If your company is looking to obtain ISO 27001 certification, it’s important that you conduct a gap analysis as part of the process. This type of analysis will assist you in finding any shortcomings so you can make the required improvements to your Information Security Management System (ISMS).
What is a Gap Analysis?
In the context of ISO 27001, it is an evaluation of your ISMS’s current state, versus its desired state. Identifying these differences will help you address areas of improvement required, prior to applying for certification.
There are two parts to a gap analysis:
- Identifying which requirements of ISO 27001 your ISMS does not currently meet
- Developing a corrective action plan to address any improvement areas
Why is a Gap Analysis important?
Essentially it ensures that you are taking a comprehensive approach when implementing ISO 27001. It also allows you to implement any issues before they become problems or non-conformities. By identifying and addressing these gaps in your ISMS now, you can avoid any delays in the certification process.
Without this analysis, you run the risk of submitting your application for certification without addressing all the requirements. This can lead to delays in the process, further financial overheads, and could create a risk of failing the audit and having to start from scratch.
How to conduct a Gap Analysis
There are some key steps that you need to take to conduct an effective analysis.
- Define the scope of the ISMS
- Assess the current state of the ISMS against its desired state
- Verify that the desired state meets the requirements of ISO 27001
- Run a comparison to identify any differences
- Document the results
- Create a plan to address any identified gaps
- Verify that all identified corrective action has been taken
Outsourcing your Gap Analysis to an expert ISO 27001 consultant
Conducting a gap analysis can be easily outsourced to a consultant with experience in ISO 27001. The consultant will review your current ISMS documentation and compare it to the requirements of ISO 27001 and advise on any corrective action that must be taken.
If you choose to work with Inavate you will benefit from over 20 years+ of experience. We will delve into the ISMS and prepare an audit report, which will serve as a gap analysis, this will assist you in getting audit experience as well as detailing any areas that need to be addressed. We can help you to ensure that you are meeting all the requirements of the standard as well as assist you with the required corrective action, giving you the green light for ISO 27001 certification.
