An information security management system (ISMS) helps to safeguard your company’s data by providing both technological safeguards and policies that provide guidelines for employees handling sensitive data. This involves implementing best practices for cybersecurity in the form of infosec training sessions and encouraging a culture of accountability for security of data.

An ISMS also offers a framework which can be tailored to your company’s requirements and the regulations of your industry and is certified and audited for conformity. ISO 27001 is the best-known standard for ISMS however there are others that may be more suitable to your business and industry for example, the NIST framework for federal agencies.

Who is responsible for Information Security?

Instead of being a strictly IT-focused initiative, ISMS involves a wide variety of departments and staff including the C-suite human resources, sales and marketing, and customer service. This ensures that everyone is on information security management system the same page with regards to security of information, and that all the procedures are followed.

An ISMS requires an extensive risk assessment. This is best done by using a software like vsRisk. This tool allows users to complete assessments in a short time and then present the results for easy prioritization and analysis, and keep the same consistency each year. An ISMS can also help you reduce costs because it lets you prioritize the assets that are most at risk. This will prevent you from investing in defence technologies in a scattering manner, and it reduces downtime because of cybersecurity incidents. This translates into lower OPEX and CAPEX.