An information security management system (ISMS) is a set of policies, processes, and procedures that help businesses protect their data. The goal is to ensure compliance with legal regulations and company policies while safeguarding sensitive information. If you already have an ISO 27001 certification, then you know how important it is to maintain a secure ISMS. But what do you do when your current system isn’t working for you?
The benefits of continual improvement
Continual improvement refers to the practice of continuously monitoring and improving your systems in order to achieve higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness. This concept can be applied to any process or procedure within your business, including your ISMS. Implementing periodic reviews and restructure measures can help make sure that your system works for you by reducing common risks and helping prevent security lapses.
Advantages of restructuring your ISMS
Restructuring your ISMS has numerous benefits, such as providing better control over data protection activities, streamlining processes, and increasing the efficiency of your organisation through improved communication between departments. Restructuring can also help provide clarity on roles and responsibilities throughout the organisation so that everyone knows who is responsible for what tasks. It also helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned with the same goals and objectives when it comes to protecting data.
Our top tips for clarifying your ISMS and making it work for you
- Review your objectives – What do you want ISO 27001 to deliver?
The first step in determining whether your ISMS is working for you is to review your objectives. What are you hoping to achieve with your ISMS?
- Maintaining ISO27001 Certification?
- Design, develop and manage a secure cloud application?
- Compliance with customer and partner requirements for information security?
- Protect customer information by configuring and managing IT systems to minimise the risk of cyber-attack or data breach?
- Adhere to legislative requirements for information security and privacy?
- Continually review and improve information security practices?
Once you have defined your objectives, describe how you are going to achieve them, then you can develop metrics to measure whether your ISMS is effective and aligned with the business.
- Re-affirm your risks
Your ISMS should wrap around your business and specific risks that you have identified. Too often businesses have numerous complex IT controls and policies that do not align with the risks the business faces. Instead, Security Teams should sit with the business to understand and identify their concerns related to the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of information.
This should utilise current people, processes, and technology. Too often, organisations focus on one area at the expense of the others. For example, they may invest heavily in security technologies but fail to properly train employees on how to use them. Or they may have well-defined security processes but fail to give their employees the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. A holistic approach will help you to identify and address gaps in all three areas.
- Update your people
One of the most important aspects of an effective ISMS is people training. Your people are the first line of defence against security threats, so it’s important that they know how to identify and report potential risks. They should also be familiar with your organisation’s security policies and procedures so that they can help to enforce them. Make sure that your training program is comprehensive and up-to-date, and that it covers both new and existing employees.
- Validate your controls
You should regularly test your systems and procedures to ensure that they are working as intended. This includes testing for vulnerabilities, such as unpatched software or weak passwords, as well as testing for compliance with internal policies and external regulations. Regular testing will help you to identify any weaknesses in your system so that you can address them before they are exploited by attackers.
Continual improvement with ongoing maintenance
Maintaining an effective information security management system is essential for any business in today’s digital landscape. Without one, businesses are at risk of losing access to sensitive data or suffering financial losses due to lapses in security protocols or compliance violations.
That is why continual improvement—through periodic reviews, restructure measures, and improved communication—is essential for ensuring that your ISMS works for you.
By implementing these measures, businesses can reduce common risks associated with handling data and specific risks raised by the business while increasing customer confidence in their data protection efforts. With proper review and restructure methods in place, businesses can create a secure environment where all stakeholders are aligned with the same goals when it comes to protecting data from internal and external threats.
