9 - Steps ISO 27001 Checklist for ISMS Implementation

Posted by Certification Consultant on July 23rd, 2022

ISO/IEC 27001 is a universal standard for maintaining and enlightening information security in organizations. The ISO 27001 Standard outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, keeping, and constantly improving an information security management system within the context of an organization. It also provides rules for evaluating and managing information security risks that are customized to the organization's needs. Individuals can benefit from ISO 27001 Audit Checklists, whether they are implementing an information security management system from scratch or converting or updating their existing system to meet ISO/IEC 27001. ISO 27001 Audit Checklists are ready-to-use ISO documents that can be used to plan, conduct, or start preparing for audits or assessments of any organization's ISO/IEC 27001-based information security management systems (ISMS).

Step 1: Assemble an implementation team

Firstly, it is important to appoint a project manager to supervise the ISMS implementation. A leader must be well in information security and have the authority to lead a team and give instructions to executives. The project manager will need the assistance of a set of people. Senior management can either choose the team or allow the team leader to do so. Once the team has been formed, they should develop a project mandate. 

Step 2: Develop the implementation plan

Following that, Start begins planning for the actual implementation. The project mandate will be used by the implementation team to create a more thorough explanation of their data security objectives, plan, and risk register.

Step 3: Initiate the ISMS

Now that the plan has been developed, it is time to choose which continuous improvement methodology to implement. ISO 27001 does not specify a specific method, instead guiding a "process approach." This is primarily a strategy of Plan-Do-Check-Act. Organizations also must develop an ISMS policy. This does not need to be detailed; it should simply outline what the implementation team hopes to accomplish and how they intend to accomplish it. When finished, it must be approved by the board.

Step 4: Define the ISMS scope

The next stage is to get a deeper understanding of the ISMS framework. This step is important in determining the scope of the ISMS and its impact on the day-to-day operations. The most crucial aspect of this process is determining the scope of the ISMS.

Step 5: Identify your security baseline

The security baseline of an organization is the lowest level of activity required to perform business safely. Using the data collected in the ISO 27001 risk assessment, individuals can identify the security baseline. This will help us to identify the organization's most critical security vulnerabilities and the ISO 27001 control to reduce the risk (outlined in Annex A of the Standard).

Step 6: Establish a risk management process

Mostly every aspect of the security system is built around the threats you have identified and prioritized, so risk management is an essential technique for any organization implementing ISO 27001. The Standard helps business to describe their risk management framework. Common methods concentrate on specific asset risks or risks introduced in scenarios. Organizations must define their risk acceptance criteria, which include the damage that threats will cause and the likelihood that they will occur.

Step 7: Implement a risk treatment plan

The process of constructing the security controls that will protect the organization's information assets is known as risk treatment plan implementation. To ensure that these controls are effective, ensure that staff can operate or interact with them and understand their information security responsibilities. The organization will also need to create a process for determining, reviewing, and maintaining the competencies required to meet the ISMS objectives. 

Step 8: Measure, monitor, and review

The organization will not know if the ISMS is working or not without reviewing it. It is recommended to do this at least once a year to keep an eye on the changing risk landscape. Identifying criteria that reflect the objectives specified in the project mandate is part of the review process. A quantitative analysis, in which an organization assigns a number to whatever it is measuring, is a common metric. This is useful when using items that have monetary or time costs. The findings of the internal audit will be used as inputs for the management review, which will feed into the process of continuous improvement.

Step 9: Certify the ISMS

After implementing the ISMS, the organization may decide to pursue ISO 27001 certification, in which case it is important to prepare for an external audit. Audits for certification are conducted in two stages. The initial audit determines whether the organization's ISMS has been developed by the requirements of ISO 27001. If the auditor is satisfied, an even more thorough investigation will be conducted. Another thing to consider is which certification body to use. This ensures that the review is conducted by an ISO 27001-certified body, as opposed to uncertified bodies, which frequently promise certification regardless of the organization's compliance posture.

Source: https://certificationauditchecklist.wordpress.com/2022/07/23/9-steps-iso-27001-checklist-for-isms-implementation/