Preparing for ISO 27001 certification involves a thorough review of your organisation's information security practices to ensure they meet internationally recognised standards. When working with an IT provider during this readiness phase, you should expect them to support you in identifying gaps, implementing controls, and documenting processes that protect your data and systems. This goes beyond routine IT support; it's about aligning your technology and security measures with the specific requirements of ISO 27001.
Why this matters for UK SMEs
For small and medium-sized businesses in the UK, achieving ISO 27001 readiness can significantly reduce risks such as data breaches, operational downtime, and loss of customer trust. Non-compliance or weak security controls can lead to costly incidents, regulatory scrutiny under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and damage to your reputation. An IT provider who understands these risks will help you maintain productivity and demonstrate due diligence to clients, partners, and auditors.
A typical scenario
Consider a UK-based SME with around 50 employees handling sensitive client data. During the ISO 27001 readiness check, the IT provider might discover that password policies are inconsistent and backups are not tested regularly. They would then recommend implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), centralising access control, and scheduling routine backup verification. By addressing these issues early, the business avoids potential data loss and strengthens its position during the formal audit.
What to expect from your IT provider during ISO 27001 readiness checks
- Risk assessment assistance: Help identifying and prioritising information security risks relevant to your operations.
- Policy and procedure review: Guidance on documenting security policies, including access management, incident response, and data handling.
- Technical control implementation: Support deploying controls such as firewalls, antivirus, encryption, MFA, and secure configuration of devices.
- Access and permissions audit: Reviewing who has access to sensitive systems and data, ensuring the principle of least privilege is applied.
- Backup and recovery checks: Verifying that backups are performed regularly, stored securely, and tested for restoration.
- Logging and monitoring: Ensuring systems generate logs that can be reviewed for unusual activity and support incident investigations.
- Supplier and vendor management: Assisting with questionnaires or evidence collection to demonstrate third-party security controls.
Questions to ask your IT provider
- How do you help identify gaps in our current IT security against ISO 27001 requirements?
- Can you provide examples of controls you've implemented for similar UK SMEs preparing for ISO 27001?
- What support do you offer for documenting and maintaining security policies and procedures?
- How do you manage access control and authentication to reduce insider risks?
- What is your process for testing backups and disaster recovery readiness?
- Do you assist with supplier security assessments and compliance evidence gathering?
- How do you monitor systems for security incidents and support incident response?
Simple internal checks you can perform
- Review user access lists to ensure only authorised staff can access sensitive information.
- Check that multi-factor authentication is enabled on critical systems and accounts.
- Confirm backups are running as scheduled and test restoring a file or system.
- Look for documented security policies and ensure staff have been informed.
- Verify that software and devices are up to date with security patches.
- Assess if security logs are collected and reviewed regularly.
Engaging with a knowledgeable managed IT provider during your ISO 27001 readiness checks can make the process more manageable and effective. They bring practical expertise to help you meet the standard's requirements while minimising disruption to your business. If you're considering certification or want to strengthen your information security, speak to a trusted IT advisor who understands the needs of UK SMEs and can tailor support to your specific context.