How Organizations Address the Ongoing Risk of Data Breaches with Unified Standards

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, trust and security have become essential success factors. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and the Axians approach provide a powerful response to these challenges: they establish standardized information security practices and enable professional risk management. This article explains how certification and methodology help organizations build trust, gain the confidence of customers and partners, and position themselves as reliable players in a data-driven world.

Trust Alone Is No Longer Enough
Trust has always been the foundation of human relationships. However, with the growing number of cyberattacks, personal trust alone is no longer sufficient. Today, trust must also be embedded in technology and information security, supported by clear contractual agreements for incident scenarios. The real challenge is ensuring that a partner is actually capable of meeting the agreed security standards.

Cyberattacks have a direct impact on partnerships. An organization’s ability to effectively protect data depends on the requirements arising from its relationships with customers, partners, and suppliers. Two aspects are particularly critical:

  • Contractual obligations that clearly define responsibilities, due diligence requirements, and liability.
  • The organization’s security capabilities, which form the basis of trust and must align with its contractual commitments.

Data Protection Challenges in Connected Partnerships

The integration of technology into nearly every aspect of modern life has made data the most valuable asset, from business communications to operational systems that are often deployed across multiple geographic regions. This raises legal and regulatory questions regarding data ownership, protection, and processing, especially as different parties, some contractually bound and others not, may have access to the same data.

At a time when data is both monetized and stolen, appropriate protection measures are indispensable. This is particularly true for data stored on platforms such as SaaS, IaaS, or PaaS, where partnerships are part of everyday business operations. Such arrangements require trust and coordination while raising critical questions:

  • Are partners adequately informed about the current security posture?
  • Can they be relied upon to assess and report security incidents correctly?
  • How can partnerships be evaluated and verified for compliance with security standards?

These questions highlight the importance of vigilance when managing and protecting data in an interconnected world.

A key factor in building trust is the ability to “speak the same language”, meaning to understand the other party’s strategy, commitment, and security controls (measures). A robust solution is provided by a standardized framework that is ideally recognized as a cross-industry benchmark. Lazar Jovanov, Cyber Security Consultant at Axians, explains:

At Axians, we firmly believe that ISO/IEC 27001:2022 helps establish trust in an organization’s security posture by leveraging the expertise of our specialists and incorporating additional frameworks such as the Swiss nDSG/nLPD and GDPR. This approach enables us to establish a common language at the executive level and address topics such as strategy, decision-making, prioritization, resource allocation, and process definition. In doing so, we guide our customers toward a mature understanding of complex requirements related to legal and contractual obligations.

However, that is not the end of the story, as the following fundamental questions illustrate:

  • How can we be sure that other parties, including ourselves, are trustworthy?
  • Can partnerships truly be considered compliant with our security standards?

The assurance that a partner is committed to meeting a defined set of minimum requirements can be easily demonstrated through ISO/IEC 27001 certification. But what happens when an organization applies higher, more stringent standards? How can it ensure that these standards are also being met?

ISO/IEC 27001:2022: A Two-Tier Framework for Targeted Security

The standard distinguishes between two groups of measures: clauses and Annex A controls. The clauses form the core of the framework, as they define the ISMS (Information Security Management System) and establish the foundation for key principles such as the risk-based approach through a risk management process. The controls (measures), in turn, guide organizations in addressing specific security topics. This two-tier approach enables the implementation of minimum information security controls tailored to the context, realities, and requirements of each organization.

However, because the standard is open to interpretation and does not prescribe ready-made solutions, organizations need guidance and support during implementation.

This is precisely where Axians comes in, with a methodology based on risk management, business requirements, and financial relevance. While the standard provides a number of guidelines and principles, we complement them with advisory services, analysis, and strategic perspective to develop the right tools and implement compliant solutions, such as information security strategies, resource organization, incident response policies and processes, business continuity management, and risk management criteria and requirements,” explains Lazar.

Building Trust and Security with Purpose

Building trust is based on three pillars: evidence gathering, risk management, and strategic alignment. The Axians approach, combined with ISO/IEC 27001:2022, offers a clear advantage in this regard: certification confirms the organization’s quality and compliance with robust information security standards. This not only validates the chosen strategies but also strengthens the organization’s reputation.

Even when some security-related uncertainties remain, mutual ISO/IEC 27001 certification ensures a credible security framework based on a shared methodology.

Applying the Axians methodology alongside ISO/IEC 27001:2022 delivers benefits that go beyond being recognized as a secure and trustworthy partner:

  • Enhanced and demonstrable information security maturity
  • Clear identification of risks related to the organization, its activities, and its products
  • Further development of existing technical and organizational capabilities
  • Establishment of new capabilities and competencies
  • Compliance with relevant regulatory, legal, and contractual requirements
  • Improved visibility into security aspects and components (assets, processes, policies, technical controls, traffic control, IAM, BCM, etc.)
  • Initiation of a continuous improvement process aimed at achieving higher security standards

Awareness and Maturity: Two Critical Enablers

At the core of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 are two key factors: awareness and an established level of maturity. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, these serve as strong indicators of trustworthiness and security. Awareness provides the foundation for meaningful risk discussions, while organizational maturity ensures the effective implementation and monitoring of controls and security measures.

This approach strengthens an SME’s reputation as a trustworthy business and signals to stakeholders, including potential partners, that the organization is prepared to operate securely. Certification demonstrates the organization’s maturity, its ability to collaborate effectively with partners, and its credibility as a reliable service provider.

Lazar Jovanov, Cyber Security Consultant at Axians, summarizes:

In the face of increasing cyberattacks, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 has become essential for building trust. While achieving certification requires effort, it enhances an organization’s reputation, strengthens collaboration with stakeholders, and provides SMEs in particular with an opportunity to improve both their security posture and the cybersecurity awareness of management and employees. Implementing ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is a pathway to success, trust, and growth in today’s data-driven world.