How to Hire an ISO® 27001 Consultant for Your ISMS

How to Hire an ISO® 27001 Consultant for Your ISMS

Step 1: Look for Experience and Relevance

Firstly, you should determine what kind of experience or skills you’re looking for in an ISO® 27001 consultant. Consider what specific tasks you need your consultant to handle — for example, if you want them to conduct risk assessments, they should have experience in detecting and resolving vulnerabilities in security systems or something similar.

Here are some types of experiences to look out for:

• Relevant Industry Experience: It’s advantageous if your ISO® 27001 consultant has professional work experience in the same industry as your company. They may find it easier to familiarize themselves with your ISMS and understand your business framework.

• Experience with Security Management Systems: Familiarity or proficiency in information security systems is a must since an ISO® 27001 consultant’s job involves designing or improving your ISMS. They should understand how these management systems function and how to deal with or avoid security breaches. You should also see if a consultant has personal experience with implementing ISMS or other types of management systems.

• Experience with the ISO 27001 Standard: Your consultant must have expert knowledge or experience with ISO® 27001 compliance. A big part of their job is to ensure your ISMS reaches the standard, so they must fully understand all the ISO® 27001 requirements and how to satisfy them.

• Case Studies or Testimonials: When looking for a consultant, you need to carefully examine their track record with previous clients. More specifically, look for customer testimonials, reviews, case studies, and tangible evidence of past successes.

• Certification Body Allegiance: If you’re aiming to pass the ISO® 27001 certification, try looking for a consultant with personal experience with accredited certification bodies. This means they’re likely to have in-depth knowledge of the whole process and may be able to help you get certified quicker.

Step 2: Customized Service

When searching for the right ISO® 27001 consultant, make sure to find one who provides you with personalized guidance. They should be able to address your specific concerns and tailor their solutions to suit your business framework. Avoid consultants who give copy-paste advice or templates and call it a day.

During early negotiations with a potential hire, ask about their services and what kind of work they’re able to contribute to your company. Whether they’re capable of providing personalized guidance that caters to your needs should be clear from their style of communication.

You can be even more direct with your questioning and ask them how they would solve a certain issue. If they give a generic answer that applies to any scenario or business, they may not be the best consultant to hire. Ask yourself:

• Are they able to adapt to different situations?

• Do they communicate well?

• How available are they, or how fast are they able to solve an issue?

• How well-suited are they for your company?

• Will they work well with your employees?

Step 3: Pricing and Timeline

Another important factor to consider when hiring an ISO® 27001 consultant is their pricing, which depends a lot on the project scope and timeline. This refers to how long it’ll take them to complete the work you set out for them.

If your goal is to reach certification, you should ask how long it would take for them to help you get certified. Timelines can vary depending on the size of your company and how much work needs to be done to reach compliance.

For instance, if you don’t even have an ISMS in place or require a replacement, your consultant will need to design, build, and implement an ISMS for you on top of other tasks. The bigger the project, the higher the costs.

Make sure to note down all the activities involved in the project to make negotiations easier. Remember to consider training costs, audits, upfront fees, and so on when discussing prices with your potential hire.

Step 4: Business Structure

Consider the business structure of the consultancy agency you’re hiring from. How is their work organized? Are there any guarantees your project will reach completion? This way, you can avoid encountering any potential pitfalls in your project.

You should also look into how their pricing schemes are structured to see if you get any security with your money — for example, is there a refund system or a way to ensure you get what you're paying for? How much control do you have over their work, and what happens if you’re not satisfied with the results?

Step 5: Communication and Building Rapport

Regular communication with your ISO® 27001 consultant is crucial. This includes discussing strategies, conducting internal audits, reviewing your ISMS, and addressing any urgent dilemmas. You need to hire someone who’s readily available and willing to engage in in-depth conversations to ensure effective resolution of issues.

You should be able to trust in your consultant’s expertise and collaborate with them on various activities. It’s especially helpful to build rapport with your ISO® 27001 consultant in case you need their services again when you’re renewing your certification (they need to renew every three years).

Make sure you have a way to easily contact your consultant — it’s best to set up multiple channels of communication so you have a backup if one channel isn’t working. Both you and your consultant should agree on what methods to use, but if possible, it’s best to choose a channel already used by your employees.

While your consultant is an external hire, you should treat them as part of your company since they’ll be deeply involved in its operations and may even interact with other employees (e.g., in security awareness training programs).