Since 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed thousands of international standards geared toward quality assurance across a multitude of sectors and activities. The organization does not, however, carry out the ISO certification process. That is done by an external accredited certification body.

The ISO 27001 standard allows organizations to maintain the security of the data assets they store and handle (for example, intellectual property, customer data, and financial data).

How Long is the ISO 27001 Certificate Valid Once Issued?

The ISO/IEC 27001 certification is valid for three years from the date of issue.

How Do You Maintain an ISO 27001 Certification?

The ISO 27001 certification process is not a one-and-done exercise. Once ISO-certified, an organization must maintain compliance throughout the three years that the certificate is valid to qualify for recertification.

There are five steps to maintaining compliance, which includes maintaining information security policies, upholding strong management standards, and showing that your business is always striving for continual improvement over time.

  1. Use your information security management system (ISMS) for daily business operations.
  2. Review and update any documentation (for example, policies and procedures) to assure it accurately reflects how the business evolves.
  3. Conduct tests and continually review risks as the threat landscape changes, so any potential new risks are identified.
  4. Conduct internal audits and management reviews every six months to a year in order to stay updated on any cybersecurity threats or vulnerabilities and remain current on changes to the ISMS.
  5. Take corrective actions to remediate any ISMS nonconformity issues as soon as they are discovered, and keep thorough evidence of the improvements made.

Renewing ISO 27001 Certification

How Often Do You Renew ISO 27001 Certification?

The ISO 27001 certification must be renewed every three years or the organization will risk the certification becoming invalid. The ISMS, however, must be maintained throughout the three years.

What Does Renewing Iso 27001 Certification Entail?

To get the ISO 27001 certification updated, it’s wise to start with an internal audit and gap analysis to review current policies and procedures to find any potential nonconformities. If nonconformities are found, it’s best to remediate them prior to undergoing the recertification audit.

Once it’s time for recertification, the auditor will conduct an assessment of your internal practices, review documentation, and perform any internal audits necessary.

After the audit is complete, the auditor will provide a report that provides a pass or fail result. In the event that an organization fails, the report will include any corrective actions that must be taken within 15 days to be recertified.

Is the ISO 27001 Certification Worth it?

Although ISO 27001 certification is not mandatory by law, many organizations choose to get an official certification depending on the type of data assets they store, or if they conduct business with third-party partners that require the accreditation.

There are many benefits to achieving the ISO 27001 certification, such as:

  • Boosting international recognition
  • Demonstrating commitment toward risk management and cybersecurity best practices
  • Differentiating your company from the competition
  • Increased productivity by moving toward more efficient processes

Some organizations may decide to achieve ISO 27001 certification in pursuit of their business objectives. In this case, it’s worth considering whether the certification is required by industry standards, whether the direct competitors are certified, if the company plans to do business internationally, or if there is a contractual obligation to achieve and maintain certification.

What Is the Cost of ISO 27001 Certification?

When considering the ISO 27001 certification cost, organizations must factor in the investment of implementing the information security management system (ISMS), the certification auditing costs, and the certification body used to conduct the audit.

In addition, the total cost will depend on various factors, such as the size of your organization, the maturity level of the ISMS, the processes implemented, and the cost of internal and external resources (such as the lead auditor) used. Typically, for smaller businesses with simpler scopes, it will be less expensive since the auditors likely won’t need too much time to conduct the audit process.

Lastly, when preparing a budget for the ISO 27001 certification, consider that the costs will take place over three years based on the auditing and certification cycle:

  • Stage 1 and 2 initial audit and certification audit
  • Surveillance audit 1 and surveillance audit 2
  • Recertification in the 3rd year

Find Out How Reciprocity Can Help You Manage Your Compliance Requirements

You don’t have to pursue your ISO 27001 recertification alone. Reciprocity ZenComply can help save you time and ensure you’re meeting the requirements of the standard.

With ZenComply, you can start your first audit within 30 minutes. A prescriptive workflow guides you step-by-step in scoping your requirements and controls. Associated evidence requests and tasks are automatically created using an “ask once and comply with many” approach to sharing and reusing controls across frameworks, you can eliminate audit fatigue while ensuring an efficient, and consistent process.

See it in action for yourself. Book a demo of ZenComply today!