ISO 27001 Information Security Certification: A Guide for Growing Companies

ISO Certification · 2026-06-16 · 1 min read · CR Global Assurance Editorial Team

Buyers, banks and global clients increasingly ask how you protect their data. ISO 27001 is the internationally recognised answer — and it is achievable for mid-sized organisations.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It is relevant for software and IT-enabled service companies, BPO providers, banks and financial institutions, and increasingly for manufacturers who handle buyer designs, personal data and digital supply-chain platforms. CR Global Assurance audits ISO 27001 as part of its ISO certification services.

How ISO 27001 works

  1. Define the scope — which locations, systems, processes and information are covered.
  2. Assess information security risks — threats to confidentiality, integrity and availability.
  3. Treat risks — select controls from Annex A (organisational, people, physical and technological controls) or elsewhere.
  4. Statement of Applicability (SoA) — document which controls apply and why.
  5. Operate, monitor and improve — incident management, internal audit and management review.

Controls that matter most for mid-sized firms

  • Access control and multi-factor authentication.
  • Backups that are tested, with at least one offline or immutable copy.
  • Patch and vulnerability management.
  • Supplier security for cloud services and outsourced IT.
  • Security awareness training and phishing simulations.
  • Incident response and business continuity.

ISO 27001 and ISO 20000-1

IT service providers often combine ISO 27001 with ISO/IEC 20000-1, the standard for IT service management. ISO 20000-1 covers service level management, incident and problem management, change management and service continuity. Because both use the same management system structure, they can be audited together. CR Global Assurance audits both standards.

Certification timeline

A focused organisation can achieve ISO 27001 certification in four to nine months, depending on scope, existing controls and how quickly evidence (logs, reviews, training records) accumulates.

Next steps

Talk to CR Global — formerly CR Team Ltd — about scope and audit days. Submit an application or contact our ISO team.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Statement of Applicability in ISO 27001?

The Statement of Applicability (SoA) lists the Annex A controls, states whether each is applied and justifies inclusions and exclusions based on the risk assessment.

Can ISO 27001 and ISO 20000-1 be audited together?

Yes. Both follow the same management system structure, so an integrated audit can cover information security and IT service management.

Is ISO 27001 only for IT companies?

No. Any organisation that handles sensitive information — manufacturers, banks, healthcare providers and service firms — can benefit from ISO 27001.