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About 44,000 organizations are ISO 27001 certified and that number continues to grow each year. It’s clear that organizations are coming to understand its importance in the current business environment, but it can be difficult to make sense of if you aren’t familiar with this concept. In this post, we’ll provide an overview of what ISO 27001 is, why it’s important, best practices to help you achieve certification, and more. 

TL;DR:

ISO 27001 is the international standard for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It helps organizations protect data, reduce risk, and build customer trust by aligning processes with a globally recognized framework. 

To achieve compliance, companies must define scope, assess risk, document controls and policies, perform internal audits, and complete a two-stage external certification audit. 

The process typically takes six to 18 months and costs between $10,000 and $35,000 in the first year.

What is ISO 27001 Compliance?

ISO 27001 is the international standard that describes best practices for an Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It’s based on a set of ISO 27001 controls and measures, which organizations can use to achieve information security. 

The ISO 27001 standard requires that you have procedures in place to cover aspects of the ISMS, including:

• Information security risk management (What are the risks you face and how do you treat those risks?)

• Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation (How is the effectiveness of the information security management system evaluated?)

• Improvement (How are nonconformities evaluated and corrected?)

Who Needs ISO 27001?

Any business experiencing growth in international markets that wants to demonstrate to  customers they are preserving the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information by applying a risk management process can benefit from ISO 27001. The primary focus is empowering organizations to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their ISMS.

What are the Benefits of ISO 27001 Certification?

The ISO 27001 standard is an effective way to keep your company’s information secure when you take the right steps to implement it. 

Earn Customer Trust

ISO 27001 certification signals that your organization follows a globally recognized framework for managing information security. It represents an independent, third-party validation that you’ve implemented and maintained a security program that meets strict international standards.

For customers (especially those in regulated or risk-averse industries), this certification builds confidence that their data will be handled responsibly and securely. It also shows that your team proactively addresses threats, manages risk, and takes compliance seriously.

Trust is often the differentiator in competitive deal cycles. ISO 27001 gives you something concrete to point to, backed by evidence instead of promises.

Reduce Risk of Data Breaches

ISO 27001 requires organizations to take a structured, risk-based approach to identifying and mitigating threats. That means you're proactively assessing vulnerabilities, documenting security controls, and enforcing safeguards across your infrastructure.

Controls span everything from access management and encryption to vendor oversight and incident response. As a result, security becomes a repeatable process backed by policy, automation, and accountability.

While certification doesn’t guarantee immunity from data breaches, it drastically reduces the likelihood of one occurring, and its impact if it does.

Create a Repeatable Security Process

One of the most valuable outcomes of ISO 27001 certification is operational discipline. The framework requires organizations to define, document, implement, and maintain security processes across departments, and then continuously improve them over time.

That includes formal internal audits, periodic risk assessments, corrective actions, and management reviews, all of which are baked into the certification lifecycle. Your security posture becomes sustainable and self-correcting.

Strengthen Cross-Functional Security Ownership

ISO 27001 doesn’t live in one department. Achieving and maintaining certification calls for coordination across engineering, IT, HR, legal, operations, and executive leadership. Each team plays a role in implementing controls, maintaining documentation, and ensuring policies are followed.

The certification process explicitly defines these responsibilities, thus holding teams accountable for their part in protecting information assets. Over time, this builds a stronger culture of security operationalized across the business.

Meet Multiple Security Frameworks Faster

ISO 27001 shares foundational elements with other major frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST. That means if you’re already certified under ISO 27001, you’ve likely addressed 60 to 80% of what’s required by those other standards.

This overlap saves time and effort when expanding into new markets or industries. Instead of starting fresh for every audit or regulatory requirement, you can map your existing controls to additional frameworks and reuse documentation, risk assessments, and evidence.

What Are the ISO 27001 Requirements?

Once you begin digging into the world of ISO 27001, it can become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Looking at the standard by each clause makes it much more manageable for organizations.

The current version of the standard, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, replaced the previous ISO/IEC 27001:2013 revision. The 2022 update introduced structural changes, a refreshed control set in Annex A (93 instead of 114), and clearer expectations around continuous improvement, stakeholder context, and risk treatment planning. The revised Annex A groups controls into four domains:

• Organizational (37 controls): Policies, roles and responsibilities, risk management, supplier relationships, asset classification, and incident response planning.

• People (8 controls): Background checks, onboarding and offboarding procedures, security awareness training, responsibilities, and user accountability.

• Physical (14 controls): Office entry controls, workstation placement, equipment protection, secure disposal, and protection from environmental threats.

• Technological (34 controls): Access control, authentication, encryption, monitoring, endpoint protection, network security, and system configuration.

While these controls form the backbone of your ISMS, they’re guided by the clauses: the seven sections (4–10) you must implement to achieve certification. These outline how to plan, manage, and continuously improve your security program.

