What MSPs Need to Know About ISO 27001 Compliance

Demonstrate network security compliance, reduce risk and gain competitive advantage

As a Managed Service Provider, compliance with certain standards can give your business the credibility and trustworthiness it needs to attract and retain specific clients operating in regulated sectors. 

In the same way that gaining certifications are vital to establishing individual credentials, organisational accreditation for an MSP is essential to determine the credentials and suitability of a technology service provider. 

Without being able to clearly demonstrate compliance, you could lose business and fall short when being compared to other MSPs in the same space. Simply put, if you want to be taken seriously, you must be able to demonstrate compliance with this globally recognised standard. 

What Is the ISO 27001 standard?

ISO 27001, also known as OSO/IEC 27001:2013, is an international standard that outlines a specification for an Information Security Management System. This globally recognised certification provides a clear framework of best practice for information security standards that gives organisations the information needed for the establishment, implementation, operation, monitoring, review, maintenance, and continuous improvement of an information security management system. 

What is the purpose of the ISO 27001 standard?

ISO 27001 was designed to help organisations protect their data in a systematic and cost-efficient way by adopting an Information Security Management System. The ISO 27001 standard can apply to any size of organisation, in any sector. 

Why is ISO 27001 important?

ISO 27001 provides organisations with the know-how to protect their information. When a Managed Service Provider becomes ISO 27001 certified, they demonstrate credibility and trustworthiness to clients and partners that their data is safeguarded effectively. As a globally recognised standard, it can increase business opportunities and help MSPs to secure more clients, particularly those in regulated industries across both public and private sectors. 

How does ISO 27001 work?

The focus of ISO 27001 is to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information in a company. This is done by finding out what potential problems could happen to the information (i.e., risk assessment), and then defining what needs to be done to prevent such problems from happening (i.e., risk mitigation or risk treatment).

Therefore, the main philosophy of ISO 27001 is based on a process for managing risks: find out where the risks are, and then systematically treat them, through the implementation of security controls (or safeguards).

How the ISO 27001 accreditation benefits MSPs

In a highly competitive landscape, Managed Service Providers must ensure their business remains competitive and credible at all times to all types of clients. 

Compliance with Legal and Contractual Requirements 

With an increasing number of contractual and regulatory stipulations relative to data security, and ISO 27001 accreditation for your MSP will enable many of these requirements to be met with ease. The standard offers the ideal methodology to comply, with the 27001 often being named as a requirement. 

Reduced Risk 

The overriding philosophy of ISO 27001 is to help organisations prevent security issues from occurring. Working with an MSP that holds a valid ISO 27001 accreditation will significantly reduce the risk of a data security breach.

Competitive Advantage 

Aside from immediately giving you opportunities to attract more clients and bid for more work, you gain credibility and trust from those looking to do business with you. An ISO 27001 certification sends a clear signal that you are serious about providing high-quality service and that you have invested time and effort to ensure your business has the right measures in place to provide the best network security compliance. 

In Conclusion 

As we’ve discussed, security certifications are vital to the success of any MSP who wants to win in an increasingly competitive landscape. From the end user’s perspective, the value of using an MSP comes from their ability to offer far better service levels than they could achieve on their own. However, following an increasing number of targeted attacks on MSPs and the increasing competitiveness of those in this sector, being able to demonstrate compliance with internationally recognised information security standards can help demonstrate a commitment to elite security and regulatory measures.

About Restorepoint

Restorepoint can help you meet internal or external network security standards, such as ISO 27001, and simplify network compliance auditing and reporting. You can drastically improve network security and compliance standards, manage network configuration backup and recovery quickly, along with monitoring, tracking, and managing your network inventory

As a managed service provider, you can rapidly deploy Restorepoint at scale, in either a single or distributed network environment; and as either a virtual or hardware appliance without the need for any additional software or licences. Book a live demo to find out more.

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