An ISO 27001 audit is an assessment procedure that guarantees your company’s ISMS is current with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 criteria. To get and maintain ISO 27001 accreditation, organisations should pass several frequent external and internal audits. Moreover, ISO 27001 confirms that an organisation’s ISMS procedures are adequate to protect its information, records, and other knowledge sources.
An ISO 27001 certification also provides an edge over the competition by demonstrating that a company’s security processes are more stringent and in line with global requirements. This post focuses on internal audits and the steps for a successful ISO 27001 audit.
What Is ISO 27001 Internal Audit?
The internal ISO 27001 audit determines if an organisation’s ISMS satisfies the standards. These audits might be carried out by an internal person appointed by the independent auditors or administration. The ISO 27001 internal audit, which examines gaps, vulnerabilities, and non-conformities in the ISMS, is comparable to a survey conducted before the external audit. While generating an internal audit evaluation, the internal audit will look at the efficiency of the ISMS and your data.
The 5 Steps to a Successful ISO 27001 Audit
Internal audit functions are required for ISO 27001 adherence, so be certain you know what you’re doing. Take these procedures to guarantee your internal audit’s effectiveness.
#1 Pre-audit Survey and Scoping
To define the emphasis of the audit and which domains fall outside the range, you should undertake a risk-based evaluation. Business studies, prior ISMS assessments, or other publications, including the ISMS guideline, might be used as data sources.
Check that the audit scope is related to the organisation and generally corresponds with the scope of the ISMS being validated. Auditors might be required to assess how the ISMS is deployed in every company in big businesses.
#2. Preparation and Planning
When deciding on the ISMS audit range, auditors have to explore it deeper. This entails creating an ISMS audit project schedule wherein the audit’s schedule and resources are settled with the administration.
Furthermore, traditional program development charts could be helpful. Audit plans establish and describe the upcoming audit stages, and they frequently contain checkpoints, which outline particular possibilities for auditors to make unofficial intermediate findings to management.
#3 Fieldwork
Auditors should collect evidence by examining personnel, supervisors, and other ISMS participants, read through documentation, records, and statistics, and see ISMS procedures in operation. Tests and audit work documents are needed to verify evidence as it is acquired, and the auditor often begins investigations by evaluating paperwork related to and resulting from the ISMS.
#4. Evaluation
The audit evidence must be organised, registered, and evaluated in light of the dangers and regulation goals. Sometimes, the analysis could discover loopholes in the data or the requirement of more audit procedures, including additional field testing.
#5 Reporting
This vital part of the auditing procedure often includes the following:
- An introduction that clarifies the range, goals, timeframe, and scope of the work done.
- An executive summary includes important results, a short interpretation, and a conclusion.
- The target receivers of the report, as well as categorisation and distribution standards, if applicable.
- Extensive Outcomes and Evaluations
- Conclusions and Suggestions
- An auditor’s report outlining proposals or scope constraints.
The administration must be provided with and debate the draught audit report. Since the official information often includes the administration agreeing to a strategic plan, more analysis and adjustment could be required.
Conclusion
An ISO 27001 audit is required to complete the ISO 27001 certification process. After these audits are completed, a company can only appear to follow global best practices for managing data security. In some instances, enterprises might be unable to engage with collaborators or clients that contractually need ISO 27001 compliance to enter or extend an agreement. This might make ISO 27001 audits critical for companies looking to gain or maintain customers in their sector.