ISO 27004 : How to measure your ISMS

What is ISO 27004?

ISO 27004 is an international standard for measuring ISMS performance. It provides guidance on how to develop, measure, implement, and maintain your ISMS.

The focus of ISO 27004 is on the assessment of the effectiveness of your ISMS in meeting its objectives, as well as the effectiveness of your management systems in achieving those objectives. It defines a set of requirements to ensure that organisations have an effective ISMS.

It also provides a framework for measuring the effectiveness of ISMS, so that you can assess whether they are achieving their intended purposes. The framework addresses five key areas:

• Goals/objectives
• Governance
• Management structure and processes
• Internal controls and audit trails
• Communication with stakeholders

What does measuring Information Security mean?

Information security is a critical aspect of every company's operations. It ensures that data is properly protected and that employees are not able to access it without permission. 

When measuring information security, there are several different ways to go about it. The first way is by reviewing the company's policies and procedures for handling confidential information. These should include things like the type of information that should be protected from unauthorised access, as well as how it should be protected (for example, with encryption). 

Another way is by auditing your system for vulnerabilities and gaps in security. This includes looking at whether your systems are properly segmented (so that if one part of your network is breached, no other parts will be compromised) and whether there are any known exploits or vulnerabilities in them already (so you can patch those up before they become a bigger problem).

How does ISO 27004 help the information security of organisations?

ISO 27004 helps organisations by providing a standard to assess their management system's compliance. The standard has been developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), in conjunction with leading business and IT organisations and other organisations involved in the development and implementation of ISO 27001.

What is the history of ISO 27004?

In the early days of ISMS, it was hard to measure the performance of an organisation's management system. The methodologies used by different organisations varied widely, and some of those methods were not even considered valid.

In response to these challenges, ISO 27004 was created. This standard focused on the development and implementation of an ISMS that could be measured against a set of criteria that would allow for accurate evaluation. It also provided organisations with guidelines on how to do it. 

Since the first version of ISO 27004 was released, there have been several updates which have taken into account changes in how people are using IT today and what knowledge is needed to stay ahead of new threats and regulations related to information security.

These concepts were expanded upon by ISO 27001 which focused more on controls and processes rather than specific tools or technologies, but it still laid out basic principles for how businesses should protect themselves against cyber threats.

Along the line, there were some changes made to both standards that gave them more relevance in light of new technologies such as cloud computing and mobile devices; these updates were called ISO 27002:2010 and ISO 27004:2013 respectively. These later versions included new requirements like encryption standards, as well as guidelines for securing data at rest.

What are the advantages of ISO 27004?

It’s important to note that this is not a set of rules or regulations, it's a framework for measuring whether or not an organisation has established an effective ISMS.

Other benefits of implementing ISO 27004 include:

• Improved organisational maturity - Organisations that implement ISO 27004 will likely see improved maturity in their ability to handle information security incidents. This will improve the organisation's ability to respond to threats and protect its assets.
• Improved alignment between IT and security - Implementing ISO 27004 will help IT departments better align with those who manage the organisation's data and systems, which should lead to improved communication between departments.
• Increased accountability - Implementing ISO 27004 should lead to increased accountability on an organisation's part for its own security posture.
• A simple and quick way to assess ISMS performance - The measures are easy to understand and can be performed by anyone who has a basic understanding of the process.
• Easy to use - There are no specific requirements for the system being measured and it can be anything from a small business all the way up to an enterprise-wide system.

Conclusion

In summary, ISO 27004 is an international standard for measuring ISMS performance. This includes providing guidance on how to develop, measure, implement, and maintain your ISMS. The ISO 27004 is also a framework that measures the effectiveness of ISMS, so that you can assess whether they are achieving their intended purpose. For more information on other information security standards, check out our article on ISO 27001.

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