Impartiality, Complaints & Appeals

Committed to Impartiality in Certification Activities

We define threats to impartiality as any relationship that could compromise our independence or perceived impartiality. These relationships include ownership, governance, management, personnel, shared resources, finances, contracts, marketing, and sales commissions for client referrals.

We conduct ongoing reviews and annual assessments to identify, analyze, and resolve conflicts of interest and threats to impartiality among prospects, clients, and personnel. Our leadership ensures compliance through management reviews, monitoring tools, internal audits, and risk assessments.

Prescient Security adheres to independence requirements set by organizations like the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO/IEC 17020:2012, ISO/IEC 17025:2017, FedRAMP, and HITRUST. For more information, please refer to our Impartiality Policy.

To maintain and demonstrate impartiality, we have established the following principles:

Prescient Security Certificates are issued only after an independent, authorized, and competent member of the management team, who has not been involved in the audit, reviews and ensures that no interests predominate. This ensures that certification determinations are based on objective criteria and are not improperly influenced by bias or prejudice. Our auditors and personnel involved in the certification process are not pressured or influenced to reach specific conclusions about audit results.

Granting of Certification

After the initial certification, recertification, or transfer audit is completed, certification will be granted based on an independent certification decision. The decision is made by personnel who have not participated in the audit process.

The decision is based on a review of:

The audit report
Identified nonconformities and their status (including corrections and corrective actions)
Confirmation of client and scope details from the application review
Recommendation from the audit team
Any other relevant information (e.g., public information, prior performance)

Certification will be granted only after sufficient objective evidence demonstrates conformity with the applicable standard requirements.

Maintaining Certification

Certification can be maintained through ongoing surveillance activities during the certification cycle.

Surveillance audits are conducted at least annually
The first surveillance audit is conducted within 12 months from the certification decision date
Surveillance audits assess continued conformity and effectiveness of the management system

Failure to:

Undergo required audits
Address nonconformities
Maintain conformity

may result in suspension or withdrawal of certification.

Suspension of Certification

Certification may be suspended when:

The management system persistently or seriously fails to meet requirements
Surveillance or recertification audits are not conducted within required timelines
The client fails to implement corrective actions within agreed timeframes
Contractual obligations are violated

During suspension:

Certification is temporarily invalid
The client shall refrain from promoting certification status
The status is publicly indicated (where applicable)

Expansion or Reduction of Scope of Certification

Expansion of Scope

Scope expansion is granted following:

Application by the client
Evaluation through audit activities (onsite or remote, as applicable)
Independent certification decision confirming conformity for the expanded scope

Reduction of Scope

Scope may be reduced when:

The client requests exclusion of part of the scope
Persistent nonconformities exist in specific areas
The organization no longer performs certain activities

Scope reduction is reflected in revised certification documentation.

Prescient Security's Rules for Logo Use

As a certification body, Prescient Security has developed a trademarked logo that signifies our clients' conformance with relevant ISO standards. Rules regarding the use of our name and logo in relation to ISO certifications are outlined in our contract's terms and conditions and reiterated upon successful certification. We monitor the use of our name and logo to ensure compliance with our contractual agreement and ISO standards. https://prescientsecurity.com/iso-mark

Complaints

If you have a concern about Prescient Security’s services, you can easily submit a complaint by emailing complaints@prescientsecurity.com. The submission should include the reason for complaint, the date of the complaint, and any supporting evidence.

Upon receiving your complaint, Prescient Security commits to an impartial and comprehensive investigation. Our ISO Compliance Team is dedicated to ensuring that the individuals responsible for managing your complaint are entirely separate from those involved in the audit processes and certification decisions. This is in strict adherence to ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements, guaranteeing impartiality and objectivity throughout the complaint resolution procedure.

We pledge to address your concerns swiftly and equitably, maintaining open communication with you at every step. Your privacy and the confidentiality of your information are paramount to us. In cases where your complaint pertains to a certified client, we will evaluate the efficacy of the client's certified management system as part of our investigation. Furthermore, any complaint directly concerning a certified client will be communicated to the said client at an appropriate juncture, in a manner that upholds the integrity of the investigative process and respects all parties' confidentiality.

Appeals

Prescient Security's audit team aims to provide transparent justification for their inspection decisions. If a situation arises where a client disagrees with the audit team's decision, they can submit an appeal by emailing appeals@prescientsecurity.com. Prescient Security’s ISO Compliance Team will review the appeal and assign an independent point of contact, separate from the audit team or the individual(s) that made the certification decision, to investigate the appeal. The client will be informed of the disposition of the appeal decision.

Complaints

If you have a concern about Prescient Security’s services, you can easily submit a complaint by emailing isocompliance@prescientsecurity.com. The submission should include the reason for complaint, the date of the complaint, and any supporting evidence.

Upon receiving your complaint, Prescient Security commits to an impartial and comprehensive investigation. Our ISO Compliance Team is dedicated to ensuring that the individuals responsible for managing your complaint are entirely separate from those involved in the audit processes and certification decisions. This is in strict adherence to ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements, guaranteeing impartiality and objectivity throughout the complaint resolution procedure.

We pledge to address your concerns swiftly and equitably, maintaining open communication with you at every step. Your privacy and the confidentiality of your information are paramount to us. In cases where your complaint pertains to a certified client, we will evaluate the efficacy of the client's certified management system as part of our investigation. Furthermore, any complaint directly concerning a certified client will be communicated to the said client at an appropriate juncture, in a manner that upholds the integrity of the investigative process and respects all parties' confidentiality.

Appeals

Prescient Security's audit team aims to provide transparent justification for their inspection decisions. If a situation arises where a client disagrees with the audit team's decision, they can submit an appeal by emailing isocompliance@prescientsecurity.com. Prescient Security’s ISO Compliance Team will review the appeal and assign an independent point of contact, separate from the audit team or the individual(s) that made the certification decision, to investigate the appeal. The client will be informed of the disposition of the appeal decision.