From its roots in the 1990s as a British security guideline to today's internationally recognised cybersecurity framework, ISO 27001 has shaped how organisations manage and protect information.
The story begins in the mid-1990s with BS7799, a British Standard developed by the UK's Department of Trade and Industry and later published by BSI Group.
It provided one of the first structured frameworks for information security management, outlining control objectives for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Key Impact:
As global digitisation accelerated, organisations outside the UK began adopting it—setting the stage for an international standard.
In 2000, ISO and IEC adopted BS7799 as an international standard, publishing ISO/IEC17799:2000 (a code of practice).
Requirements Standard
Specifying the requirements for an Information Security Management System (ISMS)
Guidance Standard
Providing guidance on best-practice controls and implementation
The Birth of the 27000 Series
The "27000 series" was born, covering everything from risk management to incident response, creating a comprehensive information security ecosystem.
The 2013 revision aligned ISO27001 with Annex SL — a universal structure used across all ISO management system standards (like ISO9001 and ISO14001).
Key updates included:
Integration Benefits:
This made it easier for organisations to integrate their ISMS with other standards in a single Integrated Management System.
Released October 2022
ISO released the latest update to address cloud security, remote work, and modern cyber risks.
Organisational
Policies & Governance
People
Human Resources
Physical
Environmental Security
Technological
Technical Controls
114 → 93 Controls
Reduced overlap
October 2025
Transition deadline
Information security has moved from a technical discipline to a core business responsibility.
Then: Password Policies
Focus on basic technical controls and access management
Now: Governance
Risk-based thinking with leadership accountability
Future: Resilience
Continuous improvement and threat adaptation
Business Impact
Adopting the latest version helps organisations stay aligned with current threats and regulatory expectations, turning compliance into competitive advantage.
CertCrowd's ISO27001 Blueprint is fully updated to the 2022 standard, including all 93 Annex A controls and attribute mapping.
In CertCrowd you can:
ISO 27001 continues to evolve as technology and cyber threats do. With CertCrowd, you can keep pace with those changes and maintain compliance as standards update.
British Standard establishes first structured information security framework
International adoption and split into 27001 (requirements) and 27002 (guidance)
Risk-based thinking and integration with other ISO standards
Cloud security, remote work, and streamlined controls for today's challenges
Ongoing updates to address emerging technologies and threats
