Get ISO 27001 ready with SureMDM
Safeguard Your Mobile Landscape
Today, most businesses have embraced mobility to reduce IT costs, improve worker productivity, and more importantly, manage different endpoints such as mobile phones, rugged handheld devices, laptops, etc. As businesses shift towards a more mobile-driven workforce, the number of sophisticated cyber security attacks is also on the rise. In February 2023 alone, a staggering 29.5 million incidents were reported worldwide. All this reminds us of the famous quote, "With great power comes greater responsibility", and that's precisely why, implementing ISO 27001 standard becomes non-negotiable for mobile-first businesses to ensure the security and confidentiality of sensitive business information.
What is ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 is the golden standard for managing information security. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this standard lays out a blueprint for creating, executing, upholding, and enhancing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
What are the benefits of ISO 27001 compliance?
ISO 27001 compliance comes with a plethora of benefits for organizations. Let's take a look at the top benefits:
Global recognition and opportunities
As an internationally recognized standard, ISO 27001 certification opens doors to new markets and opportunities, especially in the compliance-driven sectors. The certification also shows your customers that you take security seriously and are committed to protecting your customer data.
Achieve compliance with regulatory requirements
To get ISO 27001 certification, companies go through rigorous risk assessments. These assessments involve assessing a company's current processes against the regulatory requirements, identifying gaps, and coming up with measures to meet the standards.
Improve the overall security posture
ISO 27001 enables organizations to obtain an unbiased evaluation of their security posture through third-party Certification Body assessments or internal system and process inspections. These assessments factor in the company's level of threat awareness and emergency preparedness to ensure adequate security measures are in place.
Avoid cost from data breaches
From reputational damage to bottom-line disruption, data breaches can be detrimental to a business. ISO 27001 certification establishes a baseline for how businesses should store data and handle them with a tried and tested framework so businesses can avoid any potential data breaches and the costs associated with the breaches.
The Role of ISO 27001 Standards in Mobile Device Management
Data Security
Compliance Requirements
Risk Management
Continuous Improvement
Though ISO 27001 provides a framework for information security, businesses should realize it is not just about ticking the boxes, it's about building a culture of security awareness and continuous improvement.
How ISO 27001 can be achieved
Getting ISO certification requires a lot of dedication and commitment from the entire company--top to bottom. Organizations generally face many challenges like lack of budget, lack of suitable consulting boards, organizational barriers, resource crunch, and more while trying to attain certification. If you carefully overcome these challenges, here are the steps you need to follow to achieve the certification.
1. Prepare a Project Plan
Start by assigning a project leader, establishing expectations based on business objectives, and securing buy-in from leadership. You can also consider hiring an ISO consultant for guidance. And before you even start the process, educating yourself and the team on different ISO 27001 controls is important.
2. Define the Scope of your Information Security Management System (ISMS)
Determine the kind of data your business houses and needs to protect. This step completely depends on your business, and you can define if the ISMS should include only specific processes, products, services, systems, or particular departments.
3. Identify Risks and Gaps
Start with a formal risk assessment and document the data and results. Identify legal, regulatory, or contractual obligations affecting your organization. The next step would be to evaluate your current security posture against ISO 27001 requirements to identify the gaps. If your organization doesn't have a dedicated compliance team, you can seek an ISO consultant's assistance in conducting gap analysis and crafting a remediation plan.
4. Design and Implement Controls
After you have identified the risks, you must judge the severity and consequence of each risk, i.e., determine which risks your organization can tolerate and which ones need to be addressed. Your auditor will review these decisions during your ISO 27001 certification audit. The next step would be to provide a Statement of Applicability (a key document that outlines ISO 27001 controls and policies) and a Risk Treatment Plan (outlines what you are doing about each risk) as your audit evidence.
5. Train Your Employees
Now that you have identified the risks, analyzed the gaps, and documented your Risk Treatment Plan, it is key to train all employees on information security, the ISO certification process, and their role in achieving compliance.
6. Undergo Audit
Stage 1 focuses on documentation evaluation and readiness assessment.
Stage 2 validates the practical implementation and effectiveness of the ISMS. Successful completion of both stages, demonstrating compliance with ISO 27001 requirements, paves the way for achieving ISO 27001 certification.
Once you pass through the Stage 2 audit, you will receive the most coveted ISO 27001 certification. This certification is valid for three years.
7. Maintain Compliance
Regularly review and update your ISMS to adapt to evolving threats and business needs. Perform periodic internal audits to identify and address potential weaknesses before external audits.
As you reach the end of the third year, you can apply for a recertification audit and maintain the ISO 27001 certification for the next three years.
How SureMDM Can Help You Meet ISO Compliance
As more businesses adopt cloud-based software, safeguarding sensitive employee and customer data is paramount. ISO 27001 security frameworks and controls offer businesses with a structured approach to implementing security controls and ensuring responsible data handling. Annex A of ISO 27001 has a total of 114 controls grouped into 14 categories to help you improve your information security. Let's see how SureMDM's functionalities align with some of the ISO 27001 policies and contribute to achieving data security requirements.
