Why is it important to choose an IT solutions provider that is ISO 27001 certified?

No organization is an island. To some degree, we all rely on external partners to provide services e.g. IT support & managed services (MSP), SaaS (software as a service), cloud hosting, cyber security consultants / vendors, and much more. Using those external providers means we can leverage their expertise, infrastructure, and resources. They can offer great benefits, but also bring some additional risks. That's because they may directly impact your security, risk management, compliance, and reputation. The underlying rule is:

If a provider can access, store, or impact your sensitive information or systems, their security maturity directly affects your business risk.

ISO 27001 is the world's most widely recognised standard for an organization's information security management system. It is a strong, independent signal that they take that responsibility seriously.

We believe that choosing an IT solutions provider that is ISO 27001 certified is important because of the following powerful combination of reasons:

1. Proven Compliance to Information Security Standards

A supplier with this certification has:

• Formal processes to protect sensitive data
• Controls in place to manage confidentiality, integrity, and availability
• Regular audits to ensure standards are maintained

This reduces the risk of data breaches and cyber incidents.

2. Strong Risk Management Practices

ISO 27001 requires organisations to:

• Identify potential security risks
• Assess their likelihood and impact
• Implement measures to mitigate those risks

For your business, this means:

• Fewer surprises
• Proactive security rather than reactive fixes

3. Helps with Compliance & Legal Requirements

Many industries (e.g., healthcare, finance, government) have strict data protection laws.

An ISO 27001-certified supplier helps you:

• Align with legislation or regulations (like EU or UK-GDPR, Privacy Act NZ, Australia, Data Protection Act Singapore etc.)
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators and auditors
• Avoid fines and legal issues

4. Reduced Risk of Data Breaches

Cybersecurity threats are increasing, and suppliers such as MSPs often have deep access to your systems. A certified supplier must:

• Use secure processes and access controls
• Train staff on security awareness
• Monitor systems continuously

This lowers your exposure to ransomware, phishing, and insider threats.

5. Increased Trust & Credibility

Working with an ISO 27001-certified supplier signals that:

• You take security seriously
• You partner with vetted, high-standard providers

This can:

• Build customer confidence
• Strengthen relationships with partners and stakeholders

6. Continuous Improvement

ISO 27001 isn’t a one-time certification. It requires:

• Ongoing monitoring
• Regular audits
• Continuous improvement of processes

This ensures your supplier is always:

• Updating security measures
• Adapting to new threats

7. Better Incident Response & Business Continuity

Certified suppliers must have:

• Documented incident response plans
• Disaster recovery procedures
• Business continuity strategies

So, if something goes wrong:

• Downtime is minimised
• Recovery is faster and more structured

The bottom line: Choose ISO 27001 certified IT service providers

Choosing an ISO 27001-certified supplier gives your business:

• Stronger security
• Lower risk
• Regulatory support
• Greater trust and reliability

This is why more clients are specifying requirements for ISO 27001 certified IT solutions providers, and accordingly more IT service providers are therefore, looking to get certified.

Of course, not every single service provider absolutely must be ISO 27001 certified for you to use them. Some may have little or no impact on your security and taking a risk-based approach may be more practicable. These are perhaps the types of suppliers that should be of highest priority - where certification should be strongly expected of them:

• MSPs
• Cloud providers
• SaaS platforms handling sensitive data
• Security vendors

We practice what we preach. So, yes, Qudos is ISO 27001 (and ISO 9001) certified!

ISO 27001 standard references

If your organization is ISO 27001 certified or looking towards achieving, the following references will be of interest to you. This article relates to ISO 27001 Annex A Controls 5.19 Information security in supplier relationships, 5.20 Addressing information security in supplier agreements, -5.21 Managing information security in the ICT supply chain, 5.22 Monitoring, review, and change management of supplier services, and 5.23 Information security for the use of cloud services.

Related article

We have a related article on the journey of one IT solutions business in developing its management system and getting certified to both ISO 27001 and ISO 9001. Read article.

Qudos Management Pty Ltd.
May 2026