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ISO Certification: Key Standards and Benefits

Picture of Gabriela Silk   Gabriela Silk  ·  7 minute read

From general cybersecurity issues to the ethics of AI, businesses are plagued by one simple question: how do we use all of this technology safely and effectively? Government regulations are getting tighter and public interest in data security has grown significantly in recent years, placing many under scrutiny they may not be prepared to face.

ISO and its standards are often presented as a solution to these worries, but which standards should organizations pay attention to? And what are the advantages of getting ISO certified? One question only seems to encourage another, yet are essential to understanding which ISO certification is right for an organization.  Keep reading to learn about the key ISO standards, who they’re for, and why certification can be so advantageous.

 

Contents

 

What is ISO? 

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) is a global, independent organization intent on helping the world figure out the safest, most structured, and best way of doing things. There are thousands of ISO standards outlining everything from toy safety to data security principles. Each standard is developed by international experts who are constantly researching and updating procedure to reflect the biggest concerns of our time.

The organization itself does not enforce the standards, but with proper auditing, businesses can become ISO certified and confirmed to have followed the best practices from the organization with the biggest name in best practices.

 

Key Benefits of Obtaining an ISO Certification

There are many benefits to obtaining an ISO certification:

  • Better Quality and Consistency: ISO standards are intended, primarily, to standardize how we do things. They provide well-tested, practical structures and processes that, once implemented, improve both the immediate quality of an organization’s operations, as well as greater long-term consistency.
  • Improve Ethics and Governance: This is a big part of where ISO has taken standards in the last few decades, and for good reason. AI usage, for example, has come with ethical concerns, as has the collection and use of personal data. ISO standards provide a path on how to grapple with these areas ethically so that businesses and their customers are better protected. 
  • Risk Mitigation: ISO certifications each address risk from a slightly different vantage but mitigating against external and internal threats is a common thread throughout. Whether it’s preparing businesses for the risk that climate change poses or providing guidelines on how to build up defenses against cyber attacks, ISO certification is an incredibly useful way to safeguard against potential issues.
  • Solve Big Challenges: Many ISO standards are designed specifically to assist with navigating complex, challenging problems such as data privacy, cloud storage, etc.
  • Global Recognition: ISO is an internationally respected organization with input from experts from around the world. Complying with their standards makes it easier for organizations to operate safely and effectively on a global scale without having to constantly readjust their systems to fit each country’s requirements.
  • Improve Trust: The prestige and trust that ISO has earned means that certification offers those same benefits to those that comply. This is especially true when it comes to data privacy as certification gives customers and stakeholders a greater sense of assurance.
  • Embrace Continuous Improvement: Continuous monitoring and improvement are built into every ISO standard. This helps businesses build systems that are more adaptive, innovative, and resilient.
  • Makes Compliance Easier: While compliance requirements differ depending on where you are, ISO standards tend to be the blueprint. Compliance with their information security requirements, for example, can often make meeting general regulatory requirements easier and save organizations legal troubles in the long run.
  • Competitive Advantage: Risk mitigation, global recognition, better quality and consistency – every benefit of ISO certification mentioned thus far gives businesses a major competitive advantage. Part of what makes this the case is that ISO itself is an organization focused on staying ahead of the curve.

 

Key ISO Standards Explained

The sheer range of ISO standards available can be overwhelming. Each has a different purpose and as a result, offers different benefits. If you’re wondering which ones need your attention most, keep reading. We’re going to break down 5 key ISO standards and who they’re most relevant to:

 

ISO/IEC 27001

What is ISO/IEC 27001?

ISO / IEC 27001 is all about Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Its key focuses within that are risk management, cybersecurity protection, and maintaining the integrity of these systems so that they ensure proper confidentiality. The standard provides an outline of all the necessary security controls for this as well as how to manage any security incidents that crop up.

It doesn’t just address ISMS from the technical side, though. The standard also looks at the leadership, resources, and bigger strategic aspects needed to build and maintain effective systems, and for organizations to become risk-aware.

Benefits 

  • Improved Security: ISO 27001 provides a practical, proven approach on how to strengthen security protocols around sensitive data. It looks at everything from identifying risks to responding to them so that businesses can develop a comprehensive approach that protects them from all angles.
  • Proactive Risk Management: Part of the process of getting ISO 27001 certified involves assessing any existing vulnerabilities. Proactiveness of this kind helps organizations get ahead of threats and fix issues long before they cause problems. 
  • Enhances Reputation: Besides the fact that better information security means less potential damage to an organization’s reputation from a breach, certification also assists in assuring business partners that security is being taken seriously and that sensitive information will be properly protected.

Who Needs ISO 27001/ Who is it for?

The standard is designed to suit companies of any size or sector, so as long as your organization has an information system, ISO 27001 is something to pay attention to. That said, it’s particularly relevant to those trying to improve the operational efficiency of their ISMS and implement better security practices.


ISO 22301

What is ISO 22301?