A.6.2.1 - Mobile Device Policy
SureMDM allows IT admins to create policies based on device types, user groups, and ownership (BYOD vs. corporate-owned). With compliance reports, you get granular insights into adherence to various security policies.
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Policy Management:
Create and enforce detailed mobile device policies for various platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, etc.). Restrict access to unauthorized features, applications, and websites.
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App Management:
Securely deploy and manage approved corporate apps, while preventing unapproved app installation. Configure app permissions and data access restrictions.
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Email Management:
Configure access to specific email accounts using secure protocols and enforce encryption for emails containing sensitive information.
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Wi-Fi Management:
Limit Wi-Fi access to pre-approved networks with strong authentication and encryption settings.
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Passcode Enforcement:
Enforce strong passcode policies with minimum length, complexity requirements, and automatic wipe after failed attempts.
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Device Security Settings:
Configure settings like screen lock timeout, password complexity, lost/stolen device actions, encryption at rest and in transit, and secure boot.
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Compliance Policy:
Create and enforce policies for security configurations, ensuring all devices adhere to minimum security standards.
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Remote Wipe:
Perform remote wipe of lost, stolen, or non-compliant devices to prevent unauthorized data access.
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Kiosk Mode:
Lock down devices to specific applications or functionalities, improving security and focus for work purposes.
A.8.1.1 - Inventory of Assets
SureMDM lets you get a 360-degree view of all your enrolled assets. It also allows real-time location tracking of devices and sends alerts for missing or unauthorized devices.
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Device Grid:
Get a complete view of enrolled devices with details like the device model, job status (whether a job is implemented, in progress, or failed), if a particular device is online or offline, the battery percentage of a device, and more. Admins can also perform some actions like refresh, reboot, and initiate remote sessions by right-clicking the devices from the grid.
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Asset Tracking Reports:
Generate detailed reports on device types, ownership, OS versions, apps installed, and security configurations.
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Network Inventory Reports:
Get insights into device network connections, including IP addresses, MAC addresses, and Wi-Fi network details.
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Device Health Reports:
Monitor the health of your devices with parameters like CPU temperature, memory details, battery temperature, etc., to identify problems for preventive maintenance.
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Compliance Reports:
Get a lowdown on whether all your enrolled devices comply with mandated policies and best practices.
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Data Export:
Export reports in various formats (PDF, CSV) for further analysis and record-keeping.
A.8.1.2 - Ownership of Assets
SureMDM integrates with Active Directory to empower IT admins with a centralized user and device management. Admins can assign specific management rights to different user groups.
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Device Enrollment Authentication:
Before enrolling a device, SureMDM lets IT admins authenticate devices using authentication methods like password, OAuth, and SAML to ensure only authorized devices are enrolled.
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Search Function:
Find specific devices quickly using various search criteria like serial number, model, username, email ID, or custom tags.
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Groups:
Organize devices into groups based on ownership, departments, or other relevant criteria for ease of management.
A.12.5.1 - Installation of Software on Operational Systems
Control which software or applications users can install on their mobile devices to prevent unauthorized applications and minimize vulnerabilities. Admins can also get audit logs for app installations and uninstalls.
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App Management:
Establish a list of approved applications that users can install. Restrict access to unauthorized app stores and block sideloading of apps. In addition to this, admins can also restrict users from uninstalling the apps distributed via Google Play for Work.
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App Review and Approval:
Set up an approval process for new app submissions, ensuring they meet security and functionality requirements before deployment.
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App Version Control:
Automate app updates to ensure devices run the latest secure versions, patching vulnerabilities promptly.
A.12.6.2 - Restrictions on Software Installation
Prevent the installation of unauthorized and unwanted applications that could introduce security risks or data leaks.
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Blocklist Applications:
Create a list of unwanted and potentially harmful applications to automatically block their installation attempts.
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App Permissions Control:
Define and enforce granular permissions for approved applications, limiting their access to sensitive data and functionalities.
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Jailbreak/Rooting Detection:
Prohibit devices with jailbroken or rooted OS to prevent potential security bypasses and unauthorized access.
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App Lock:
Enforce password protection for specific applications to safeguard sensitive data within them.
A.8.5 - Secure Authentication
Implement an additional layer of security using multi-factor authentication (MFA). Ensure secure device access and prevent unauthorized use.
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Device Authentication:
Enforce MFA using various methods like password + PIN, password + fingerprint, or password + token for secure device login.
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Custom Authentication using SureLock:
SureLock, a kiosk lockdown solution (included with SureMDM) not only lets you authenticate using password auth and LDAP auth, but it also lets you create a custom authentication mechanism.
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Conditional Access:
Set conditions for device access based on user location, device compliance, or specific application usage, enhancing security based on context.
Conclusion
SureMDM offers a comprehensive suite of features that align with various ISO 27001 security controls, helping accelerate your organization's security compliance journey. Sign up for SureMDM today!
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Disclaimer: While achieving ISO certification requires implementing a comprehensive set of controls, Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions can address many, but not all, of these controls. A layered security approach that combines MDM with other security solutions is typically necessary to meet all ISO requirements.