These high-profile breaches are prompting many organizations to reassess their strategies, strengthen safeguards, and elevate cyber risk management to the executive agenda. But amid this menacing landscape of risks and threats, there is a tried-and-tested set of international standards can help organizations of all sizes strengthen their cyber defences and reduce their risk - the BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series (the national adoption of the international standards).
This family of standards, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), offers a robust framework for information security management. By implementing the controls and principles outlined in these standards, businesses can create a structured approach to identifying risks, protecting systems, and responding to incidents.
The BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series is a comprehensive set of standards designed to support organizations in managing the security of information assets such as financial data, intellectual property, employee details, and information entrusted by third parties. There are several standards in the series, and these are centered around BS EN ISO/IEC 27001. This standard is the global benchmark for establishing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Here's a quick overview of key standards within the series:
BS EN ISO/IEC 27000: Provides an overview of the entire series.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27001: Specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an ISMS.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27002: Offers guidance on information security controls that can be selected during implementation.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27005: Focuses on information security risk management.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27017 and BS EN ISO/IEC 27018: Provide guidelines for cloud security.
BS ISO/IEC 27031: Provides guidance on ICT readiness for business continuity, helping organizations ensure their information and communication systems can support critical operations during disruption.
BS ISO/IEC 27035: A multi-part standard offering comprehensive guidance on managing information security incidents - from planning and detection to response and lessons learned.
Each standard complements the others and together they form a unified strategy to mitigate risks, enhance resilience, and support regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR).
Learn more about how standards can help your organization reduce cybersecurity risks by visiting our Digital page.
Today’s cybercriminals are sophisticated, well organized, and increasingly successful in their attacks on businesses. Recent attacks have highlighted several core methods in their arsenal:
Social engineering: Gaining trust or exploiting the human weakness of employees to trick them into divulging credentials or approving unauthorised actions,
Phishing methods: Using fraudulent emails, text messages, phone calls, or websites to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal details,
Ransomware: a type of malware which prevents you from accessing your device and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting your files,
Credential stuffing: Using leaked passwords from previous breaches to access accounts,
Supply chain attacks: Targeting smaller suppliers to eventually compromise larger organizations.
This arsenal of attacks underscore why businesses must go beyond antivirus software and firewalls. The BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series is specifically designed to address these complex risks, particularly those involving human behaviour, identity compromise, and lack of procedural and management controls. By incorporating human factors, enforcing strong identity and access controls, and embedding clear security policies, these standards empower organizations to take a proactive, structured approach to cybersecurity rather than simply reacting to incidents after they occur.
At the heart of the BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 standard is the Information Security Management System (ISMS). This framework is designed to be risk-based approach to information security, integrating security into daily operations rather than treating it as a standalone concern, and ensuring the security control profile an organisation adopts is continually reviewed to reflect the changing environment it operates in.
Key benefits of implementing an ISMS include:
Top management and support: Establishes management requirements for leadership and commitment, awareness and training, management reviews and internal audits,
Risk management: Systematic identification and treatment of risks tailored to the business environment,
Compliance: Simplifies meeting legal and regulatory requirements such as GDPR, the UK Data Protection Act, and PCI DSS,
Business continuity: Ensures the organisation remain available and operational in the event of a breach or disruption,
Customer trust: Certification provides assurance to clients and partners about your commitment to information security.
The ISMS also drives internal improvements, creating clear policies, accountability structures, and audit trails, fostering a culture of security awareness throughout the organization.
Discover more about BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 by reading our article Achieve better information security management with the revised BS EN ISO/IEC 27001.
A common misconception about cyber risk is that only large organizations are attractive targets. In truth, micro-business as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly the target of cybercriminals, often because they lack the robust defences of larger counterparts. From family-run retailers to growing SaaS start-ups, smaller businesses are frequently seen as easy targets and, in many cases, as potential gateways into the supply chains of bigger firms.
The BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series is particularly well-suited to address these challenges. Its framework is scalable, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Even without pursuing full certification, micro-business and SMEs can benefit significantly by applying the core principles of BS EN ISO/IEC 27001. For instance, introducing structured security practices such as implementing stronger authentication protocols, classifying sensitive data, and managing access based on user roles can markedly reduce exposure to common threats.
Guidance on the design and implementation of information security controls is available in BS EN ISO/IEC 27002, not only providing a comprehensive list of controls that any organisation should consider but providing guidance on the design and development of them.
Just as critical is the ability to prepare for and respond to cyber incidents. The four-part BS ISO/IEC 27035 series provide valuable direction on how to detect, contain, and manage security breaches effectively, helping smaller businesses build resilience even with limited internal resources. .
Complementing this is BS ISO/IEC 27031, which focuses on ICT readiness for business continuity. It offers guidance to help organizations ensure that their information and communication technology can continue to support critical business operations during and after a disruption, forming a crucial link between cybersecurity and broader business resilience planning.
In today’s landscape, it’s no longer viable for small businesses to treat cybersecurity as an afterthought. Embracing the BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series equips them with the tools and strategies needed to defend against modern threats and secure their future.
For organizations considering adoption, here’s a basic roadmap to leveraging the BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series:
1. Top management support, commitment and leadership: Ensure Top Management is managing the process with necessary support, commitment and resources and the board understands cybersecurity as a business risk, not just an IT issue.
2. Define the ISMS scope: Clarify what parts of the business the ISMS will cover.
3. Assess and manage risk: Follow BS EN ISO/IEC 27005 to perform a risk assessment and define treatment plans.
4. Implement risk treatment plan: Determine a set of controls from relevant sources (for example ISO, IEC, NIST, COBIT standards etc) to mitigate the assessed risks and then do a comparison with the reference set of controls BS EN ISO/IEC 27002 to check that no controls are missing from this reference set. The set of controls to be implemented should be included in a risk treatment plan.
5. Training and awareness: Build a culture of security from the ground up.
6. Performance evaluation and continuous improvement: Monitor, audit, and revise the ISMS regularly using process specified in BS EN ISO/IEC 27001.
Accredited third-party certification bodies in the UK can provide external validation, adding a layer of trust and marketability to your security posture.
Whether you’re leading a multinational organization or running a growing small business, the BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series offers a proven path to stronger, smarter security. These internationally recognized standards help you identify vulnerabilities, protect sensitive data, and respond with confidence to the evolving threat landscape.
Get your copy of the standards in the BS EN ISO/IEC 27000 series here.