ISO 27001 Auditors: Ensuring Information Security Compliance

Practicing effective cyber security is becoming a critical factor across industries. With the ever-increasing threat of cyber-attacks, organizations are paying more attention to their cyber security operations. Adhering to standards such as ISO 27001 (International Organization for Standardization) helps organizations maintain the integrity of their Information Security Management Systems (ISMS).

To become ISO 27001 compliant, you are required to conduct a series of internal and external audits, and this is where ISO 27001 auditors come in. In this blog, we will discuss the best ISO 27001 auditors and what makes them stand out.

Who are ISO 27001 auditors?

ISO 27001 auditors are certified accredited professionals who audit an organization’s Information Security Management Systems against the standard ISO 27001 requirements. 

The ISO 27001 auditors will access the organization’s internal processes and conduct inspections to ensure it has the best practices within the standards laid out by ISO standards. They provide detailed audit reports on the organization’s compliance compared with the standard and suggest areas of improvement.

Things you need to know before hiring an ISO 27001 auditor

Before hiring an ISO 27001 auditor, make sure you do thorough research on which auditors are suitable for auditing your industry. Make sure you shortlist 3 to 4 auditors and compare various aspects so you can choose the suitable one.

Here are a few points that can help you select the best auditor.

• Qualifications: It is essential to examine whether the auditor has the required qualifications and experience for conducting an audit. Always look for auditors certified by accreditation bodies such as IRCA who possess demonstrable knowledge of the ISO and have experience auditing organizations similar to your domain or industry.
  
  
• Audit Cost: Make sure to get a detailed quote of the auditor’s fees and any additional charges before availing of their services and compare them with other auditors you have shortlisted. For this, clearly state your requirements/deliverables and then get a quote to be transparent.
  

List of ISO 27001 certification bodies in the US

When looking for certification bodies, always choose the ones accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). Today, there are several certification bodies in the US that ANAB accredited. Some of them are listed below:

• ABS Quality Evaluations
• DEKRA Certification Inc
• BARR Certifications
• BSI Global
• CIRQ
• NSF International Strategic Registration Ltd
• SRI Quality System Registrar

Also, each certification body will have different fees and processes, so compare and choose the right one.

ISO 27001 Auditors you can trust

While most certification bodies have a network of audit partners, many organizations prefer to work with independent auditors that do not provide certification.

Here are is list of ISO 27001 auditors that you can directly refer to:

CertPro

CertPro is an auditing and management consulting firm that provides audit services for a range of frameworks including ISO 27001. The cost and timeline of audits vary based on the size of the organization and Certpro provides custom quotes for every type of businesses. For example, the pricing for a small business with 1-50 employees starts from $3000 and the audit timeline is 4 weeks.

Prescient Assurance

Prescient Assurance is a CPA firm that provides auditing services for ISO 27701, ISO 27701, and ISO 9001. Additionally, it conducts security and privacy assessments and provides pentest services. The firm can guide you through the auditing process and offers custom quotes based on company size and other factors.

Consilium Labs

Consilium Labs is an accredited certification body as well as ISO 27001 auditor while also offering SOC 2 assessments and penetration testing services. The audit pricing can vary depending on whether or not you use a compliance solution and the size of the company. You can request a quote here.

KirkPatrickPrice

KirkPatrickPrice is a licensed and versatile CPA firm that is also a PCI DSS QSA, HITRUST CSF assessor and an auditor for ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR etc. It has a team of expert auditors that help make the audit process smooth. The price for auditing services is shared on demand.

Sensiba

Sensiba is primarily an accounting and consulting firm that also provides independent audit services for ISO 27001 and other ISO frameworks. The firm conducts a readiness review followed by evidence checks for stage 2 audits. You can request a quote for their auditing services here.

Your comprehensive guide to ISO 27001. Learn about certification, audits, and more. Download our ebook.

Platforms with the best ISO 27001 auditors network

A lot of platforms claim to have the best ISO 27001 auditor network and compliance management features, hence deciding the perfect one for your organization can be a daunting task. That’s why we have made it easier for you by narrowing down the list to the top five. 

These platforms help you collect compliance evidence and provide you access to a certified ISO auditors network so that you can quickly achieve compliance. You can compare these and make the right decision for your business.

Here are the 5 best ISO 27001 auditors network:

Sprinto (Let’s talk)

Sprinto is a comprehensive compliance automation platform with auditor-ready programs to help you in your ISO 27001 compliance journey. The automation features allow you to get ready for the certification audit within weeks.

The platform seamlessly integrates with your existing systems and applications to map controls. It then automatically runs checks to identify security risks and areas of non-compliance, eliminating human errors and risks.

How does Sprinto make ISO/IEC 27001 audits smooth?

