ISO 27001 is becoming a baseline requirement for doing business

Ryan Boyes, Senior Security Administrator at Galix.

---

Cyber threats are increasing in both frequency and sophistication, and organisations need a consistent way to manage information security. At the same time, businesses are increasingly being asked to prove how security is managed. Clients, partners and insurers are now requiring formal certification to recognised international standards as part of onboarding and risk assessment processes. 

ISO 27001 provides an auditable framework for protecting information, covering everything from access control to how systems and communications are secured. It is widely understood globally, which means international clients and partners recognise it as a credible security standard. For many South African organisations, ISO 27001 certification is no longer a nice-to-have. It is becoming a requirement for doing business, and one that must be demonstrably implemented and practically applied across the enterprise.

Many organisations assume that having security controls in place is enough. However, if these controls are not consistently applied, formally governed or regularly reviewed, they can introduce risk.

ISO 27001 addresses this by requiring organisations to implement an information security management system (ISMS). This means defining how information security is managed across the organisation, identifying risks, putting controls in place and assigning responsibility for how those controls are maintained.

To achieve ISO 27001 certification, organisations need to show that these processes are being followed and must provide evidence. This includes demonstrating how controls are applied, how incidents are managed and how security is reviewed and improved over time through internal audits and ongoing monitoring. This ensures security is applied consistently across the organisation and is verifiable during both certification and external audit processes.

Trek to the summit

00Days

:

00Hrs

:

00Min

:

00Sec

Large organisations are increasingly using ISO 27001 certification as part of how they assess suppliers and partners. For organisation such as Microsoft and Google, certification helps reduce the need for repeated audits and security questionnaires because it provides independent evidence that a recognised security standard has been implemented.

This expectation is now filtering through supply chains and client relationships. South African businesses that work with international clients or supply into larger organisations are being asked to certify as part of onboarding processes and, in some cases, to retain existing contracts.

While certification may be seen as an additional requirement, it also has practical benefits. It provides a clear way to demonstrate how security is managed, reduces the time spent responding to individual assurance requests and makes it easier to meet client expectations.

The same expectation is now also being applied by insurers. Cyber insurers in particular are placing more emphasis on how organisations manage security when assessing risk, determining cover and setting premiums.

ISO 27001 helps address this by providing a recognised framework that aligns with these requirements. Certification allows organisations to demonstrate that risks have been identified, controls are in place and security is being managed on an ongoing basis.

Organisations that can demonstrate this are generally in a stronger position when applying for cover, while those that cannot may face higher premiums or difficulty obtaining insurance.

ISO 27001 is no longer just a best practice or a compliance exercise – it is becoming a baseline expectation for organisations of all sizes. It provides a structured approach to managing information security and a recognised method of demonstrating that appropriate controls are in place, helping businesses meet client, partner and insurer expectations.

As a result, it is increasingly both a competitive advantage and a requirement for doing business. Importantly, certification is not a once-off exercise. It must be maintained, which means monitoring, reviewing and updating controls on an ongoing basis. Partnering with a cyber security and compliance specialist can help businesses ensure that their framework continues to meet both certification and business requirements.