Largely considered the international standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS), ISO 22301 provides organizations with a framework on how to implement and manage a documented management system. The driving purpose being that it assists businesses with identifying risks in their systems and recovering from disruptions.

Big-picture issues are covered, as well as the nitty gritty of what to prioritize in the recovery process to ensure that critical functions come back as quickly as possible.

Benefits 

  • Provides Risk Management Processes: The impact of a system disruption is mostly characterized by how long recovery takes. ISO 22301 not only helps organizations put processes in place to prevent disruptions, but also to make recovery much more efficient
  • Improves Organizational Resilience: Having a systematic response plan to turn to in times of crisis ensures that organizations are that much more resilient in the face of disruption. They’re less likely to experience long-term damage or be vulnerable to big financial losses in the face of an incident.
  • Increases Trust: Stakeholders like knowing that steps are being taken to lower risk and prepare for potential incidents.

Who Needs ISO 22301/ Who is it for?

Businesses of any size who want to establish a continuity plan that can get them through any potential disruption.

 

ISO 42001

What is ISO 42001?

AI usage is a big topic these days and ISO 42001 is here to help businesses navigate it. The standard is the first in the world to include requirements on implementing, maintaining, and improving Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS).

It provides a balanced guide on handling both the innovative opportunities as well as the potential issues associated with AI. That way, businesses get the most out of the technology with the least amount of risk.

Benefits 

  • Manage Risk and Opportunity: The newness of AI has left businesses as worried about missing out on the opportunities it provides, as they are about possible ethical issues and legal risks. ISO 42001 cuts through that and shows a way that businesses can explore the full possibilities of the technology while still keeping their risk profile relatively low.
  • Demonstrate Responsible AI-Use: The three big principles ISO 42001 focuses on are traceability, transparency, and reliability. Compliance allows businesses to show that they’re not just using AI for its trend appeal but doing so thoughtfully and in a way that won’t threaten their integrity.
  • More Efficiency: This standard takes all the guesswork out of using AI so that businesses can apply it that much more efficiently and use it to improve their existing systems rather than hinder them.

Who Needs ISO 42001/ Who is it for?

Any business developing, providing, using services or products that involve AI. It’s a highly versatile standard designed to apply across various AI contexts and in businesses of all sizes and sectors.

 

ISO/IEC 27701

What is ISO/EIC 27701?

Data privacy controls and privacy information management systems (PIMS) are the primary focus of ISO 27701. It’s an extension of ISO 27001 intended to provide greater support for organizations that process personally identifiable information (PII) and is only available as an add-on to the original. The standard also expands on ISO 27001 in terms of guiding data processing activities and risk assessments.

Benefits 

  • Improve Privacy Management and Lower Risk: Data breaches that expose PII are both reputationally and financially hazardous. This standard helps businesses improve how they manage this area and better assess any vulnerabilities so that they aren’t left exposed to massive risks. 
  • Comply with GDPR and More: Each country has its own approach to data regulations and PII, but ISO 27701 is designed to bring it all together so that in complying with it, businesses are mostly covered, no matter where in the world they operate.
  • Build Trust with Customers: People are more aware of the importance of data privacy than ever. ISO 27701 compliance is a way for businesses to show that they take this seriously and that customers can trust them with their personal information.

Who Needs ISO/ EIC 27701/ Who is it for?

ISO / IEC 27701 is relevant to any organization that handles PII but particularly useful for those trying to align themselves with GDPR or expand on their existing ISO 27001 certification.

 

ISO 9001

What is ISO 9001?

We’ve mentioned already that consistent quality is a major part of ISO certification. ISO 9001, however, is the key standard that looks at overall quality assurance and meeting customer expectations.

It outlines the creation of quality management systems (QMS) that consistently meet customer needs, and is as much a guide on the technology that organizations need to embrace to succeed in this area, as it is a reminder on the importance of developing strong supplier relationships, as an example. That balance, as ever, is what makes the ISO standard so comprehensive.

Benefits 

  • Improved Customer Satisfaction: Delivering consistently great products or services can feel like a tall order. ISO 9001 shows businesses exactly how to build a system that makes this their norm so that customers only walk away with positive experiences. Long term, this builds loyalty and increases revenue.
  • Better Relationships: The emphasis that this standard places on both supplier and employee buy-in ultimately helps businesses improve relationships on all ends.
  • Cost Saving: The process of honing a business to better meet customer demands and reliably provide the same quality again and again has the knock-on effect of improving overall efficiency. This helps focus budgets on only the essentials and bring down costs.

Who Needs ISO 9001/ Who is it for?

This is another standard that can be applied quite broadly. As long as you’re an organization looking to improve quality management and customer satisfaction, ISO 9001 is for you.

 

Prescient Security and ISO Certification

If you’re looking to improve your trustworthiness in the eyes of customers and stakeholders, increase competitiveness, or just generally improve risk management, ISO certification may be the right path for your organization.

 

To learn which ISO certification is right for your needs, click here to connect with a Prescient expert.