A startup can go years without considering ISO 27001. A promising enterprise customer is contacted via email “Please provide ISO 27001 as part of our review of our vendor.”

Now, certification isn’t a thing to think about the next time. The company wants to finish an agreement.

For many growing companies, that’s the practical starting point for ISO 27001 for small business. The trick is figuring out what actually needs to happen without becoming a manageable security initiative into a large-scale compliance program.

Week One should be about Scope, Not Shopping

It is common to compare compliance platforms and consultants. The most effective place to start is to define the requirements that an ISMS or Information Security Management System needs to incorporate.

Scope is crucial because trying to include unnecessary systems, locations or procedures can result in more documentation and require additional evidence.

A small SaaS company, like it may have a focused environment built around cloud infrastructure as well as employee devices, customers information, and a handful of important vendors. Understanding the current environment can help you determine which certification is required.

Check out the Security You Already Have

Many companies that are researching ISO 27001 to start ups assume they will need to develop a completely new security company.

It’s possible that this is not accurate.

Modern startups could already have established cloud providers and need multi-factor identification, restricted employee access, system logs to manage the process of onboarding and offboarding. Current practices need to be assessed against ISO 27001 requirements, but starting with what is already in place can help avoid unnecessary duplicates.

The remainder of the work involves establishing policies, performing the risk assessment, finding the applicable Annex A controls, completing the Statement of Applicability and obtaining evidence.

You will now be able to determine which invoices are paid for by what

It’s easier to understand ISO 27001 costs when they don’t have to be summed into one number.

The initial costs for a small company could be anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000 based on the time devoted by employees, using software to guarantee compliance, and independent certification audit. Consulting can add another expense however, it’s optional rather than a mandatory requirement.

It is important to distinguish between ISO 27001 certification costs charged by a certified certification agency and the software costs. While compliance platforms can assist in coordinating the process, it is not able to issue the certificate. Certification is awarded by an independent audit.

Following the proof is the accusation

A policy that says the employee’s access to company resources is suspended after their departure is not sufficient. The auditor needs to verify that the procedure is implemented.

ISO 27001 is based on the distinction between saying and showing.

CertAssist was designed to help facilitate this process, without connecting to live systems of a company. It includes all the 93 ISO 27001 Annex A controls all in one place. It also includes customizable templates for policies and evidence, as well as a Declaration of Applicability.

If you have a small group, templates could also help to remove the tedious task of writing every policy on the beginning of a blank document.

The Final Line isn’t Certification Day.

A business that is launching at the beginning may need to take between three to six months getting prepared for certification. It will be contingent on the security procedures they have in place, and also the resources available. The certification body then conducts Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.

After passing the audits, it isn’t enough to put aside your ISMS. Controls and evidence have to be maintained and surveillance audits are conducted after certification.

This is an important factor to be considered when creating the program. Small businesses don’t just require an ISMS it can afford to create. It should have an ISMS that the team can utilize after the project has been completed.

The most efficient ISO 27001 program for a smaller business isn’t necessarily the most comprehensive. It’s the one that satisfies the standard, reflects authentic security practices, withstands independent scrutiny, and is in control when people return to their regular jobs.