5 Steps to Get ISO 27001 Certification
February 11, 2025
Achieving ISO 27001 certification is a significant milestone for any business looking to manage strong information security. It’s not only demonstrated your commitment to data protection but also increased your customer trust and compliance with regulations.
Here are 5 steps to get the ISO 27001 certification process smoothly:
1️⃣ Gap Analysis
The first step in your ISO 27001 journey is performing a gap analysis. This involves assessing your current security measures and comparing them against ISO 27001 requirements to set what’s already in your place and what’s still missing. By doing it, you can gain a clear understanding of your security posture and identify the areas that need some improvement before proceeding to the next steps.
2️⃣ Implement or Fix the Gap
After finding the gaps, the next step is to fix them by adding or improving the security measures. This could mean updating policies, improving risk management, or putting new security measures in place to meet ISO 27001 requirements. It’s also important to train your employees so they can understand their role in keeping the business secure and compliant, all the time. Remember: compliant to ISO 27001 is an ongoing everyday activity, not just a one-time exercise or before an audit.
3️⃣ Internal Audit
Before moving to the certification audit, you have to perform an internal audit to assess your business compliance. This is also a mandatory requirement by ISO 27001 clause 9.2. The internal audit, if performed correctly, helps you identify weaknesses and areas for improvement to meet the ISO 27001 requirements. We recommend a 1-2 months gap between internal audit and Stage 1 certification audit to make sure that you have ample time to fix the issues identified before the external auditor performs his assessment.
4️⃣ Stage 1 – Certification Audit
The Stage 1 Certification Audit is the first check done by an external certification audit firm. The auditors will check your documents for ISO 27001 certification. This step makes sure your business has everything needed before moving on to the Stage 2 Audit.
5️⃣ Stage 2 – Certification Audit
The Stage 2 Audit is the last and most important step. Certification auditors do a detailed check of how your Information Security Management System (ISMS), policies, and overall security measures are working in your business. If everything is good, after this audit then you’ll receive your ISO 27001 certification!
Ready to Get Your ISO 27001 or Start the Preparation Now?
ISO 27001 certification isn’t just about meeting requirements, it’s about building a strong security culture in your business. By following these 5 steps as; perform a gap analysis, implement or fix the gap, internal audit, stage 1 audit, and stage 2 audit; you can simplify the process and gain certification with confidence.
Need expert help? FEHA can guide you through steps 1-3 and help to prepare you for steps 4-5 successfully. Our compliance platform, bundled with AI agents and supported by security experts, helps your business to implement ISO 27001 controls efficiently and always compliant everyday.
