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As data breaches break headlines seemingly every week, and trust is increasingly fragile, businesses need more than good intentions when it comes to cyber security. They need structure, accountability, and proof. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (often shortened to ISO 27001) is an internationally recognised standard for information security, and provides all of the above. Often referred to as the “gold standard” within the cyber security compliance sphere, ISO 27001 isn’t just a badge of honour. It’s a practical framework for building a security posture that can withstand real-world threats.
While it may seem like just another certification to achieve, ISO 27001 sets itself apart in both scope and credibility. This article will discuss what makes it so highly regarded, and how automation can make achieving it far less daunting.
The Evolution of ISO 27001
The roots of ISO 27001 stretch back to the mid-1990s with a British standard known as BS 7799 “Code of Practice for Information Security Management”. First published by the British Standards Institute, the standard outlined a structured approach to the management of information security through 127 different controls. Recognising the need for global consistency in information technology and security, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), alongside the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), adopted BS 7799 as ISO/IEC 17799, later becoming ISO/IEC 27001 in November 2005.
Since then, it has become the most widely adopted information security standard across the world, most recently being updated in 2022 to address various emerging technologies and threats. Unlike other compliance frameworks or regulations, ISO 27001 does not focus on specific sectors or technologies, being specifically designed to be incorporated into any organisation. Its flexibility, combined with its depth, has made it the the benchmark by which security maturity is often measured.
What ISO 27001 Actually Requires
What sets ISO 27001 apart from other standards is its emphasis on building and maintaining an Information Security Management System (ISMS). Rather than a list of technical fixes or requirements, an ISMS is a living, breathing system that is designed to evolve alongside a business and ensure that security is built in across all operations.
In order to comply with the standard, businesses must conduct a formal risk assessment, identify and prioritise threats to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, and implement controls that are both appropriate and effective. These controls are drawn from Annex A of the standard and cover a wide range of areas, such as access management, physical security, cryptography, and business continuity.
ISO 27001 also goes further than just implementing controls. It requires explicit commitment from leadership, clear policy documentation, defined responsibilities, internal audits, corrective measures, and regular reviews, thus pushing an organisation to turn secure practices into a habit, rather than an infrequent concern.
Why ISO 27001 Is So Highly Respected
The reputation of ISO 27001 is built on the careful balance it strikes between flexibility and intensity. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather allows businesses to adapt it to their their own internal structure. Regardless of the industry or sector, any business can use ISO 27001 to identify risks, apply the appropriate controls, and continuously improve on their security.
While the standard itself receive occasional updates, with the most recent 2022 version including better alignment with cloud environments, remote working post pandemic, and emerging cyber threats, the standard also forces businesses to constantly adjust and adapt to new risks facing it, thus ensuring that businesses aren’t blindly following outdated practices with the aim of getting a certificate.
Above all, ISO 27001 is valued because it forces an organisation to change the way it thinks about security, bringing it out of the IT department and into the boardroom. it encourages collaboration and discussion across departments, fostering critical thinking and setting goals for constant improvement. A business that holds an ISO 27001 certification demonstrates to others that they not only take their security seriously, but that they are committed to maintaining secure practices across their entire organisation.
Automating the Journey with OneClickComply
While the benefits of ISO 27001 look good on paper, the process of achieving the standard can feel incredibly overwhelming for even the most well prepared organisation. The documentation requirements are extensive, the control mapping is complex, and maintaining compliance over time, rather than just during an audit, is often an ongoing struggle.
This is where OneClickComply can make a tangible difference. Rather than offering static templates, or task trackers that don’t help much, the OneClickComply platform supports your compliance efforts from start to finish and beyond.
For businesses starting from scratch, OneClickComply can automatically implement technical controls across various environments, such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and AWS, all in a single click. The platform can also automatically generate various policies required for various security standards, tailoring them to your actual security controls and approach so that they always reflect the truth. This automated approach saves your business significant amounts of time, energy and stress, whether you’re working towards Cyber Essentials for the first time, or implementing ISO 27001 at the highest level.
Businesses that have already made efforts towards compliance can also benefit from OneClickComply. The platform automatically scans your environments for prior work, marking it as complete and ensuring that you don’t duplicate your work. If you also have any pre-written policies, the platform can ingest these and automatically update them to match any updates you make to your security posture.
As your ISMS evolves, the OneClickComply platform will continuously monitor your compliance status, alerting you of any changes and allowing you to fix any issues in a single click. That means no frantic preparation ahead of an audit, no worries about undetected non-compliance, and no handwritten spreadsheets acting as a last line of defence.
In short, OneClickComply turns ISO 27001 from a massive, highly complex project, into a manageable, continuous process that supports your business at all stages.
Final Thoughts
ISO 27001 has rightfully earned its place as the gold standard in information security, not just because of what it asks, but rather because of what it builds within an organisation: resilience, security, and trust.
But implementing ISO 27001 shouldn’t mean losing months to documentation or crossing your fingers that your cloud settings stay aligned between audits. With OneClickComply, compliance becomes not only manageable, but part of daily operations.
