ISO 27001 Certifications

Considered the gold standard in information security, ISO/IEC 27001:2022—often shortened to ISO 27001—is a globally recognized compliance framework that sets baseline requirements for establishing, operating, monitoring, maintaining, and continuously improving an organization’s information security management system (ISMS). Compliance with this standard demonstrates that your organization has implemented sound policies for managing and reducing risk.

To achieve ISO 27001 certification, your organization must undergo a multi-stage process that begins with an internal audit to assess whether your ISMS has been developed, implemented, and maintained in accordance with your own internal standards as well as the requirements of ISO 27001. 

Following the internal audit, you will be ready to begin the two-stage remediation and certification process, also called the “certification audit.” During Stage 1, the BARR Advisory team will test the design of your organization’s ISMS, including reviewing documentation and identifying nonconformities. During Stage 2, we test the effectiveness of your ISMS and check to ensure that areas of concern have been remediated.

Once issued, ISO 27001 certifications are valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits required in the interim. 

First introduced in 2019, ISO/IEC 27701:2019—also called simply ISO 27701—builds on ISO 27001 with a special focus on data privacy. Specifically designed for organizations that process personally identifiable information (PII), ISO 27701 outlines requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a privacy information management system (PIMS).

ISO 27701 certification demonstrates that your organization has built and implemented a program for protecting PII in line with global privacy best practices. Because data privacy relies on strong cybersecurity practices, ISO 27701 certification cannot be achieved without a valid ISO/IEC 27001 certification.

Like ISO 27001, ISO 27701 certifications are valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits required in the interim. 

ISO/IEC 27017:2015—or ISO 27017, for short—is an internationally accepted compliance standard that serves as an extension of ISO 27001 with a specific focus on cloud security. 

Achieving ISO 27017 certification requires seven additional controls that are unique to cloud services, as well as 37 controls that are implemented through ISO 27002. The framework covers a wide range of areas, including data protection, access control, incident response, and risk management. 

ISO 27017 is not a standalone certification; it must be achieved alongside an ISO 27001 certification. ISO 27001 certifications that incorporate ISO 27017 controls are valid for three years, during which time organizations are required to complete annual surveillance audits to ensure continued compliance.

ISO/IEC 27018:2019—also called ISO 27018—is an extension of ISO 27001 that provides a privacy-specific framework for cloud service providers (CSPs) that process personally identifiable information (PII). 

ISO 27018 is not a standalone certification. ISO 27018 certification must be achieved alongside ISO 27001 certification, and adds 24 additional controls that are unique to CSPs. Those controls are focused on safeguarding PII in cloud environments, such as secure data deletion, restrictions on processing, and user transparency.

ISO 27018 certification is valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits required in the interim. 

Formally known as ISO/IEC 42001:2023, ISO 42001 mandates numerous controls for establishing, operating, monitoring, and continually improving an organization’s AI management system (AIMS).

To achieve ISO 42001 certification, an organization must have deep-rooted methodologies for ensuring the ethical, responsible use of AI, along with an established framework to help identify, manage, and reduce risks related to AI use and development.

Achieving ISO 42001 certification shows that an organization has taken steps to ensure its use and development of AI is ethical, transparent, and aligned with global best practices.

An ISO 42001 certification is valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits required in the interim to maintain compliance.

The time it takes to obtain ISO 27001 certification can vary depending on the size and complexity of the organization, its current level of information security maturity, and the resources allocated to the certification process. Generally, organizations can expect the certification process to take anywhere from several months to over a year.

Certification to ISO/IEC 27001 is a multi-step process, which includes two stages of the audit process. Learn more about what to expect during your ISO/IEC 27001 audit.

The initial ISO/IEC 27001 certification issued is valid for three years from the issuance date. At least annually, surveillance audits are conducted to help ensure your organization complies with ISO/IEC 27001.

As an internationally recognized standard for information security management systems, ISO/IEC 27001 offers numerous benefits to organizations. Obtaining certification for ISO/IEC 27001 gives organizations a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Undergoing an ISO/IEC 27001 audit demonstrates an organization’s commitment to cybersecurity best practices, enhancing trust among stakeholders and customers.

ISO/IEC 27001 can be used to provide a security framework in a wide range of organizations — from small, medium, or large enterprises, and for most commercial and industrial market sectors.

It is commonly used in finance and insurance, telecommunications, healthcare, utilities, retail and manufacturing sectors, various service industries, transportation sectors, government, and many others.

No, it is not legally required in the United States, however, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the established standard for certification of an organization’s information security management system (ISMS). Recognized globally, this framework establishes processes for organizations to implement, monitor, operate, and maintain the ISMS.

When conforming to the newly updated ISO 27001:2022 standard, there’s a three-year transition period for all organizations. ISO 27001:2013 certificates will expire or be withdrawn no later than October 31, 2025. For organizations working toward a certification, companies are eligible to certify against the 2013 version up until October 31, 2023.

ISO/IEC 27001 outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an organization’s information security management system (ISMS). It is an internationally accepted cybersecurity compliance standard and is a valuable way to differentiate your organization as it demonstrates compliance with industry standards and your commitment to information security.

Businesses may choose to swap certification bodies for a variety of reasons, including being dissatisfied with the auditor’s performance or pricing. Even if your team enjoys working with your current certification body, it might be a smart business decision to change auditors during an active certification cycle. Check out this blog post to learn the four steps we recommend to switch your certification body.

While certifying toward ISO 27001 takes a certain amount of initial planning, its flexibility means most requirements will map over seamlessly with SOC 2 controls. BARR’s team of experts can leverage our resources to map SOC 2 control requirements during your ISO 27001 meetings, allowing your organization to bypass additional walkthroughs to obtain a SOC 2 Type 2 report simultaneously. This will save you countless hours and resources, streamlining your journey to achieving two of the highest levels of information security. 

In addition, HITRUST CSF can serve as a risk assessment for the ISO 27001 audit. If your organization has HITRUST in place, your external assessor can help by providing expert guidance on your risk management strategies and offer feedback on how to close any identified gaps ahead of time. This can help avoid potential nonconformities during your ISO 27001 audit, since ISO 27001 auditors cannot provide guidance on fixing issues or mitigating gaps.

A pre-assessment is not required, but a formal readiness assessment against the ISO 27001 standard can help organizations prepare for initial certification by examining your risk management process and governance strategies to identify deficiencies in your ISMS. 

ISO 27001 auditors cannot provide guidance on fixing issues or mitigating gaps, so performing a readiness assessment helps ensure your organization is set up for success. Contact us today to get started.

In 2021, BARR earned the prestigious ISO 17021 accreditation for certification to ISO 27001:2013 from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). In May 2023, we announced our accreditation to certify cloud-based organizations against the newly released ISO 27001:2022 standard. Accreditation by the ANAB—North America’s largest multidisciplinary accreditation body—validates BARR’s competence and independence in assessing the people, processes, and technology within a service organization’s ISMS.

Together, BARR Certifications and BARR Advisory are one of only a handful of firms in the nation that meet the ANAB, AICPA, and HITRUST requirements to issue ISO certifications, assess security controls for SOC 2 audit reports, and perform HITRUST testing for validation. BARR is also a PCI Qualified Security Assessor firm, allowing us to perform PCI DSS audits.