Embarking on the ISO 17799 certification trail

CISOs have been striving for visibility within their organizations, and they are finally starting to get it. Their increased importance to the business, however, is new territory for CISOs, and many are having a hard time aligning technology priorities with business ones. On top of that, regulatory compliance has frustrated many CISOs; lately, they have been spending a lot more time arguing over the minutia of regulations instead of working to secure the enterprise.

To relieve some of this pain, many information security leaders are turning to a principles-based framework. Such security guidelines can not only help them address multiple regulations simultaneously, but they can also provide CISOs with a more comprehensive grasp of the security universe for which they are responsible.

ISO 17799 seems to be the framework of choice for CISOs across the globe. The standard (ISO 17799) and its accompanying certification (ISO 27001) provide a comprehensive set of requirements for the implementation of security controls that can be customized to the needs of individual organizations. Many organizations choose to go for the formal certification, but a majority of them do not. They still plan to use the standard as the basic building block of their security program. "I am not planning to pursue the formal certification," said one chief information security officer from a large financial ser

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ISO certification does not always go smoothly. Many security professionals think that they can use a framework to develop their organizations' security strategy, but they soon find out that the process is more complicated than they anticipated. A certification standard like ISO 17799 has to be customized to an organization's individual requirements and objectives. Think of it as the framing of a house: with the framing, you can see what the house looks like, including all of its rooms. But it is still up to you to customize it by putting in the drywall, carpeting, plumbing and woodwork.

Still, taking the time to make ISO 17799 a part of an enterprise's security management strategy is a worthwhile effort. It has become the industry's most common security framework because it is: ISO 27001 certification considerations
While pursuing the certification is a valuable initiative, it requires a significant amount of effort and a long-term commitment from management. It is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process. The certification effort is doomed for failure unless:

It's clear that ISO 17799 certification can be a long process requiring an organization-wide commitment. However, if executed properly, it can successfully help bridge the gap between an organization's technological and business needs, as well as improve security management and make future compliance processes easier.

About the author
Khalid Kark, CISSP, CISM, is a senior analyst with Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., where he covers security strategy, including communication strategies, security organization, and the role of information security in corporate governance.

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