Accelerating Aluma to ISO 27001 certification and beyond

The Challenge

Aluma’s CTO Mark Wightman and his team had already completed a lot of work on its ISMS by implementing core policies and controls using spreadsheets and templated documents.

“We had some home-grown spreadsheets and documents and had also explored some paid-for 27001 documentation toolkits.”

Mark Wightman Chief Technology Officer, Aluma

Mark came to us with a very clear understanding of the benefits of ISO 27001 certification. He knew that it would help his organisation boost its information security, win new customers and improve their internal information security practices.

Aluma had set itself a tight certification deadline and the road ahead looked challenging.

“We’d been struggling with our spreadsheets and feeling quite overwhelmed with the mechanics of the ISMS and in particular creating a risk register.”

Mark Wightman Chief Technology Officer, Aluma

The Solution

When Mark found our platform he had a love-at-first-sight moment.

“Once I saw the ISMS.online platform I immediately realised that it would massively simplify and streamline our work, by taking away the complexity of the mechanics, giving us a massive boost on policies and controls and generally guiding us in the right direction.”

Mark Wightman Chief Technology Officer, Aluma

Mark also signed up for our optional Virtual Coach, so he could draw on help from our ISMS support teams and ISO 27001 experts as and when needed.

He saw that our platform would simplify management of his ISMS through the lifecycle of its ISO 27001 certification. He could also use it to manage Aluma’s ISO 9001 certification and any other standards he chose to go for.

The Result

Aluma achieved ISO 27001 certification in just three months and ISMS.online has been an important part of their positive experience:

“What do we like about ISMS.online? The usability of the product, the approachable, friendly and helpful team – and your bundled advice and consultancy sessions!”

Mark Wightman Chief Technology Officer, Aluma

When we asked him what his favourite features were, he said:

“Your Adopt / Adapt / Add Policies and Controls gave us a great head start and are written in very accessible plain English.”

Mark Wightman Chief Technology Officer, Aluma

He added: “The Asset Inventory and Risk Register are easy to use, much easier than equivalent spreadsheets. Virtual Coach helped keep us focused on what matters and made sure we had all points covered that an auditor might look for.”

What’s Next?

Mark and the team plan to use our platform for the three-year lifespan of their ISO 27001 certification. They’re also using it to look after their ISO 9001 certification, creating the beginnings of an integrated management system. That’s inspired them to assess other standards and see which ones could help both them and their customers.