ISO 27001 Guides

ISO 27001 is an international certification for information security management systems (ISMS), issued by accredited certification bodies. Unlike SOC 2 (which is a report), ISO 27001 gives you an actual certificate you can display. It's recognized globally and often required for European and government contracts.

ISO 27001 takes 3-4 months, faster than SOC 2 because there's no mandatory observation period. This includes 4-6 weeks for implementation, 1 week for internal audit, and 2-3 weeks for Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.

Overall pricing depends on scope, company size, and technical setup. Bastion reduces implementation time and overall costs by combining a GRC platform, dedicated security engineer, built-in security tooling, and audit coordination.

An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information. It includes people, processes, and technology, organized around risk management. ISO 27001 provides the framework for building and maintaining an ISMS.

ISO 27001 is designed for any organization and focuses on processes and documentation, while SOC 2 is designed for SaaS and cloud services with emphasis on technical controls. ISO 27001 produces a 3-year certificate; SOC 2 produces an annual audit report.

Organizations with international customers, European or Asian B2B clients, government contracts, or highly regulated industries typically need ISO 27001. French enterprises particularly value ISO 27001 for marketing and procurement requirements.

Control A.8.8 (Technical Vulnerability Management) requires identifying and addressing technical vulnerabilities, which can be satisfied through penetration testing or vulnerability scanning. Most auditors and customers expect pen testing for comprehensive assurance, making it a practical requirement.

ISO 27001 follows a 3-year cycle: Initial certification in Year 1, surveillance audits in Years 2-3, and full recertification in Year 4. Years 2-3 are lighter (3-5 hours vs 15 hours initial effort).

Annex A contains 93 controls across 4 domains: Organizational (37 controls), People (8 controls), Physical (14 controls), and Technological (34 controls). You select applicable controls based on your risk assessment.

Yes, startups often achieve certification faster than larger companies due to less legacy infrastructure and simpler processes. Companies with 5-10 employees regularly achieve ISO 27001 certification.