One of the recurring challenges when pursuing an ISO certification is choosing the certification body. The main concern when making this type of choice is - probably - the cost, which is absolutely not a negligible factor, especially in times of crisis.
This does not mean that the most expensive option is always the best or that the least expensive offer is the worst. It is simply about finding someone with the right knowledge and experience for your organization.
However, there are also other things to consider. When choosing a certification body for ISO27001, the path is not simple because there can be many factors at play:
- Different costs;
- Different reputations;
- The presence of an office near the company to be certified or not;
- Etc.
To begin with, as a first step, you should make sure that the certification body is accredited and has a good reputation in the sector. But why should an organization get ISO 27001 certified?
Let's start by saying that certification according to this standard is applicable to all types of businesses. This century is often associated with the information revolution and success can be determined by an organization's ability to use and protect its information, which is becoming its most valuable asset.
An information security management system certified according to ISO 27001 provides valid instructions for information protection solutions and is fully compatible with other existing management systems (e.g. quality management system according to ISO 9001 or environmental management system according to ISO 140001) and with their processes.
The most common reasons for pursuing ISO 27001 certification are:
- To ensure that information flows within the company in a safe and effective way;
- To ensure that information is available at the right time;
- To prevent the loss, abuse or unauthorized modification of information;
- To ensure that information is only accessible to authorized people;
- To ensure the protection of personal data;
- To fulfill legal / regulatory requirements - in this case, compliance requirements are imposed by law or regulations and the choice of the certification body expands as it is the final certificate of compliance that counts;
- To seek a competitive advantage - although the competitive advantage depends a lot on the market's perception of ISO27001 certification. As a general rule, however, a certificate of this kind tends to have a weight that will be greater if it is issued by an accredited body that has some experience in the field;
- To seek customer confidence - in this case, it is important to understand who the customer would trust. For example, an Eastern European company seeking new customers in England may not do much to increase customer confidence if it chooses to be certified by a local certification body (of the company) that no one in England has ever heard of, even if accredited.
It should be clear, therefore, that the choice of an accredited certification body is important but that there is no best certification body in absolute terms because it depends on what the client's needs are and how the body thinks it can best meet them.