The process of obtaining ISO 27001 certification can be lengthy and comprise numerous distinct phases. Let us proceed through the various stages of the certification application process.
Integral Elements of ISO 27001 Compliance
Compliance with ISO 27001 requires the following essential elements:
The scoping process. It is imperative to thoroughly assess the scope of your information management systems and security initiatives. Which systems and information are safeguarded and which are not?
Risk evaluation. Perform a risk assessment in order to identify possible vulnerabilities. Consider which are intolerable (i.e., they must be resolved) and which are most susceptible to cyber security threats.
Gap examination. This is a comprehensive outline of the steps that must be taken to ensure certification and compliance.
The development of an ISMS. Your group will establish unambiguous procedures, encompassing protocols for training, testing, and deployment, in order to guarantee adherence to ISO 27001 standards and information security best practices.
Decision on certification. After completing all required 27001 compliance steps, an audit will be conducted, evidence of compliance will be provided, and an application for certification will be submitted. Accreditation is granted or denied by an accredited organization.
Certain of these components are critical to the certification process; therefore, we will elaborate on them in greater detail in the following section.
Phase 1: Scope Determination and Project Plan Development
It is imperative to establish and record the procedure that will be employed to accomplish the certification process. It is advisable to involve every member of the team, such as CTOs, DevOps leaders, and security specialists.
Prior to beginning the 27001 certification procedure, it is essential to obtain a fundamental understanding of your current situation.
It is necessary that you review:
What information is stored in which information management systems do you operate?
The extent to which the security systems and processes you currently employ encompass your complete ISMS
Your existing DevOps and implementation methodologies
The integration of your security tools with your technology infrastructure, which may include DevOps and programming tools.
Conduct a Gap Analysis and Risk Assessment in Phase 2
Following the compilation of an inventory of all information systems, it is imperative to undertake a risk assessment.
This procedure shall comprise the subsequent elements:
Establish evaluation and prioritization criteria for hazards.
Examine potential security hazards throughout your entire information system, including processes, hardware, information databases, and intellectual property.
Record every identified risk and evaluate which ones pose the most substantial and imminent dangers.
Assign immediate resolution priorities to risks while marking others for subsequent remediation.
Following the preliminary risk assessment, the gap analysis will assess the existing level of performance in relation to the specified standard required for certification.
Phase 3: Develop and implement security policies
In accordance with the findings of the gap analysis, the third stage of ISO cyber security certification entails the creation and deployment of novel security processes, policies, training, and tools.
Ensure that all new security policies and processes are thoroughly documented, and that your CTO and DevOps executives are aware of the rationale behind any modifications. You may decide to locate tools for continuous compliance that will assist you in monitoring the compliance of your team and flagging issues as they occur.
After establishing the necessary policies, initiate team training and incorporate any newly acquired tools into the technological framework. During this phase, it is advisable to address any high-risk security vulnerabilities that may already be present.
Phase 4: Conduct an ISO 27001 Audit
After this has been completed (and documented), an ISO 27001 certification application can be submitted.
Before anything else, an external ISO 27001 auditor will examine your ISMS documentation. Their objective is to verify that you have implemented the requisite policies and procedures to mitigate security risks and sustain continuous compliance.
After completing this, an examination of your security controls and business processes will ensue.
This is an exceptionally laborious procedure if data is collected by hand. However, if DevOps Compliance software is already implemented in your pipelines, you can effortlessly export the audit train for every deployment to a solitary CSV file. This file contains all the necessary data and eliminates the need to manually examine GitHub issues, CI logs, deployment logs, and other related sources.
It is unnecessary to compile evidence from continuous integration logs, deployment logs, and third-party applications; the necessary data will be readily accessible in a single location.
Successful candidates will be granted ISO 27001 certification. Certification is valid for three years from the date of issuance; recertification is an option thereafter.
Phase Five: Sustain Continuous Compliance
The work continues even after certification is obtained. Your organization is obligated to ensure continuous compliance by performing internal audits on a routine basis and remaining updated on all security processes and practices that initially earned your certification.
Constantly evolving cyber security threats and the regular deployment of dozens or even hundreds of deployments by DevOps teams at numerous large organizations render continuous security monitoring indispensable.
Closing Thoughts
Compliance with ISO security standards is highly recommended due to its global recognition and development by the International Electrotechnical Commission and The International Organization for Standardization.
In addition, certification is no longer required to be a challenging and demanding endeavor, as it was in the past. DevOps Monitoring tools can expedite and automate the entire change management portion of the certification audit, allowing you to obtain certification in an unprecedented amount of time and with minimal effort.