We’re thrilled to announce that Roadmap has achieved ISO 27001 certification, a globally recognised standard for information security management! This milestone underscores our commitment to safeguarding our customers' data and maintaining the highest level of trust and security in all our IT support services. To streamline this rigorous process, we partnered with Vanta, whose automation platform made compliance simpler and faster. Vanta’s real-time monitoring, task automation, and intuitive dashboards allowed us to efficiently prepare for audits and ensure we met every requirement with confidence. Achieving ISO 27001 certification not only enhances our security posture but also provides our customers with added assurance that their data is managed securely and responsibly.
Why every business, regardless of size, must take cybersecurity seriously
All businesses, regardless of size, heavily depend on digital systems and data, making cybersecurity not just a technical concern but a critical business necessity. Yet, many organisations, particularly small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), often underestimate the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. This article delves into why every business must prioritise cybersecurity and the risks they face if they fail to do so.
A Double-Edged Sword
The digital transformation has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for businesses. AI, cloud computing, and mobile technology have all revolutionised the way companies operate, enabling faster growth and more efficient operations. However, this digital shift also comes with new risks. As businesses become more reliant on technology, they become more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting weaknesses in business systems with alarming precision. No business, regardless of size, is immune. In fact, smaller businesses are often seen as low-hanging fruit by cybercriminals because they typically have less sophisticated security measures in place compared to larger enterprises.
The Myth of "Too Small to be Targeted"
One of the most dangerous misconceptions we hear is the belief that only large corporations are targeted by cyber-attacks. This couldn't be further from the truth. Cybercriminals often target smaller businesses because they assume (often correctly) that these companies have weaker security defenses. According to a report by Verizon, 46% of all data breaches in 2022 involved small businesses. The rationale is simple: while a small business may not yield as much profit as a large corporation, the effort required to breach its systems is often much lower.
The potential impacts following a cyber attack
Failing to secure your business against cyber threats can result in significant financial losses, both immediate and long-term, including costs from ransomware attacks, data breaches, and increased insurance premiums. Additionally, a cyber-attack can result in the loss of confidential data and has the potential to severely damage your reputation. Businesses also face legal and regulatory consequences, including hefty fines for non-compliance with data protection laws and potential lawsuits from affected parties..
Cyber-attacks can disrupt your operations, sometimes for days or even weeks. Whether it’s a ransomware attack that locks you out of critical systems or a denial-of-service attack that makes your website inaccessible, the impact on your ability to conduct business can be profound.
In some cases, cybercriminals are after more than just financial gain; they may seek to steal intellectual property or proprietary information.
A cyber-attack can also affect your employees. If sensitive employee data is compromised, it can lead to a loss of trust within the organisation. Additionally, the stress and extra workload that often follow an attack can lead to lower morale and productivity.
The Evolving Threat Landscape
The cybersecurity threat landscape is constantly evolving. Cybercriminals are always finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, and businesses need to stay ahead of these threats. This requires a proactive approach to cybersecurity, which includes regular risk assessments, employee training, and investment in the latest security technologies.
One of the most prevalent threats today is Ransomware, where attackers encrypt your data and demand payment for the decryption key. Small businesses are increasingly targeted because they are often seen as more likely to pay the ransom quickly to resume operations.
Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated, using social engineering techniques to trick employees into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software. Educating employees about the signs of phishing is crucial.
Cybercriminals are now also targeting the supply chains of businesses. Even if your company has strong cybersecurity measures, a weak link in your supply chain can expose you to risks.
IT security is a business requirement, not an IT decision.
Cybersecurity isn’t just the responsibility of your IT team, it’s a company-wide concern. Creating a culture of security within your organisation is essential. This means educating employees about the importance of cybersecurity, establishing clear policies and procedures, and ensuring that cybersecurity is a regular topic of discussion at a management level.
Moreover, businesses must recognise that cybersecurity is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. Regularly updating software, conducting security audits, and staying informed about the latest threats are all part of maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture.
Frameworks such as Cyber Essentials +, ISO27001 and SOC2 will significantly reduce your risks to a Cyber Attack and should be seen as the foundation of how to manage and protect your IT systems.
