Don’t Stop at Certified: Beyond SOC 2 and ISO 27001

SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications help prove you have a strong, standardized information security management system (ISMS). While SOC 2 or ISO 27001 are a great start, beware of thinking that certifications are a cure-all solution.?

Why is SOC 2 or ISO 27001 a good place to start?

• High standards. Certifications require a systemic approach to identify, assess, and mitigate security risks that may raise your current compliance standards.

Think about it like earning a college degree. It attests that you went to school, attended classes, and passed the exams and papers to earn the degree.?

• Organization. To earn certifications, you need to think critically about your systems and processes. This analysis can reveal gaps and bad practices.?

This can be compared to the diet strategy of simply writing down everything you eat. It may force you to reconsider mindlessly eating those potato chips during the game.

• Competitive edge. An objective baseline will reassure your clients and investors that your systems are well-managed and your data is secure.

There’s a reason we put logos on websites and degrees on walls. A certification instills confidence that you’ve achieved the baseline that your customers can rely on.

• Prevent and stop bleeding quickly. If you’ve done things properly, the processes you’ve put in place to achieve the certifications can prepare you to identify and eliminate potential threats.?

For example, in the case of a data breach - if you’ve properly drafted and implemented an incident response procedure - you are ready to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents quickly.

But be careful thinking about SOC 2 or ISO 27001 as a cure-all solution…?

• Check-box mentality. An organization may check enough boxes to get certified, but that does not always translate to a strong culture of compliance. Don’t get complacent. During the certification process don’t just adopt policies and processes at the corporate level - make sure they’re implemented into your org’s culture. And after you are certified, prioritize continual monitoring, risk assessments, and adaptations.
• Specificity. Certifications apply to a wide range of industries and risks. You need to tailor your information security management system to align with your company’s unique risks.
• Evolving risks. Frameworks lag behind emerging threats and technologies. Think about the newest threats that may not be covered by the certifications like ransomware and AI-driven attacks.
• No Guarantee Against Breaches. While the certifications give a useful framework to manage compliance risks, they are not a foolproof way to completely prevent them. Companies should always be on guard to protect against attackers.
• Certification ≠ Compliance. A certification, by definition, creates a snapshot of your organization’s practice at a certain date. Regulatory compliance (for example GDPR) is systemic and ongoing. Compliance requires well-defined policies, procedures, and their effective implementation.??
• Cybersecurity ≠ privacy. These certifications are not privacy-focused. For instance, the GDPR requires organizations to create an inventory of personal data, fulfill data subject rights requests and document how/where data is processed and the legal bases for processing. These topics are not covered by these certifications.
• Insider threats and human errors. The certifications focus heavily on outsider threats. But don’t forget about insider attacks and the importance of good leadership and well-trained employees.

SOC 2 or ISO 27001 are a solid foundation to demonstrate basic compliance, but they're not a silver bullet. On top of the certifications, you should prioritize continual monitoring and maintain a strong compliance culture. A culture that focuses on processes tailored to your organization, rather than generic tick-box exercises.

#iso #iso27001 #soc2 #privacy #gdpr #ccpa #compliance #certification #ai

This article was coauthored with Noah Katz