Clauses 0 to 3 are:

• Introduction

• Scope

• Normative references

• Terms and definitions

These cover the basics of ISO 27001 and provide the context you need to begin to understand the core concepts. Clauses 4 to 10 provide ISO 27001 requirements organizations need to meet to conform with the standard.

A Closer Look at Clauses 4-10

Understanding each of these clauses is critical to success with ISO 27001. Here’s a brief summary of what you need to know about each one.

Clause 4: Context of the Organization

It’s important to understand the organization’s context—its environment and its relationships. These elements will include understanding the needs of both internal and external interested parties relevant to the ISMS and determining the boundaries and applicability of ISMS to establish its scope. 

Clause 5: Leadership

You’ll need solid leadership to succeed. Leadership is required to establish the information security policy and information security objectives, decide on strategic objectives and ensure that adequate resources needed for the ISMS are available. They also need to assign responsibilities and promote continual improvement.

Clause 6: Planning 

You must factor in all risks and opportunities before taking further steps. Do a risk assessment and assess the realistic likelihood and occurrence of the risk identified and determine the level of risk. Based on the risk assessment results, select appropriate risk treatment options and determine all controls necessary to implement the information security risk treatment options selected. 

You must create a statement of applicability (SoA) that contains the necessary controls and justifications for inclusion, whether they are implemented and justification for exclusions of controls from Annex A.

Clause 7: Support 

For your team to conform to the  ISO 27001 standard, they need information to support their actions. This means establishing resources, training, and communication policies that keep everyone in the loop, as well as documenting key details.

Clause 8: Operation

Processes are what keeps everyone on the same page with effective information security risk management. Design processes that promote a security-first mindset and be sure to take control of the implementation of these processes. Unintended changes will need to be evaluated to mitigate adverse effects, as necessary. 

Clause 9: Performance Evaluation

You must evaluate the information security performance and effectiveness of the ISMS and determine the procedures for monitoring the ISMS. If your organization is pursuing or maintaining ISO 27001 certification, you’ll also need to perform internal  audits at planned intervals, and top management will also need to review your ISMS at planned intervals to ensure its continuing effectiveness.

Clause 10: Improvement

There’s almost always room for improvement. After your evaluation, follow up by taking action and addressing any issues you uncover. Additionally, you can continue to look for opportunities to improve as your organization evolves.

Considering Annex A: Reference Control Objectives and Controls

Annex A provides organizations with a list of controls that need to be evaluated to determine if they are necessary for mitigating risk. They aren’t mandatory. However, you are required to determine if all necessary Annex A controls have been considered and necessary ones haven’t been omitted.

10 Steps to Become ISO 27001 Compliant

If you’re not sure where to start for ISO 27001 certification, here’s a basic outline to help guide you through. 

1. Define Your ISMS Scope 

One of the most important steps in becoming ISO 27001 certified is defining the scope of your ISMS. Your scope should cover your organization’s systems, processes, locations, services, applications, departments, people, and data, etc. that make up the components of your ISMS.

2. Perform a Risk Assessment

To ensure your ISMS addresses threats appropriately and conforms with ISO 27001, you’ll need to perform a risk assessment. A risk assessment will help you identify the necessary controls to mitigate applicable risk. For risks that require mitigation strategies, you will need to create risk treatment plans.

3. Complete Your Statement of Applicability

As mentioned above, your SoA should state which Annex A controls were determined to be necessary for inclusion  to treat the risks outlined in your risk assessment and justification for which Annex A controls were excluded. 

4. Document Your Information Security Policies

The policies you implement will become the foundation of your information security strategy and should be defined, approved, published, and communicated with the broader organization. Your policy should be relevant to your organization, clarify your information security objectives, show a commitment to satisfy ISO 27001 requirements and the included Annex A controls, and ensure continuous improvement of the ISMS.

5. Operationalize Your ISMS 

Operationalize your ISMS by implementing processes to meet Clauses 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. These clauses cover planning, risk assessment, document control, procedure implementation, monitoring, and how your strategy and policies will remain current with updates and improvements. 

Ensure your strategy and policies are synced with tactical activities that prove your ISMS is operational and repeatable—meaning you’re able to assess risks, execute control processes, track metrics, and identify and implement corrective actions. 

6. Perform an Internal Audit

An internal audit is required to be completed as a means of independently monitoring your ISMS. The internal audit will help you find any nonconformities, determine the effectiveness of your ISMS, and discover any potential opportunities for improvement.

7. Implement Corrective Actions From Internal Audit

From the findings in your internal audit, implement corrective actions for any nonconformities. Your plan should include: 

• The nonconformity identified. 

• How you intend to correct, control, and deal with the consequences of the nonconformity.

• The root cause of the nonconformity.

• The effectiveness of your correction. 

8. Review Your ISMS

It’s required for senior-level management to continuously review the ISMS to ensure its effectiveness and that it meets your organization’s objectives. 

Schedule recurring review meetings that go over: 

• Internal or external changes that impact the ISMS. 

• Status updates on past ISMS reviews.

• Feedback from internal audits, risk assessments, and interested parties.

