As humans, we constantly strive for improvement; whether it's our mission to climb that career ladder, testing our endurance to achieve a fitness goal, or finding new ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. Making positive changes to our lives demonstrates a commitment to ourselves, it makes us feel good and perform better.
In the world of ISO 27001, the same applies to your Information Security Management System (ISMS). If we identify areas for improvement, implement the necessary changes, and monitor the results, we'll achieve better information security performance over time.
In this article we'll explore what continual improvement is, why you need to do it, and how to implement it.
What is ISO 27001 Continual Improvement?
Like many other ISO standards, ISO 27001 focuses on continual improvement. Considering how quickly things can change within an organisation, as well as constantly evolving threats, this is possibly one of the most crucial areas of the standard.
Continual improvement involves an ongoing process of finding vulnerable areas where security can be strengthened, updated, and developed. To achieve ISO 27001 Continual Improvement, you can't cut corners – so, no more skipping leg day!
There's no room for complacency when it comes to maintaining a healthy Information Security Management System (ISMS). Realistically, your management system will never operate perfectly - you will always find improvement opportunities.
Why do we need to continually improve our ISMS?
A requirement of the standard for ISO 27001 Certification outlines that organisations are on top of their management system and committed to consistently monitoring and refining it. It's one of the ISO 27001 Controls, so you can't really avoid it. Nice try, though.
Is ISO 27001 Continual Improvement mandatory?
Whilst it's not explicitly mandatory, the standard expects a certain level of progression over time. ISO 27001 places significant emphasis on the value of continual improvement as a vital principle within an effective ISMS.
It encourages organisations to regularly improve the performance, effectiveness, and efficiency of their information security controls and processes. This approach allows organisations to adapt to developing threats, keep up with technological advancements, and address ever-changing organisational needs and challenges.
ISO 27001 Continual Improvement checklist
Following these 7 steps will drive continual improvement in your organisation, helping you comply with ISO 27001 requirements, and ultimately, getting you certification-ready:
Policy
Set up a clear information security policy and establish objectives that align with its overall business goals. These objectives will identify areas for improvement.
Monitoring
Create performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of your information security controls and processes. Regular monitoring and metrics help to pinpoint areas of vulnerability and improvement opportunities.
Internal Audits
Frequent internal audits must be performed to evaluate compliance with the ISO 27001 standard as well as your organisation's own policies and procedures, so get a plan in place. Audits help to detect non-conformities and areas for improvement.
Management Review
Your management team should carry out regular reviews of your ISMS to assess its performance, identify issues, and allocate resources. Management review meetings offer a forum to talk about audit results, risk assessments, and other actions required.
Correct and Prevent
When non-conformities, incidents, or weak spots are identified, your organisation must take suitable action. Corrective actions tackle existing issues, while preventive actions aim to avert recurrence or lessen potential risks.
Change Management
Your organisation should have a process in place to manage modifications in the ISMS, evaluating the impact of modifications on information security, carrying out the necessary controls, and monitoring the outcomes.
Employee Involvement
Continual improvement efforts should apply to employees at all levels. They should be briefed to report non-conformities, propose improvements, and get involved in training programs to boost their awareness of what's required to achieve continual improvement.
Conclusion
To show you are continuously improving the suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of your ISMS, all you need to do is follow the steps above - and remember, document everything! Details matter when it comes to audits, showing you're compliant, and achieving certification.
The bottom line is, continuous improvement is an ongoing process that takes effort. It's a cycle of continual enhancement. The only way to ensure sustainable progress is to review, refine, and repeat the process consistently.
All sound a bit too complicated? Save bags of time with these ready-to-edit templates that fully comply with ISO 27001 clause 10.1.
Author
Stuart Barker | Stuart is a cyber security expert known as the ISO 27001 Ninja, and author of the best-selling ISO 27001 Toolkit. He is Director at High Table, the ISO 27001 Company: https://hightable.io