In the modern business landscape, obtaining the ISO 27001 certification is a significant milestone. It signals to your clients and partners that you take information security seriously. However, many organisations are understandably concerned about the potential costs. This leads many to seek out the absolute cheapest way to achieve certification, often settling on a pure do-it-yourself approach.
The strategy usually involves finding a free spreadsheet to track tasks, using Artificial Intelligence to draft policies and procedures, and then only paying for the mandatory external penetration testing and final certification audit. Whilst this looks budget-friendly on paper, the reality often results in a low-quality solution that consumes hundreds of hours of your staff’s time.
The Reality of the DIY Approach
Attempting a pure do-it-yourself implementation of ISO 27001 is much like trying to build your own house from scratch without a professional architect or builder. You might find a free blueprint online and buy the raw materials, but without the foundational knowledge of structural integrity, plumbing, and electrical safety, you are likely to create a structure that is both unstable and dangerous. You would spend countless hours correcting mistakes that a professional would have avoided in minutes.
The same applies to cybersecurity. A critical reality to consider is that unless you are already aware of at least 50% of the ISO 27001 requirements, any plan you create is essentially random guessing. Setting out to implement this standard without expert guidance is an uninformed decision made while lacking vital information, which ultimately serves as a plan to fail.
The Hidden Costs of Artificial Intelligence and Manual Tracking
The primary issue with the pure do-it-yourself route is the reliance on unverified tools and the inherent limitations of Artificial Intelligence. While these methods appear free or low-cost, they often introduce significant hidden expenses and risks.
Artificial Intelligence-generated policies are frequently below average. They tend to be generic, impractical, and often contain errors that do not align with your specific business operations. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence recommendations for implementing technical cybersecurity protections are often incorrect, requiring constant human feedback and correction.
This leads to a process of trial and error that can take hundreds of hours. You may find yourself spending months learning from mistakes and re-doing work, only to end up with a low-quality “paper-based” defence. This is the essence of the “Project Pyramid”: you can have a project that is fast, cheap, or high quality, but you can only ever choose two. If you choose the cheapest route, you are inevitably sacrificing both speed and quality.
Avoiding the Expensive Spreadsheet Trap
Vertex is frequently contacted by companies that have spent six to twelve months attempting to do it themselves. They often find they have wasted months of effort only to realise the task is far more complex than they first thought.
Equally dangerous is the trap of purchasing an “all-in-one” compliance platform for thousands of dollars. Many of these platforms are essentially very expensive spreadsheets with extra features like trust centres and Artificial Intelligence integrations that do not actually help you implement the required security protections. Before you commit to a high-cost tool, you should read our guide on why you should stop spending thousands on cyber compliance platforms and the hard truth that your new cyber compliance platform might be a multi-year trap.
Paying for an expensive platform often leaves you with a limited budget for actual security protections, such as malware protection, phishing defences, or password managers. We regularly see companies that purchase these platforms and then have to ask us for a discount on implementation because they have no budget left for the actual work.
A Smarter Path: The Hybrid Strategy
You can achieve a cost-effective ISO 27001 certification without falling into the do-it-yourself trap. Consider a hybrid approach that leverages modern tools and targeted expertise to increase quality while reducing total time spent.
- Use a Simple Compliance Platform: Instead of a basic spreadsheet, consider an affordable platform like Vertex ALKE. For a modest fee of approximately $50 per month, you gain a structured environment that guides your progress far more effectively than a manual list.
- Purchase Targeted Expertise: The most effective way to save time is to purchase a small amount of expert guidance. A cybersecurity expert can help you avoid common mistakes, provide high-quality templates, and implement complex items correctly the first time. This flexible approach allows you to do the heavy lifting yourself while leveraging professional experience.
- Plan for Actual Protection: Set aside a budget for the cybersecurity products required for ISO 27001. Focus on items like malware protection, staff training, and phishing protection to ensure your certification represents genuine security rather than just a certificate on the wall.
Recommendations for Success
If you are beginning your journey toward ISO 27001, we suggest taking the following steps to determine the best approach for your team:
- Start with a Free Spreadsheet: Use it to gauge the scale of the task and realise that implementation is often harder than it first appears. You can access our free ISO 27001 spreadsheet to begin your planning.
- Budget for Expertise: Plan on at least some cybersecurity expert help to save you time and increase the likelihood of a successful certification.
- Avoid Over-Reliance on Artificial Intelligence: Do not assume you can implement a high-quality system on your first try using only automated tools.
If you are looking for a balance that provides high-quality protection without the enterprise price tag, consider contacting Vertex for a tailored solution. Whether you need simple guidance or a virtual Chief Information Security Officer to manage the entire process, we can help you achieve your goals efficiently. Contact us today to find the right path for your organisation.