In conclusion, cybersecurity is not a technical issue confined to IT professionals, but a critical business issue that affects every aspect of an organisation. The risks of ignoring cybersecurity are too significant to overlook. Financial losses, reputational damage, legal consequences, operational disruption, and the erosion of employee morale are all potential outcomes of a cyber breach.
For businesses of all sizes, cybersecurity should be viewed as an essential investment in their future. Taking cybersecurity seriously is not just about protecting data it’s about protecting the very foundation of your business.
Roadmap achieve ISO 27001 & Cyber Essentials + certification for Pollitt and Partners
After many months of consultancy, planning and implementation we have successfully built and implemented an ISMS at Pollitt and Partners and helped them achieve ISO 27001 certification.
As certified ISO 27001 implementers we were able to advise on the process from the outset, agreeing budgets, schedules and resources. After undertaking a Gap Analysis we assigned tasks across Roadmap and P&P’s HR and Management teams.
Using an ISO 27001 kit, we worked through each policy and control as a team to ensure they were relevant and customised for P&P’s needs. A thorough risk assessment created the backbone for much of the improvements that we ultimately implemented across the business.
Roadmap IT lead and managed this project, created and tailored the policies, undertook the risk assessments, implemented the new IT systems and continue to manage, update and improve the ISMS on behalf of P&P. Roadmap IT also represented P&P during the onsite audit to achieve the certification P&P required.
To help meet some of the requirements of ISO 27001 Roadmap also took P&P through the process of achieving Cyber Essentials+ Certification, again managing the whole process and managing all the IT changes and requirements.
GDPR & ISO27001
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) & ISO 27001
Most businesses are now aware that they need to review their internal data protection processes and IT systems and that the deadline for compliance is May 28th 2018.
Roadmap have been applying best practise approaches to all of the IT solutions we provide to our customers for many years. Security and privacy have always been at the forefront of our planning, workflows and advice. If you are an existing customer of ours, then its likely you already have the right technology and framework in place and the majority of the work will focus on creating documentation, processes and IT policies.
Reviewing internal processes, data privacy and IT security opens up a further opportunity to create an ISMS (Information Security Management System) and in particular the option to work towards an ISO 27001 certification. There are a number of key benefits for our customers to do this:
1. GDPR recommends the use certification schemes such as ISO 27001 as a way of providing the necessary assurance that the organisation is effectively managing its information security risks.
2. ISO 27001 will help you put processes in place that protect not only customer information but also all your information assets, including information that is stored electronically and in hard copy format
3. ISO 27001 requires your security regime to be supported by senior management and incorporated into the organisation’s culture and strategy. It also requires the appointment of a senior individual who takes accountability for the ISMS. The GDPR mandates clear accountability for data protection throughout the organisation.
4. ISO 27001 compliance means conducting regular risk assessments to identify threats and vulnerabilities that can affect your information assets, and to take steps to protect that data. The GDPR specifically requires a risk assessment to ensure an organisation has identified risks that can impact personal data.
5. Being GDPR-compliant means an organisation needs to carry out regular testing and audits to prove that its security regime is working effectively. An ISO 27001-compliant ISMS needs to be regularly assessed according to the internal audit guidelines provided by the Standard.
6. The GDPR requires organisations to take the necessary steps to ensure the security controls work as designed. Achieving accredited certification to ISO 27001 delivers an independent, expert assessment of whether you have implemented adequate measures to protect your data.
Working towards ISO 27001 not only addresses the majority of your GDPR requirements, but also improves your internal security and privacy. In addition to this many businesses now insist that their partners or suppliers have ISO27001 certification if they wish to work with them. Achieving certification aids with a much simpler tendering process when agencies are pitching for new business.
Inline with the industry standards and our customers needs Roadmap are also working towards ISO27001 certification.
If you are a Creative Industry business, working with Mac's and need a "Roadmap" to review your GDPR responsibilities, or wish to work towards ISO27001, or simply wish to improve the security of your data then contact us to arrange a free consultation to see how we can help.