.

ISO compliance vs ISO certification

It is important to understand that organizations can be ISO-compliant without being ISO-certified. ISO compliance refers to meeting the conditions defined by framework documents. A company could use ISO 27018 to secure points of sale or medical devices without actually pursuing full certification.

ISO certification is a more complex process. It requires a comprehensive internal assessment and an external third-party audit. These tasks make certification it more costly. However, participants benefit from receiving an ISO certification.

This table briefly summarizes the differences to make it easier to choose between simple ISO compliance and ISO certification:

ISO compliance

• Brings systems into line with ISO standards
• Internally validated
• Low costs, can fit around business operations
• No formal recognition
  
  

ISO certification

• Brings systems into line with ISO standards
• Validated by independent external assessment
• More expensive, auditing may require disruption of operations
• Recognized by certificate of compliance

The role of certification bodies

Certification organizations play a significant role in the ISO compliance process. Certification proves that companies have implemented quality management processes and taken steps to secure customer data.

The third-party status of ISO assessors is critical. Outsiders know that external experts have assessed the company's systems and completed the ISO certification process. This builds trust among customers and partners and boosts confidence within an organization.

Certification also builds knowledge within companies. Assessors may suggest corrective actions following their external audits. For example, they may identify weaknesses in an Information Security Management System. Companies can integrate this expertise into their operations.

Certification bodies have a longer-term role in ensuring ISO compliance as well. When they issue a certification, assessors will schedule regular surveillance audits. These exercises make sure the certificate holder meets the relevant ISO standards.

After three years, companies must also apply for recertification. Certification providers will reassess issues like management systems and access controls. They will also consider any existing ISO regulations since the original certification.

Certification providers are at the heart of the ISO standard ecosystem. But remember: not all ISO assessors are accredited. Refer to databases of certified auditors to find a trusted partner who can guide you through the ISO compliance process.

Make ISO compliance a business priority

ISO compliance is a sound strategic move. For most companies, achieving ISO compliance means enhancing their security systems, rationalizing their policies, and streamlining how they handle data. Standards like ISO 27001 help organizations build trust with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders. They cut the risk of damaging compliance violations.

Research your compliance status. Identify which ISO standard applies to your systems and operations. Use ISO guidance to chart a route to a leaner, more secure future.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not legal advice. Use it at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed professional for legal matters. Content may not be up-to-date or applicable to your jurisdiction and is subject to change without notice.