Defining ISMS Objectives

Introduction

Now that you know what an ISMS is, it’s time to define your ISMS objectives. Defining ISMS objectives is critical to implementing a successful information security management system, as this will allow you to tailor your ISMS to your specific goals and measure its success against these goals moving forward.

First, we will cover some considerations to take into account when defining ISMS objectives, utilising the ISO 27001 framework. Then, we will provide some examples of ISMS objectives.

ISMS SMART Objectives

When defining the objectives of your information security management system, there are several different questions to consider:

• Is the objective realistic? The proposed ISMS objective must be realistic in terms of the budget, time and technology required.

• Is the objective specific and relevant to your organisation? There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ISMS objectives, so you need to ensure that all objectives are highly relevant to your organisation.

• Is the objective measurable? Part of the ISO 27001 certification focuses on long-term improvement, so any objective must be measurable to monitor this.

These considerations all fall within the remit of the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal model, which provides a good starting point for organisations looking to define their ISMS objectives.

ISO 27001 ISMS Objectives

To establish your ISMS business objectives, it can be useful to consider the ISO 27001 requirements, specifically Clause 4. This section covers understanding your organisation and its context, as well as identifying the needs and expectations of various stakeholders, all with the end goal of determining the scope of your ISMS.

Clause 4.1: Understanding The Organisation And Its Context

To define your information security management system objectives, it can be useful to consider the context of your organisation.

You should carry out internal and external analyses of the technological issues affecting your business and the wider market to better understand what you need your ISMS to achieve.

Some typical internal issues to consider include:

1. Organisational structure – You should consider things like company hierarchy and roles and responsibilities, as well as who has access to data. The bigger and more complex your business and organisational structure are, the greater the potential is for security issues to arise.
2. Products and services – Considering the products and services your organisation offers is key to defining your ISMS objectives. If you store considerable amounts of sensitive customer data, your objectives will be very different than if the security of a physical site is the main priority.
3. Policies and guidelines – Consider your company’s relevant policies and guidelines (for example, how data is stored and secured) that will affect your ISMS objectives.

When considering external factors, using an analysis model like PESTLE (political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental) can be useful.

For each element of a PESTLE analysis, consider how factors outside of your organisation’s control could affect the needs of your ISMS. For example, political factors like Brexit have affected many businesses’ supply chain, while technological factors could include the developments in cloud storage, AI, big data and machine learning.

Clause 4.2: Understanding The Needs And Expectations Of Interested Parties

As well as considering your organisation, you should also bear in mind the needs and expectations of individual stakeholders.

These stakeholders can be internal or external, from colleagues in different departments who regularly access secure data to customers who provide personal and sensitive details that your organisation must store securely.

Once you’ve considered your business needs and the individual needs and expectations of various stakeholder groups, you should have a much stronger understanding of what you ISMS objectives should look like.

ISMS Objective Examples

Once you’ve established your organisational and individual needs, you can start putting together your ISMS objectives. Some typical examples of information security management system objectives include, but are not limited to:

• Improve security by migrating data to a more secure platform

• Reduce data breaches by X%

• Educate everyone in the company about data security

• Centralise data storage and management

• Assign information security representatives throughout the organisation

• Increase customer retention through improved security

• Attract new or improved business by demonstrating ISO 27001 compliance

• Reduce the time taken to fulfil data-related processes

• Reduce the number of data breach-related fines

• Demonstrate a strong culture that improves the brand image and attracts and retains staff

While objectives like these form a good starting point for consideration, make sure the ISMS objectives you define are specific to your organisation and tailored to your business needs.

Looking to learn more about ISMS Implementation or the Top 10 Benefits of Implementing An ISMS or ISO 27001? Browse the variety of ISMS content at Hicomply today.