• Sprinto helps you launch auditor-grade ISO 27001 compliance programs and automatically collects evidence against implemented security controls
• The independent audit dashboard allows you to collaborate with the auditor either from our network or your preferred external auditor
• The auditor can directly check evidence captured against requirements without you having to provide context.
• You can send and receive message from the auditor for ease of communication but overall the experience is low-touch

Key Features that auditor’s appreciate:

• Auditor-friendly custom ISMS to easily add/customize specific controls
• Centralized document management to easily access and review documents
• In-built security policy templates that are customizable and accurate
• Integration capabilities with cloud service providers such as ticketing software, HRIS, incident management solutions etc.
• Automated reports for a quick snapshot of the compliance status
• 24/7 control monitoring to ensure continuous compliance
• Role-based access controls for granular access management
• Automatically collected audit evidence for every corrective action

Built-in training modules and tests to train employees

Secureframe

Secureframe is another compliance management and automation platform. You can use the platform to customize and build your own ISMS. It integrates easily with your cloud services to run compliance checks and report any issues with the security checks. Secureframe’s continuous and automated testing allows organizations to focus on other business tasks while the platform handles compliance needs.

Key Features

• Built-in customizable policies to get started
• Intuitive dashboard to review security vulnerabilities and associated risks
• Employee dashboard for automated compliance training and onboarding
• Automatic control testing
• Auditor evidence collection workflows
  

Drata

Drata is a compliance automation solution to help businesses quickly achieve ISO 27001 compliance with pre-mapped controls. It helps with automated monitoring, access control workflow automation, and evidence collection.

Drata’s workflows streamline activities like employee acceptance and formal documentation to fasten up your compliance program.

Key Features

• 24/7 continuous control monitoring
• Policy center with 20+ customizable auditor-approved policies
• In-built risk assessment features
• Automated asset inventory to keep track of physical and virtual assets
• Support from compliance experts and former auditors

Vanta

Vanta is another automation platform to accelerate your ISO compliance journey. It helps you strengthen your security posture with customers and prospects in global markets. Vanta allows you to automate more than three-fourths of the ISO process.

It focuses on the compliance department and helps you establish a smart ISMS built on security. With over a dozen templates, you can seamlessly create your ISMS to deal with security and demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001.

Key Features

• Automated tracking of tests and controls
• Easy to customize templates to build your own ISMS
• Real-time alerts on issues regarding compliance
• Recommendations to fix non-compliance issues
• Team of ISO compliance experts to streamline the process

ProActive QMS

ProActive QMS is an agile ISO management software that helps you track and manage your ISMS issues for quick and effective compliance. The central dashboard offers tools to manage compliance requirements easily.ProActive QMS also helps you reduce security incidents with efficient risk assessment, and organizations can quickly improve risk controls.

Key Features

• Centralized dashboard to get a complete overview of ISO processes
• Action logs to check and fix non-compliance issues
• Training modules for employee onboarding and assessment
• Mobile and remote access to stay connected
• Easily accessible reports on compliance performance

Benefits of hiring an auditor vendor

There are many benefits of hiring an auditor vendor to perform compliance audits. Some of them are as follows:

• They have expertise in the field. With their extensive experience, they specialize in performing audits in different industries. Not only do they identify any potential areas of risk, but they also provide recommendations and solutions to be compliance-ready.
  
  
• They are cost-efficient. A dedicated internal audit team can disturb your compliance budget. On the other hand, hiring an auditor vendor is cost-effective, considering they have the same expertise level and ample experience.
  
  
• They are equipped with better tools. The auditor vendor has access to better resources and platforms to conduct audits efficiently. So you won’t have to invest separately in multiple platforms and resources.
  
  
• They allow you to focus on important business activities. You won’t have to worry about conducting audits or manually testing compliance checks. Outsourcing this to an auditor vendor allows you to use your resources on crucial business activities.

Closing thoughts

ISO 27001 is a rigorous guideline that can get daunting at times. There are so many clauses and rules to go through. This is why choosing the best compliance automation platform with a good auditor network is essential to streamline and fasten your certification and audit process. The list of the best platforms with the ISO auditors network we discussed above will help you choose the best solution for your organization. 

While we’re here, let’s talk about an easier solution—Sprinto. A compliance automation platform that has enabled numerous businesses to be compliance-ready within weeks. So if you’re looking to get ISO 27001 certified quickly, Speak to our experts today.

FAQs

What is the role of an ISO 27001 auditor?

The ISO 27001 auditor oversees the company’s information security compliance status. They plan and perform audits and submit reports regularly.

Are internal audits mandatory for ISO 27001?

Yes, internal audits are mandatory and crucial to the ISO 27001 compliance process. The continuous internal audits help in improving the ISMS. Implementing compliance automation software like Sprinto enables you to automate monitoring and reporting.

Who performs an ISO audit?

An ISO audit can be performed internally by ISO 27001 auditors. Generally, with the help of a compliance platform, the internal auditor can generate reports and help the company manage its ISMS for effective compliance.

Which are the best ISO auditing companies?

BARR certifications, Consilium labs, DEKRA Certification Inc, CertPro and CIRQ are some of the best ISO auditing companies. You can also leverage an auditor partner network from compliance automation platforms like Sprinto to expedite the audit process.

How to determine the best ISO auditors?

To determine the best ISO auditors:

• Ensure that the third-party auditor has been accredited by an authorized accreditation body
• Research their expertise in auditing ISMS and ask for case studies to select experienced auditors
• Consider their auditing approach such as documentation review, on-site or virtual testing of controls etc.
• Compare costs with other auditors but do not fail to consider reputation
• Choose an auditor with good communication skills to make it easy to coordinate and cooperate on the audit requirements.