Information Security Management in ISO 27001: Your People Are Your Power

It’s widely accepted that information security management is a responsibility that spans entire businesses. It falls not to a sole information security expert but to everyone from C-suite to new hires.

Employee engagement in information security is also central to ISO 27001 compliance. Many organisations require their suppliers to be ISO 27001 certified to reduce risk to their own data and their supply chain. The standard has eight controls guiding how your organisations should manage their people to reduce risk, including a specific information security awareness, education and training control.

With many cyber incidents targeting employees, developing a culture of security awareness within your organisation is vital. This will help you avoid costly breaches and help employees become your organisation’s biggest security champions.

The Need for a Robust ISMS

Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly advanced. It’s an issue at a global scale: 100% of respondents to our State of Information Security Report 2024 said their organisation had received fines for data breaches or violations of data protection rules in the last 12 months. Technology like generative AI provides new opportunities for threat actors, and businesses are struggling to keep up with the growing range of potential attack methods, many of which rely on human error. 

Faced with these evolving cyber threats, organisations must consider how best to safeguard their digital assets. An ISO 27001-compliant information security management system (ISMS) can help your business manage risk and demonstrate your robust information security approach to stakeholders, customers, prospects, and regulators. ISO 27001 compliance requires your organisation to have policies and procedures in place for the secure handling and transfer of information and appropriate authentication methods to limit unauthorised access. 

The ISMS.online platform provides a streamlined policy creation and management experience. With fully templated, quickly customisable information security policies included, organisations can easily select and implement policies relevant to their business needs. The policy packs feature also allows you to assemble and distribute comprehensive policy packs to appropriate employees and suppliers, ensuring your staff and supply chain have up-to-date knowledge.

Threat Actors Rely on Human Error

Employees are often the first point of attack for threat actors looking to gain unauthorised access to an organisation’s information. Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 68% of breaches involved a human element, not including malicious insider threats. Phishing and social engineering attacks are common, but remote working can offer a larger attack surface for threat actors should an employee’s home network security be lax. 

Bring your own device (BYOD) can also be an entry point for attackers; 35% of our State of Information Security Report respondents said that employees had used personal devices for work purposes without proper security measures in the last 12 months. This could include anything from not keeping their device’s software up to date to causing data theft by using a public WiFi network with insufficient security measures.

ISO 27001 compliance helps organisations reduce the risks associated with employees using their devices for work purposes. Annex A.8.1 requires businesses to create a policy encompassing the secure configuration and use of user endpoint devices; this includes registering devices on an asset register and implementing rules for installing and updating device software. Employees should be made aware of this policy and their duties to comply with it. 

Organisations can bolster employee awareness with the user endpoint device policy and other relevant policies through education and training, which is also required for ISO 27001 compliance. Encouragingly, 45% of respondents to our State of Information Security Report said they’d adopted a greater focus on employee education and awareness in the last 12 months. They shared that learning management platforms (35%) were most effective at improving skills and understanding, followed by external training providers (32%). 

Foster Employee Engagement in Security With ISMS.online

We know it’s critical to empower and engage personnel regarding their role in your organisation’s information security. The ISMS.online platform makes this easy. The Virtual Coach module acts as a 24/7 mentor, providing instant access to expert advice. It contains a library of videos, checklists, and guides focused specifically on ISO 27001 and is always available to you and your employees. With Virtual Coach, fostering a learning environment that aligns with ISO 27001’s continuous improvement requirements is easier than ever.

Real-time compliance tracking lets you see who has completed training and adhered to policies; this can be tracked in your customisable dashboard to ensure oversight and accountability. 

Use the platform’s policy management feature to create specific policy packs for each team in your business. Your sales team doesn’t have the same authorisations and responsibilities as your development team, and vice versa; easily send only relevant policies to each team using ISMS.online. The follow-up feature automatically reminds your employees of their required policy reading, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual chasing.

Case Study: KPS 

Adopting ISMS.online enabled digital transformation expert KPS to strengthen and unify its information security management across the organisation, sparking meaningful internal conversations. Peter Wells, Risk and Compliance Manager at KPS, said: “A major benefit of implementing ISMS.online is that it’s forced us to have a lot more conversations internally around risk management and compliance, which historically we’ve seldom done as a group.”

Read more in the KPS case study.

Case Study: Kocho

IT services and consulting expert Kocho agrees that the ISMS.online interface improved its approach to risk reviews, building a culture of compliance organisation-wide. Steve Martin, Head of Sustainability and Compliance at Kocho said: “ISMS.online revolutionised our risk reviews. We streamlined our processes, improved visibility, and increased engagement. People are now excited to participate because the process is quick and efficient, and it’s easier to hold everyone accountable. It’s a spectacular difference.”

Read more in the Kocho case study

ISMS.online: Streamlining Your Information Security Management

Easy Integration

The ISMS.online platform integrates with your existing business processes, so you can maintain existing compliance efforts and business as usual while you work to streamline your information security management within the platform. Easily integrate tools like OneDrive, Google Drive and other document management systems with our ISMS software so you can house all your processes in one place. 

Flexible Platform

Working towards information security certifications using a platform that fits your organisation’s specific needs makes compliance management far more straightforward. With customisation options including custom risk maps, categories and projects, ISMS.online enables you to build a compliance solution that aligns with how you and your organisation work. The ISMS.online platform adapts to your organisational requirements, allowing you to maintain, monitor and continually improve your information security.

Comprehensive Risk Management Capabilities

Risk management is a crucial element of ISO 27001 compliance, defining how you assess and treat risks to your organisation’s assets. To support continuous risk assessment and mitigation, the ISMS.online risk management tool includes a risk bank with pre-defined risks and links to relevant controls. This approach enables you to mitigate asset risks by quickly identifying and implementing appropriate controls. The platform’s customisable risk maps and categories also enhance the effectiveness of your organisation’s ISMS.

Ongoing Support

As a customer, you’ll always be able to access support when you need it. Your dedicated Customer Success Manager will support you and your organisation to ensure a smooth, effective compliance journey. The Virtual Coach module, containing various videos, guides, and documentation, is available 24/7. Additionally, the Assured Results Method (ARM) module offers a step-by-step guide to achieving ISO 27001 certification, ensuring no aspect of information security is overlooked. 

The Faster Route to Compliance

With a growing range of cyber threats relying on human error, employee engagement in information security is vital for any organisation. ISO 27001 compliance, with the standard’s requirements for a robust ISMS and continuous improvement and its focus on employee awareness, is one way organisations can bolster their defences. The ISMS.online platform makes ISO 27001 compliance faster, simpler, and less stressful, helping to foster the company-wide information security culture that helps businesses effectively combat and mitigate cyber risk. 

Act now to engage your employees and strengthen your information security – book your demo today.