• Any updates or improvements. 

Be sure to document the results and actions from your reviews.  

9. Engage an Accredited Certification Body

Once you’re ready to go for ISO 27001 certification, you’ll need to choose an accredited certification body to perform the ISO 27001 audit—Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits. A Stage 1 audit primarily reviews your documentation and determines your readiness for Stage 2. Stage 2 is a full review of your ISMS to ensure conformance with the requirements, that applicable controls are implemented and effective, and that you meet your internal policies and procedures. 

10. Implement Corrective Actions From Identified Nonconformities

Findings in your audit may create an opportunity to improve your information security strategy. If your auditor identified any nonconformities, be sure to implement corrective actions and track their effectiveness.  

How Long Does it Take to Become ISO 27001 Certified?

Most organizations take between six and 18 months to become ISO 27001 certified.

The timeline depends on your starting point. If you already have strong security practices in place, you may move faster. If you're starting from scratch, expect a longer runway to build your information security management system (ISMS), define controls, document policies, and run internal audits.

The certification audit itself usually takes a few weeks, but preparation is the real time investment.

How Much Does it Cost to Become ISO 27001 Certified?

ISO 27001 certification costs fall between $10,000 and $35,000 in the first year. For small companies with fewer than 50 employees, the initial certification audit (Stage 1 and Stage 2) often costs under $15,000. Larger organizations, especially those with complex infrastructure, multiple teams, or international operations, should expect to budget at least $20,000 or more for the audit alone.

But certification isn’t just about the audit. To get audit-ready, organizations typically invest in:

• Internal audits, which are required annually and often cost $5,000 to $15,000

• Policy documentation and control implementation, which can demand significant internal time or third-party support

• Security awareness training and new tooling, like encryption, access controls, and endpoint protection

• Testing, including penetration tests (starting around $4,000) and vulnerability scans (around $2,500)

• Productivity shifts, as internal teams spend time preparing evidence, remediating gaps, and supporting auditors

There are also ongoing costs to consider, such as annual surveillance audits (usually $5,000 to $10,000 per year) and full recertification every three years.

While the upfront costs can feel steep, ISO 27001 often saves time and money in the long run by helping companies avoid security incidents, speed up vendor reviews, and prepare for additional frameworks like SOC 2 or GDPR.

How Drata Simplifies ISO 27001 Certification

Getting ISO 27001 certified takes time, coordination, and ongoing maintenance. Drata helps reduce that effort, and turns a manual, audit-heavy process into a system you can manage continuously:

• Automated evidence collection pulls data directly from your tech stack

• Pre-mapped policies and controls slash the amount of time yoy spend writing from scratch

• Continuous control monitoring keeps your ISMS ready year-round

• Internal audit tools help you stay compliant between certifications

• Audit Hub gives your auditor direct access to mapped controls and documentation

Drata helps you move faster, stay organized, and reduce risk without increasing overhead. 

ISO 27001 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below we answer common questions about ISO 27001.

What does ISO Stand For?

ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization. It's an independent, non-governmental organization that develops and publishes international standards for a wide range of industries, including information security, quality management, environmental safety, and more.

The name “ISO” comes from the Greek word isos, meaning “equal.” That’s why it stays “ISO” regardless of the organization’s name in different languages.

What Does it Mean to be ISO 27001 Certified?

ISO 27001 certification means your organization has built, implemented, and maintains an information security management system (ISMS) that meets the ISO/IEC 27001 international standard. A third-party certification body reviews your ISMS to ensure it effectively protects data and manages security risks across people, processes, and technology.

Certification confirms that your security practices follow a globally recognized, risk-based framework, and that your organization is committed to ongoing information security and continuous improvement.

Is ISO Certification Mandatory?

No, ISO 27001 certification isn't legally mandatory. However, it’s often a business requirement.

Regulators don’t require ISO 27001, but many enterprise customers, government contracts, and international markets expect it. Certification is often used as proof that your organization follows security best practices and can be trusted with sensitive data.

For SaaS providers, fintech, healthcare tech, and global service vendors, ISO 27001 can be the difference between closing deals and getting blocked during security reviews.

Why is ISO 27001 Certification Important?

ISO 27001 certification is important because it proves your organization takes information security seriously and has the systems to back it up.

It builds trust with customers, reduces the risk of data breaches, and helps meet regulatory or contractual obligations (e.g., GDPR). Certification also gives your company a structured, repeatable way to manage risk, improve resilience, and respond to threats.

What are the Main Principles of ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is built around the fundamental principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, often referred to as the CIA triad. These principles guide how organizations protect information and manage risk:

• Confidentiality: Ensuring that sensitive information is accessible only to those authorized to access it.

• Integrity: Safeguarding the accuracy and completeness of information and processing methods.

• Availability: Making sure authorized users have access to information and systems when needed.

These principles are implemented through a structured Information Security Management System (ISMS), supported by documented policies, risk assessments, internal audits, and continual improvement practices.