A standards-based approach to delivering the exceptional.

Compliance is seen by many as a necessary – but not necessarily exciting – aspect of business operations. A box-ticking exercise that doesn’t usually evoke the same level of enthusiasm as ground-breaking ideas or transformative technologies.

We see things differently. Working to internationally recognised standards isn’t about meeting the bare minimum requirements but genuinely embracing the underlying principles. In our formative years, we were quick to see the benefits of pursuing a standards-based approach – elevated credibility and trust, enhanced consistency, improved risk management, a clear commitment to investing in customers’ success – and crucially, how that could open doors to new enterprise partnerships. As such, our early accreditation to ISO 9001 became a shorthand for our streamlined operations and proven quality practices.

ISO 27001: elevating security, inspiring trust.

Technology never stands still, heightening the need for assurances around security and reliability. So fast-forward to 2017, and we decided to pursue ISO 27001 accreditation at a time when it wasn’t yet a standard request (no pun intended) from enterprise customers.

ISO 27001 is the gold standard for information security management systems. It isn’t just a certification – it’s a commitment to excellence in safeguarding sensitive information, and a beacon of security in an increasingly interconnected world. This comprehensive framework sets out rigorous guidelines for identifying, assessing and mitigating known information security risks, and anticipating potential vulnerabilities. It provides assurance that we have robust controls in place to protect against unauthorised access, data breaches and other security threats, helping our customers to deliver their services with confidence.

Annexe-level approach to accreditation.

What differentiates our commitment to ISO 27001 is our adoption of annexes 17 and 18. These extensions focus on information security controls specifically related to the relationship between organisations and their customers.

• Annexe 17 addresses the information security aspects of business continuity management, which resonates with enterprise customers who understand how downtime can translate to revenue loss and reputational damage. By documenting and implementing strategies to?maintain operations during unforeseen disruptions, we can demonstrate our reliability as a hosting provider in meeting our customers’ needs for uninterrupted service delivery.
• Annexe 18 relates to meeting legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements, underscoring our commitment to empowering our customers to operate within a secure and compliant environment. For enterprise customers navigating complex regulatory landscapes – particularly in industries with strict data protection and privacy regulations – this means a reduced compliance burden, allowing them to redirect resources towards innovation and growth.

This enhanced scope doesn’t just bolster our security practices – it reinforces our dedication to being easy to do business with, by accelerating enterprise customers’ due diligence and procurement processes during vendor selection.

Compliance is a business benefit, not a burden.

Achieving ISO 27001 and its annexes would have been a feat in itself. But it was even more ambitious given that we managed accreditation within the same year as we obtained our Cyber Essentials certification and embraced the changes needed to meet the latest iteration of ISO 9001 following a comprehensive revision of the standard.

However, we firmly believe that achieving and maintaining our certifications is an investment in, rather than a burden on, our business. Embedding compliance measures into our everyday operations makes SIRE more streamlined, agile and resilient, and translates into customer confidence in our dependable service delivery and ability to safeguard their sensitive data.

We’ve seen a further benefit of ISO 27001 through our painstakingly detailed documentation in evidencing our best practices: the streamlined onboarding of new team members. Equipped with an interactive visual map of our processes, they can easily follow the links to the relevant procedures, effectively providing their work instruction. This helps new starters scale the learning curve faster while ensuring consistent application of methodologies across our business.

Empowering enterprises through proactive partnerships.

As a result of our accreditation journey, we’ve positioned ourselves as more than mere service providers. We are forward-thinking partners in our customers’ success, ensuring the reliability and high performance they need to deliver enterprise workloads so they can focus on their core capabilities and competitive differentiators. What you can expect from SIRE – which, dare we say it, you won’t get from the hosting behemoths – is personalised service, even as far as supporting customers to navigate their own audits. As trusted advisors, we go the extra mile to answer questions, offer insights and mentor customers, grounded in our own experiences.

In essence, ISO 27001 and its annexes offer our customers the assurance of a proposition based on security, reliability and strategic alignment to their priorities. Our proactive approach to adopting these standards transcends compliance – it reflects the SIRE mindset that values partnership, anticipates evolving needs and fosters absolute trust.