ISO 27001 Certification Bodies

Organizations are certified worldwide via certification bodies. These certifying organizations are monitored by a higher-level and independent accreditation body. This accreditation body (e.g. UKAS, RvA, DAkkS) grants the ISO 27001 certification bodies permission to carry out certifications. The accreditation body (e.g. UKAS) therefore carries out an audit of the certification bodies every year to protect the standards. All documentation and processes are checked. This is intended to ensure that the auditors and administrative staff of the certification bodies carry out the certification process correctly. Administrative staff review the submitted documents as part of an audit and archive them in accordance with standards.

How to choose an ISO 27001 accredited certification body?​

For companies that want to be certified according to ISO 27001, it is important to choose a certification body that is suitable for them. Depending on what goals you are pursuing with the certification, you have to be selective. Costs and sales priorities, in addition to regulatory requirements, also play a role. In the following video (approx. 11 minutes) we explain how to choose a certification authority and which situations require an alternative certification authority. This gives you an easier understanding of what is important for your company when it comes to certification. Not every certification body with strong domestic brand recognition has a positive marketing impact in certain foreign target markets.

Which ISO 27001 certification bodies are there?

iso certification, business woman

The following certification bodies can certify companies nationally or internationally according to ISO 27001:

Our ISO 27001 Experts are also auditing on behalf of several european certification bodies (ifc global, TÜV Nord, TÜV Süd) according to the  ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 27001:2022 standard.

Which certification body is suitable for ISO 27001?

Not every certification body is accredited for the ISO 27001 standard. Therefore, you must carefully verify which organization is authorized to audit and certify against this standard. Other factors to consider include the country in which your company is based and the specific objectives you aim to achieve by certifying your management system.

With some well-known certification bodies, you pay a premium for brand recognition, yet you may still face long wait times. Furthermore, the acceptance of certain certification bodies can vary by region due to historical factors. In some countries, a certificate from a well-known German provider might not be recognized, which could render your investment entirely worthless. For this reason, our consultants always ask where you intend to use the certificate—many clients leverage ISO certifications for promotional purposes to encourage customer purchases.

It is also important to consider the language in which your ISMS (Information Security Management System) is documented. Not every ISO 27001 certification body is equipped to audit a management system in languages ​​such as Polish, Spanish, English, or Dutch. If the auditing firm does not have an auditor with the necessary language proficiency, they will be unable to assess documentation written in that language. Whether the documentation consists of Word files or is hosted on an online management platform, the auditor will not be permitted to review it. Consequently, you must identify an accredited body that has qualified auditors with the specific language skills required.

Can I use the same certification body for multiple standards?

Yes, you can use the same certification body for multiple ISO standards. Since certification bodies typically offer certification services for various standards, you can engage the same provider for both ISO 9001 and ISO 27001. In fact, this is often a sensible approach—especially if your organization operates multiple management systems or has established an integrated management system (IMS).

For example, a single certification body can simultaneously provide certification for the following standards:

  • ISO 9001 – Quality Management
  • ISO/IEC 27001 – Information Security Management
  • ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
  • ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management
  • ISO/IEC 42001 – AI Management System

What are the requirements?

It is crucial that the certification body is qualified for the relevant standards and possesses the necessary competencies. In the case of accredited certification, it must also be ensured that the standard in question is covered by the certification body’s scope of accreditation. For example, accreditation for ISO 9001 does not automatically authorize the issuance of accredited ISO/IEC 27001 certificates.

Benefits of a shared certification authority

Using a single certification body offers several advantages: reduced administrative effort, coordinated audit schedules, a central point of contact, and potentially lower audit costs. According to IAF MD 11:2023, audits for different management system standards can be combined. Depending on the level of integration and the competence of the auditors, it is also possible to justify a reduction in audit time. However, all requirements of each standard must still be fully assessed. Important: For combined accredited audits, all relevant standards must be included within the certification body’s scope of accreditation in order to apply the provisions for streamlining set out in IAF MD 11.

In conclusion: If, for example, you wish to obtain certification for ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001, a single certification body can manage all three certifications. You should simply verify their scope of accreditation, technical expertise, and capacity for conducting combined audits beforehand.