How an AI software company got ISO 27001 certified in six months
“It would be impossible for us to get certified
in six months without Conformio.”
ANDREAS ANTONIOU, CTO
Headquarters London, UK
INDUSTRYSoftware development
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 20-50Problem
Getting ISO 27001 certified is a lengthy and complicated process for small businesses
Becoming ISO 27001 certified is a complex process, and it often takes more than a year to complete even for small businesses. On top of that, the process itself can get quite costly. It involves internal resources, like employees’ time to document all the involved processes, and potentially costly consultant services because of the standard’s complexity. A lot of companies that decide to get certified get stuck in the middle of the process due to a lack of clear guidance on what the next step should be, thereby prolonging the process or putting it to a stop.
Here are some of the main challenges Biomni faced in their ISO 27001 implementation, which are common for companies without a dedicated compliance team.
Unsure where to start
Without prior experience, it’s hard to know where to start. Setting up the project plan and the ISMS scope is daunting for anyone without prior experience in ISO 27001.
Lack of resources
Internal resources available for compliance projects are hard to find. Getting multiple people from different departments aligned and on top of the deadlines takes a lot of manual effort and often causes delays.
High cost associated with compliance
On top of employees’ time and the cost of certification itself, there are additional costs that can be exorbitant for small businesses. Pricey specialized software solutions, consultancy fees, internal audits, employee training, and the ongoing cost of maintenance and external audits amount to a significant overall cost.
Lack of expertise
Lack of in-house expertise on the ISO 27001 standard is another significant challenge. While larger corporations can afford to hire dedicated compliance teams or consultants, small businesses may struggle to educate their existing staff sufficiently or to outsource these specialized tasks.
Conformio
All-In-One ISO 27001 Compliance Software
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Why Biomni chose Conformio
Easy onboarding
Having a team that had never handled the ISO 27001 certification process made it hard for Biomni to start their certification journey. Conformio provides an intuitive interface that encourages inexperienced users throughout the process, ensuring easy project handling for everybody involved.
Clear project plan
Conformio comes pre-loaded with all mandatory (and some optional) documents and a clear project guideline in the form of easy-to-follow steps. That makes it easy to use for experts and beginners alike, ensuring the fastest way to ISO 27001 certification.
Access to ISO experts
Conformio plans already include consultation services from accredited ISO experts, such as unlimited software and ISO 27001 email answers, specific document reviews, one-on-one consultations, and even a pre-audit check with an ISO 27001-certified expert.
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Solution
How Biomni ensured ISO 27001 certification on deadline and within a set budget with Conformio
The ISO 27001 certification process took Biomni about six months, during which they relied heavily on Conformio for structure and guidance. While the software solution helped manage tasks, track progress, and automate document generation, consulting with actual ISO 27001 experts brought enough confidence to constantly move forward with the project.
“It would be impossible for us to get certified in six months without Conformio. Every week, the team would meet to divide the tasks, and Conformio was always there with us, giving us the complete structure we needed.”
Andreas Antoniou, CTO
Project kick-off
The most common reason companies employ consultants to help with ISO 27001 implementation is the need for clear guidance on the first or next step. In the case of Biomni, using Conformio resolved that with an expert onboarding session providing clear guidance on how to start and track the project, additional live training sessions to resolve any doubts even before they arose, and a clear setup of main steps to make the project easy to follow. The Biomni team took the step-by-step guide seriously and progressed throughout the implementation by taking each step to 100% completion.
Aligning internal resources
Biomni faced the challenge of aligning internal resources, a common issue for small businesses when implementing ISO 27001. With Conformio's easy-to-use platform, they could delegate responsibilities for different areas to different team members and manage progress. This allowed them to easily balance their everyday workload while working on the certification process. Additionally, automated tasks and reminders helped keep everybody in the loop, reducing the chance of any individual delaying the project progress. Conformio provided the necessary structure and guidance to get through the ISO 27001 certification process, and they successfully got certified in just six months.
Avoiding additional costs
ISO 27001 standard implementation costs can significantly vary depending on whether the company uses software, employs consultants, or internally trains employees to lead the project. By choosing one of the affordable Conformio plans, Biomni had a clear budget overview without any additional or hidden costs. That covered all the software use necessary for successful preparation for their certification audit. The access to both ISO-certified experts, as well as unlimited software support, provided extra help and guidance and helped avoid costs caused by delays.
Access to experts
Biomni faced the challenge of a lack of in-house expertise on the ISO 27001 standard. While larger corporations can afford to hire dedicated compliance teams or consultants, small businesses may struggle to educate their existing staff sufficiently or to outsource these specialized tasks. By using Conformio, they managed to resolve this issue by getting the necessary support and access to ISO 27001-certified experts. Biomni was able to ask questions and get advice on best practices and how to interpret certain risks and controls. With Conformio's guidance and structure, Biomni was able to successfully get ISO 27001 certified in just six months.
Biomni got their questions about software and the standard answered by experts on a regular basis via emails. They also took advantage of a one-on-one meeting with a certified ISO expert, at no extra charge.
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Summary
Biomni, a boutique software company specializing in building enterprise software products, used Conformio to get ISO 27001 certified in just six months. At the start of the process, they faced common challenges with the implementation: lack of internal experience with the standard implementation, uncertainties about the certification process, limited resources, and potentially high costs of getting compliant. With Conformio, they managed to resolve all of those challenges.
Conformio helped Biomni resolve these challenges by providing:
- Easy onboarding and a clear project plan, guiding them through the certification process.
- Access to ISO experts for consultation services, document reviews, and guidance.
- Affordable plans that covered all necessary software use and support, avoiding additional costs.
- Guidance and support in interpreting risks and controls, addressing the lack of in-house expertise.
Being ISO 27001 certified, Biomni demonstrates a commitment to information security and provides needed assurance to customers.
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