Research Analysis – ISO 27001 Standards

Research Analysis – ISO 27001 Standards

Introduction

ISO/IEC 27001 is a popular standard for information security management (ISMS) that is used to enable any organization to manage the security of its important assets, such as intellectual property, financial information, and other assets. ISO/IEC 27001 is among the ISO/IEC 27000 family, which specifies the requirements of establishing, implementing, and continually maintaining the information security management system in an organization. The ISO/IEC 27000 family includes the requirements for assessment d treatment of information security risks. Just like the ISO management system standards, certification to ISO/IEC 7001 is possible but not obligatory (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). Some organizations decide to implement the standard to benefit from the best practices it offers, but other organizations decide to adopt it to get certified to reassure their customers that the recommendations have been adhered to (Lopes & Guarda, 2019). This discussion focuses on evaluating whether ISO/IEC 27001 can apply to my organization and also evaluating its effectiveness regarding the very organization. Our assignment writing help is at affordable prices to students of all academic levels and academic disciplines.

In my opinion, ISO 27001 would work well in my organization since it comes with many aspects that are aimed at improving information security. The organization I work with has not yet adopted the information security management system, but since the company has grown, it must adopt the ISMS so that its data can be secure (ISO.org, 2021). The organization should adopt the ISO 27001 standard to help it secure its data; I think ISO 27001 would work well because, first,   this standard would help ensure that the organization is effectively managing its information security risks.  When the clients are assured that the organization can manage its information security, they will develop trust in its operations, which will boost its reputation (ISO.org, 2021).  When my organization adopts the ISO 27001 standards, it will be able to follow international best practices and will be able to put processes in place that help protect not only the customers but also the information assets such as electronic and hard copy data.

I’m also very sure that when ISO 27001 is adopted in this organization, it will enable the selection of both technical and appropriate controls to address the identified risks. This is because many of the GDPR data protection controls are recommended by ISO 27001. This implies that upon the adoption of this standard, this organization will be in a position to counter any emerging risks that could harm the organization’s information (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). ISO 27001 would work well in my organization because it is composed of three important elements of information security. These three elements include the people, the processes, and the technology. This means that when it adopts the standards, it will be able to protect its business from other popular threats, such as ineffective procedures and poorly informed staff (Lopes & Guarda, 2019). I’m hoping that the OISO 27001 would work well in this company because it is going to promote accountability. ISO 27001 requires an organization’s security system to be supported by the top leadership and incorporated into the organization’s culture and strategy.

The effectiveness of ISO in organizations that use it is commendable. First, the IS0 27001 standard enables the identification and elimination of threats and vulnerabilities. In the information system. The elimination of risk helps the organization to operate with minimal failure hence a high success rate (ISO.org, 2021). Secondly, ISO 27001 standards are effective since it is providing security and trust to all stakeholders such as business partners and customers. Effective use of these standards helps organizations adhere to international standards, hence winning the trust of their business partners and customers. The third way in which the standards are effective for the organization is that they help increase the capability of the organization’s management to foresee, manage, and survive a disaster (Lopes & Guarda, 2019). Using the standards makes it easier for the management to see future dangers and work towards mitigating them or reducing the impact of the disaster.

ISO 27001 is used in the organization to help improve security awareness. As employees observe the standards, they are guided on various security aspects, thus raising security awareness within the organization (ISO.org, 2021). ISO 27001 standards help the organization deepen its knowledge of its processes, assets, and liabilities. Thus, enabling the organization to understand its strategies and the challenges that need to be overcome to grow (Al-Ahmad, & MohamMad, 2013). The adoption of the ISO 27001 standards is helping in cost reduction and improvement of processes and services. When the risks are identified and mitigated, it means that the organization would save the cash that could have been used when the disaster occurred (Lopes & Guarda, 2019).  In other words, the standards help the organization to prevent disasters or reduce the magnitude of the disasters.

Apart from ISO 27001 standards, organizations can also use other effective standards to secure their information. Some of these standards or frameworks are ISO 27002 and ISO 27005, under the IUSO 27000 series. However, there are more frameworks, such as ITL, COBIT, Risk IT, and more (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). For example, control objectives for information and related technology (COBIT) are created by ISACA to assist business organizations in developing, organizing, and implementing strategies in information management. COBIT is appropriate for business organizations that have various industry sectors (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). Financial institutions prefer to use COBIT for their internal IT audit and risk assessment. COBIT is also used to create IT policies and procedures. One aspect that should be noted is that COBIT does not provide the methodology to conduct information security risk assessment; however, it establishes the foundation of having a strong IT organization.

Information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) is another framework that could be used in the organization to achieve good results. ITIL perceives any effort taken by IT to support the organization as a service that has value to the clients and the organization itself (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). It focuses on the management of IT services and covers all aspects of IT service provision. As an IT governance framework, ITIL offers an assurance and indication of the organization’s IT maturity (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). Therefore, like ISO 27001 and COBIT, ITIL is an appropriate framework that can be used in an organization’s information management to achieve a high level of data security.

More research shows that there are other frameworks that could address the risks in the information system. These formworks include risking IT and OCTAVE. The risks It framework provides a detailed end-to-end perspective of all the risks related to the deployment of the IT and thorough treatment of risk management (Al-Ahmad & Mohammad, 2013). It follows the same process as that of COBIT and tends to have three main components: risk governance and risk response. OCTAVE (operationally critical threat asset and vulnerability evaluation) is another framework that could be used in mitigating the risks in the information system. It is a detailed set of processes that help in making sure that the risks are identified and well-analyzed following the standard procedures (Al-Ahmad, & MohamMad, 2013). However, due to its high activity level, it is best suited for large organizations or projects with large amounts of information. OCTAVE has three models that can be modified to fit different organizations. They include the original OCTAVE method, OCTAVE-S, and OCTAVE Allegro.

References

Al-Ahmad, W & MohamMad, B. (2013). Addressing Information Security Risks by Adopting Standards.  International journal of information security science. Vol. 2, No. 2

ISO.org. (2021). ISO/IEC 27001 Information security management. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/isoiec-27001-information-security.html

Lopes, I& Guarda, T. (2019). How ISO 27001 can help achieve GDPR compliance. 14th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI).

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The required article readings this week give a good discussion and look at some of the frameworks that are used to manage risk within organizations and enterprises. One of the readings this week provided an introduction and comparison of different frameworks. As with anything, there are going to be strengths and weaknesses to all approaches.
For your week 3 research paper, please address the following in a properly formatted research paper:

Do you think that the ISO 27001 standard would work well in the organization that you currently or previously have worked for?

If you are currently using ISO 27001 as an ISMS framework, analyze its effectiveness as you perceive it in the organization.

Are there other frameworks mentioned that have been discussed in the article that might be more effective?

Does any other research you uncover suggest there are better frameworks to use for addressing risks?

Your paper should meet the following requirements:
Be approximately FOUR to SIX pages in length, not including the required cover page and reference page.
Follow APA 7 guidelines. Your paper should include an introduction, a body with fully developed content, and a conclusion.
Support your answers with the readings from the course and at least TWO SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLES to support your positions, claims, and observations, in addition to your textbook.