3 Benefits of Having an ISO 27001 Certification

BENEFIT #1: Facilitate international business

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental organization that “brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.”

Due to the fact that ISO 27001 is internationally recognized for its effectiveness in mitigating IT and cybersecurity risks, it’s beneficial in acquiring new international business. It is the only auditable international standard that defines the requirements of information security management systems.

No matter where your customers are in the world, they can rest assured that their partner with an ISO 27001 certification is aligned with globally accepted and tested cybersecurity best practices.

BENEFIT #2: Gain a competitive advantage

With cybersecurity breaches on the rise, more and more companies are asking their potential vendors if they’re ISO 27001 certified. Many of them will not work with businesses that aren’t.

If a company sees that you have the ISO 27001 seal of approval, they know that you’ve already passed through an extensive audit. This eliminates hesitation on their end during their vendor evaluation process.

On top of that, ISO provides sets of standards that are 100% voluntary, meaning that when you boast a certification from them, you didn’t earn it just to check the box on a compliance requirement or law. Instead, you went through the certification process with the primary intention of strengthening your business. This demonstrates good governance and a passion for continually improving and protecting your customers.

BENEFIT #3: Strengthen your business

In the process of gaining an ISO 27001 certification, you’re inherently strengthening your organization’s cybersecurity (which in today’s technology-driven society is synonymous with the success of most businesses).

It requires you to take a hard look in the mirror. Does your cybersecurity program make your company as trustworthy as you’d like to be? You’ll be continually evaluating your policies and protocols against pieces of the standard, improving them to align with those best practices.

Once you’ve earned your ISO 27001 certification, the strong security culture that you’ve fostered will also provide you with a solid foundation to pursue other security certifications, such as SOC 2, NIST, or PCI DSS.