ISO 27001 Implementation

Checklist

Before you can reap the many benefits of ISO 27001, you first need to familiarise yourself with the Standard and its core requirements.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2013, ISO/IEC 27002:2013 and ISO 27000:2018 standards will serve as your principal points of reference.

If you’re thinking about implementing an ISO 27001-based information security management system (ISMS), our foundation course will give you the essential knowledge you need to get started. This course will provide you with a basic understanding of the Standard, including a clear overview of the documentation that is needed to support it.

Solutions

• Download free ISO 27001 resources 
• ​IT Governance - An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ ISO27002 
• Nine Steps to Success – An ISO 27001 Implementation Overview  
• Familiarise yourself with the official standards

Checklist

You will first need to appoint a project leader to manage the project (if it will be someone other than yourself).

Second, you will need to embark on an information-gathering exercise to review senior-level objectives and set information security goals. Third, you should develop a project plan and project risk register.

Solutions

• ISO 27001 Toolkit

​The ISO 27001 Toolkit includes a range of project tools that will help you tackle the ISMS.

• ​Certified ISO 27001 ISMS Lead Implementer training course

The Lead Implementer course teaches you how to implement an ISMS from beginning to end, including how to overcome common pitfalls and challenges.

Checklist

A gap analysis helps you determine which areas of the organisation aren’t compliant with ISO 27001, and what you need to do to become compliant.

Solutions

• ISO 27001 toolkit

This toolkit includes an ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 27002:2013 gap analysis tool that will help you assess yourself against the Standard’s requirements. 

• ISO 27001 Gap Analysis

A downloadable tool, that can help assess your organsation's current state of ISO/IEC 27001:2013 compliance. 

Checklist

Scoping requires you to decide which information assets to ring-fence and protect. Doing this correctly is essential, because a scope that’s too big will escalate the time and cost of the project, and a scope that’s too small will leave your organisation vulnerable to risks that weren’t considered. 

Solutions

• Certified ISO 27001 ISMS Lead Implementer training course

Find out how to scope the ISMS effectively by attending the definitive ISO 27001 Lead Implementer course.

Checklist

You should set out high-level policies for the ISMS that establish roles and responsibilities and define rules for its continual improvement.

Additionally, you need to consider how to raise ISMS project awareness through both internal and external communication.

Solutions

• ISO 27001 Toolkit

The ISO 27001 toolkit will save you weeks of work trying to develop all the required policies and procedures.

Checklist

Risk assessments are the core of any ISMS and involve five important aspects: establishing a risk management framework, identifying, analysing, and evaluating risks, and selecting risk treatment options.

The risk assessment also helps identify whether your organisation’s controls are necessary and cost-effective. 

Solutions

• Download our free risk assessment and ISO 27001 green paper

Download this green paper to discover the three stages of the
ISO 27001 risk assessment process and how to use risk assessment to achieve maximum benefits. 

• vsRisk

Undertake error-proof risk assessments with the leading ISO 27001 risk assessment tool, vsRisk, which includes a database of risks and the corresponding ISO 27001 controls, in addition to an automated framework that enables you to conduct the risk assessment accurately and effectively. 

Checklist

Controls should be applied to manage or reduce risks identified in the risk assessment.

ISO 27001 requires organisations to compare any controls against its own list of best practices, which are contained in Annex A. Creating documentation is the most time-consuming part of implementing an ISMS.

Solutions

• ISO 27001 Toolkit  

The ISO 27001 toolkit provides a full set of the required policies and procedures, mapped against the controls of ISO 27001, ready for you to customise and implement.

• vsRisk

vsRisk includes a full set of controls from Annex A of ISO 27001 in addition to controls from other leading frameworks.

Checklist

The risk treatment plan (RTP) and Statement of Applicability (SoA) are key documents required for an ISO 27001 compliance project. 

The SoA lists all the controls identified in ISO 27001, details whether each control has been applied and explains why it was included or excluded. The RTP describes the steps to be taken to deal with each risk identified in the risk assessment. 

Solutions

• vsRisk

vsRisk provides all the documentation you need to satisfy auditor requirements.

Checklist

Human error has been widely demonstrated as the weakest link in cyber security. Therefore, all employees should receive regular training to increase their awareness of information security issues and the purpose of the ISMS.

Solutions

• ISO 27001 E-learning training course 

E-learning courses are a cost-effective solution for improving general staff awareness about information security and the ISMS. 

Checklist

ISO 27001 requires regular audits and testing to be carried out. This is to ensure that the controls are working as they should be and that the incident response plans are functioning effectively. Additionally, top management should review the performance of the ISMS at least annually.

Solutions

• Lead auditor training course
• Lead implementer and lead auditor combination course

Our lead auditor courses give you the skills to successfully undertake or lead an ISMS audit project. 

Checklist

If you opt for certification, the certification body you use should be properly accredited by a recognised national accreditation body and a member of the International Accreditation Forum. 

Your chosen certification body will review your management system documentation, check that you have implemented appropriate controls and conduct a site audit to test the procedures in practice. 

Solutions

• Certified ISO 27001 ISMS Lead Implementer training course

The Lead Implementer course teaches you how to implement an ISMS from beginning to end, including how to overcome common pitfalls and challenges.