Running a company in today’s day and age is certainly not a walk in the park. Well, okay, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park in any day and age. It’s just that, as the world is changing, people are also changing the ways they are managing their businesses and keeping things running. In short, organizations are changing their behaviors to suit the requirements of the modern world, because they cannot succeed without that.
Among other things, businesses are nowadays highly reliant on information systems, and you may read why in this article. They use the systems to store, process, as well as transmit important and sensitive data. We all know that businesses deal with a huge amount of data, using it to grow and to improve their services and products, winning the trust of the end customers and thus establishing themselves as reliable on the market. Of course, in order to really be regarded as reliable and in order to really be trusted by their clients, they will need to manage the data they are using safely and securely.
Meaning what, exactly? Meaning that businesses have the responsibility of keeping the information safe and secure, and that goes for their own info, as well as for the info of their clients, investors, and any other stakeholders associated with their organization. After all, the stakeholders are certainly not going to trust those organizations that don’t know how to properly protect the data and avoid and fend off any cyber threats that may come their way. We all understand that information is power, which is why keeping it well protected is paramount for running a successful business.
Now, there are certain international standards, frameworks and rules that organizations need to be aware of and in compliance with in order to adequately protect the data. The ISO 27001 is one of those, setting out a number of important controls that organizations have to implement. To be more precise, organizations have to assess their risks and then implement a combination of different control mechanisms so as to address each and every one of those risks.
The ISO 27001 framework is basically the reason why Information Security Management Systems (ISMSs) exist. And, the ISMS is a key platform used to manage and implement those security controls, procedures and policies across an entire organization. Understanding what it is, why it is so important and how to set up your ISMS tool is, therefore, of crucial significance for all businesses that want to make it in today’s world and that want to show their stakeholders that they take information security seriously.
In case you have already come across the concept of ISMSs, then you probably have a few questions on your mind. For starters, you’re wondering what these systems entail in the first place. And then, you also want to know why they are so essential, as well as how to set yours up the right way. So, those are the question that we will be dealing with below, shedding light on pretty much everything you need to know about the ISMS tools and about how to use them to your advantage. Thus, without any more ado, let us start answering those questions for you right away.
Understand better what information security management is: https://wiki.en.it-processmaps.com/index.php/IT_Security_Management
What Is an Information Security Management System?
Surely, we will start with covering the very basics. Explaining what an ISMS tool actually is and what it entails will give you a much clearer idea on it, as well as lead you towards understanding why it is so important at all. Only after you’ve understood this concept and after you’ve understood its importance will you be ready to proceed towards figuring out how to exactly set the right system up for your specific organization, which is another topic we will cover for you below. One thing at a time, though, so let us first define this term for you.
We have made it clear that information is a rather valuable asset for all businesses nowadays. It is, however, also quite vulnerable, exposed to various cyber threats and various security risks. Well, an information security management system (ISMS) is actually the preferred method, under the ISO 27001, of ensuring data protection and controlling those risks. It allows organizations to not only identify, but also take the right actions towards lowering, the lurking threats associated with important information. Furthermore, it also helps identify the crucial opportunities for protecting the info and the associated assets.
What does this mean for your business specifically, though? Well, in short, it means that you will get to protect your company against dangerous data breaches, and ultimately minimize the impact of any kinds of disruptions. On top of all that, a great ISMS will help you stay in compliance with the important regulations, including the mentioned ISO 27001 standards, as well as the GDPR itself.
Companies have the responsibility of setting up their ISMS and making sure that it is working perfectly to keep the data properly protected. And, every ISMS has to focus on three key areas – confidentiality, integrity and availability. Let me quickly explain what all of those areas entail, before we proceed to the process of setting up your very own system.
Confidentiality, as you may have guessed it already, means that organizations have to ensure that no one other than the actual recipients can access or use the received data in any way that isn’t explicitly authorized. Then, there is integrity, which consists of making sure that no data is tampered with, that it is all truthful and that it is stored in a secure location. Finally, availability means that the authorized individuals can easily access and use the information.
How to Set Yours Up the Right Way?
Now, having figured out what these systems entail and why they are so important, the next thing you will have to do is understand how to set yours up the right way. And, this is done in a few rather important steps. First of all, you will need to write the ISMS guidelines, stating what goals you want to reach by implementing the system, as well as who it is that will take on the role and the responsibility of the information security officer. Of course, in this stage you also have to define what resources will be available to the officer, and which specific measures need to be implemented.
Moving on, you will have to identify and classify the assets and the info that you want to protect, defining how sensitive the different types actually are. Once you’ve done that, you can proceed towards defining the structures for the implementation of ISMS and for risk management. Naturally, it is in this stage that you’ll have to develop control mechanisms as well, serving to help you easily check whether the system is effective and successful when it comes to protecting the data.
From there, you will have to integrate the system into your everyday work, while making sure that you are doing that responsibly and that you are documenting everything along the way. And, it should go without saying that, upon developing an ISO 27001 ISMS, you shouldn’t assume that your work is done and that you never have to look into any of it again. Quite on the contrary, you will have to regularly review the results of the system, as well as determine the KPIs, aiming at then making the necessary adjustments and improving the areas that need to be improved. Apart from reviewing the results, you should also regularly review your goals, so as to understand if some changes need to be made to it as well.
Summing Up
As you have most likely understood, if you’ve been reading carefully, an ISMS tool is crucial for strengthening your organization’s information security management framework, as well as for effectively mitigating cybersecurity threats and risks. You shouldn’t, therefore, take it for granted. On the contrary, you should take time to develop the right system for your business.
And, in order to do that, you’ll need to ask yourself some crucial questions. Such as what it is that you want to achieve with the system and which resources your information security officer will have available to do so. Aim at not only creating, but also implementing and gradually optimizing your ISMS, regularly updating and improving it, so as to enhance security and achieve compliance.
Also Read: Safeguarding Information: Best Practices in Data Security
