To maintain growth, SaaS companies must instil trust and faith in their ability to secure data and manage data management. The best approach to demonstrate this confidence is to get your security controls accredited by independent organisations with global recognition.
One such instance of an international endorsement of your security standards’ resilience is the ISO 27001 accreditation. It strengthens your competitive advantage and indicates your dedication to upholding international standards.
So, the ISO 27001 audit is essential to determining whether your company complies with the standard. How can you know if you are prepared for an audit? Continue reading to learn more about the sorts of ISO 27001 audits and how to prepare for them.
How Are ISO 27001 Audits Conducted Both Internally and Externally?
Here’s how ISO 27001 is conducted:
External ISO 27001
External ISO 27001 audits are frequently used to acquire and retain the certification, similar to the internal auditing procedure. The external accreditation agencies that adhere to methodological standards will set the external audits. After resources are allocated, days, hours, and locations are decided upon, and an audit plan is approved, the audit will comply with the program.
The many kinds of external audits and the steps involved in performing them are as follows:
- Recertification Audit
- Surveillance Audit
Internal ISO 27001
As part of an internal audit, a thorough evaluation of your firm’s ISMS is done to ensure it complies with the standards. In contrast to a review, this audit is carried out by your staff, and the outcome will be used to inform the expansion of your ISMS.
It is crucial to remember that if a company lacks qualified and impartial in-house auditors, audits can be carried out by a contracted supplier. Considering that the supplier serves as the customer’s “inside source,” “2nd party audits” are frequently employed.
The primary steps in carrying out an internal audit are as follows:
- Management Review
- Documentation Review
- Field Review
- Analysis
- Report
How Frequently Should an ISO 27001 Audit Be Conducted?
The frequency of internal audits is not specified in ISO 27001, as in many other standards. This is because each organisation’s ISMS is unique. Industry professionals advise doing internal ISO 27001 audits at least once per year.
Since most ISO 27001 certification bodies only verify an organisation’s ISMS for three years on average, this won’t always be feasible; thus, you must conduct an audit at least every three years. After that, there is a good chance the organisation will no longer comply with any laws.
Take Away
The ISO 27001 audit is essential for ensuring that your organisation’s ISMS is followed. Accreditation will enable your business to trust clients and other stakeholders. Its primary goal is to verify that an organisation’s ISMS is effectively deployed and run.
Organisations must also understand when an ISO 27001 audit is necessary and recognise the value of hiring certified auditors to complete the task.