ISO 27001

What is ISO 27001?

ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It defines requirements for the planning, introduction, implementation, monitoring, maintenance and continuous improvement of a documented ISMS with the aim of systematically identifying and managing risks in information security. It also forms the basis for formal certification by an accredited body.

What are the objectives and significance of ISO 27001?

Protecting confidential information and IT infrastructures is critical in the digital age. ISO 27001 aims to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of information through structured risk management. For companies in regulated industries, it is a central part of the compliance strategy and is often a prerequisite for ISO 27001 certification.

Structure and content

ISO 27001 is based on the so-called High Level Structure (HLS). Key chapters include:

• Context of the organization
• Management and responsibilities
• Risk assessment and risk treatment
• Safety goals and measures
• Operation and continuous improvement
• Appendix A: 93 Security Measures in 4 Subject Areas (Organizational, People, Physical, Technological)

Implementation with Aeneis

The Aeneis BPM and GRC software enables a completely digital, verifiable and audit-proof implementation of ISO 27001 requirements:

• Centralized management of all security measures
• Automated generation of statements of applicability (SoA)
• Integration with risk management, process maps, and audit functions
• Workflow-based approvals, documentation and versioning

Aeneis allows ISO 27001 to be managed together with other standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or ISO 22301 in a harmonized IMS (Integrated Management System). Thanks to the high-level structure of ISO standards, implementation can be efficiently bundled and multiple costs reduced.

Special features for regulated industries

In heavily regulated industries such as finance, critical infrastructure (KRITIS), energy supply, healthcare or mechanical engineering with international supply chains, compliance with ISO 27001 is not only recommended, but often mandatory due to legal or regulatory requirements.

Finance
Banks, insurance companies and asset management companies have requirements such as BAIT, VAIT, KAIT or the MaRisk Amendment. These require a structured ISMS in accordance with ISO 27001. With Aeneis, financial institutions can:

• carry out a systematic risk assessment and treatment,
• prepare the Statement of Applicability (SoA) and document it in an audit-proof manner,
• logically link measures with processes, IT systems and roles and manage them in an audit-compliant manner.

KRITIS and NIS-2 companies
Operators of critical infrastructures and companies subject to NIS-2 requirements must demonstrate and continuously improve information security measures. In return, Aeneis offers:

• central control of all safety-relevant measures, including versioning,
• a dynamic risk landscape
• automated reports for submission to authorities and auditors.

Energy and healthcare
Increasing requirements for digital resilience and data protection make ISO 27001 a key component of a modern management system. Here, Aeneis enables:

• the combination of ISMS, data protection management, BCM and other standards in an integrated system,
• assigning clear responsibilities,
• the presentation of safety processes in the form of understandable process models and dashboards.

Mechanical engineering with an international supply chain
In mechanical and plant engineering, the relevance of ISO 27001 is significantly increasing due to legal requirements such as NIS-2, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and requirements from the automotive industry (e.g. TISAX). Aeneis supports affected companies with:

• documenting and monitoring protective measures across the entire supply chain,
• the integration of risk analyses,
• approval and control processes to ensure compliance.

Aeneis features to support ISO 27001

Aeneis integrates an ISMS app based on ISO 27001 with:

• Risk identification, assessment and treatment
• Asset assessment
• SOA reports as PDFs for submission during audits
• Assignment of roles and responsibilities
• Dashboards for an overview of measures and risks
• Linking with processes, IT systems, locations and documents
• Recording of security incidents

More about ISMS in Aeneis

Conclusion

ISO 27001 forms the backbone of effective information security management. With Aeneis, companies are not only implementing the standard, they incorporate it into their business processes. This turns regulatory effort into a real security and competitive advantage.