Security speaks
through certification
Received an ISMS / ISMS-P mandatory certification notice?
An integrated strategy to prepare ISO 27001 and ISMS-P at once — designed directly by a former auditor.
What is ISO 27001
ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). Beyond individual devices or solutions that protect information, it calls for a management-level governance system that identifies, controls, and continually improves on risk. The 2022 revision (27001:2022) consists of 7 management clauses in the main body plus 93 controls across 4 themes, and serves as the common language of information security recognized anywhere in the world.
Annex A controls (2022 revision)
Organizational · People · Physical · Technological
Certificate validity (annual surveillance audit)
Why you need it now
A single ransomware hit can halt a plant, and one leaked record can end a deal. Security is no longer the IT department's concern alone — it is a matter of the company's survival. ISO 27001 is the answer to three pressures.
- Regulation The Personal Information Protection Act, the Network Act, and — for overseas trade — even the GDPR all demand evidence that you have a security management system in place.
- Trade Large enterprises, financial institutions, and public agencies set ISO 27001 or ISMS-P as a baseline requirement for supplier registration and tenders.
- Trust In investment due diligence and global customer contracts, it proves on a single page that you are "a company that got security right from the start."
ISO 27001 vs. ISMS-P — What's the Difference
When you start researching information security certification, ISO 27001, ISMS, and ISMS-P all show up at once and it's easy to get confused. The three are not competitors but siblings sharing the same roots. ISMS-P is a scheme built on the international foundation of ISO 27001, with Korea-domestic regulation and personal information protection added on top.
| Category | ISO 27001 | ISMS-P |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | International standard (globally recognized) | Korea-domestic certification (statutory scheme) |
| Governing bodies | ISO/IEC, accreditation bodies (e.g., KAB) | Ministry of Science and ICT & PIPC; audited by KISA |
| Obligation | Voluntary (effectively essential as a trade requirement) | Network Act Article 47 — legally mandatory above a certain size |
| Personal data protection | Security-focused (personal data covered in part) | Information protection + personal data protection combined (includes "P") |
| Strength | Overseas trade · global customers · investment due diligence | Meeting domestic legal obligations · public tenders |
※ ISMS certifies information protection only, while ISMS-P is the higher-tier certification that adds personal information protection (Privacy) on top. If your service handles personal data, ISMS-P is the benchmark.
Why You Should Prepare Both Certifications Together
Many companies obtain ISMS-P first because it's mandatory, then later pursue ISO 27001 separately once overseas business arises. Yet the two certifications share more than 70% of their controls. Prepare them separately and you do the same work twice; prepare them together and one build earns you both certificates.
- Writing risk assessments, policies, and documents twice
- Paying for audits and consulting twice
- Repeating staff interviews and evidence collection twice over
- Renewal and surveillance schedules running separately, adding management burden
- Designing shared controls at once from a single risk assessment
- Submitting the same documents and evidence to both audits
- Domestic obligation (ISMS-P) and global trust (ISO 27001) in one go
- Operating and renewing as one unified system to simplify management
The key is the design. Look at both certifications together from the start and map the controls, and one build earns you both certificates. Obtain one first and try to retrofit the other, and you end up reworking it in the end. That is why the consulting that sets which order to follow and which controls to share is what decides the cost.
Key Requirements of ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001 has two major parts: the main body (Clauses 4–10), which sets how the company is run, and Annex A (93 controls), the actual list of security measures.
① Management System Main Body — Clauses 4–10
Context of the Organization
Internal/external issues, interested-party needs, and defining the scope
Leadership
Top-management commitment, the information security policy, roles and responsibilities
Planning
Risk assessment and treatment, the Statement of Applicability (SoA), security objectives
Support
Resources, competence, awareness, communication, documented information
Operation
Operational control of risk assessment execution and risk treatment actions
Performance Evaluation & Improvement
Internal audit and management review, corrective action for nonconformities, continual improvement
② Annex A — 93 Controls Across 4 Themes
A.5 Organizational Controls
Company-wide rules such as information security policies, asset management, access control policy, supplier and cloud security, incident management, and threat intelligence
A.6 People Controls
People-related controls such as pre-employment screening, confidentiality agreements, training and awareness, disciplinary process, remote working, and security event reporting
A.7 Physical Controls
Controls over space and equipment such as entry control, secure areas, equipment protection, cabling and storage media management, and physical security monitoring
A.8 Technological Controls
Technical measures such as access rights, encryption, backup, logging and monitoring, network and web filtering, secure coding, and data leakage prevention
New in 2022 11 Newly Added Controls
The 2022 revision added 11 new controls to reflect the shift to cloud and the evolving threat landscape. Companies certified under the older version (2013) need a transition audit.
Certification Process
Gap Analysis
Diagnose the gap between your current security posture and the ISO / ISMS-P benchmarks
Risk Management
Identify information assets and establish a risk assessment and treatment plan
SoA & Build
Write the Statement of Applicability, implement controls, and operate policies and procedures
Certification Audit
Stage 1 document review and Stage 2 on-site audit confirm the controls are operating
Certification & Surveillance
Certificate issued (3 years), with an annual surveillance audit to maintain the system
Why the Choice of Consultancy Decides the Outcome
Information security certification is not about receiving a stack of documents — it is about building a system that genuinely runs inside your company. Even with the same certificate, what happens after certification differs entirely depending on the partner you chose.
The Cost of the Wrong Choice
- · A vendor that just produces documents and leaves you with no operating evidence — leading to corrective action and re-audits
- · A merely formal system that fails to work in the face of an actual breach
- · Without knowing your industry's risks, unnecessary controls pile up while the essentials are left empty
- · The cost of having to find a new vendor again at renewal and surveillance
What Makes a Good Partner
- · An expert who knows the audit floor designs around "what the audit actually looks for"
- · Controls chosen to fit your industry's risk profile (SaaS, fintech, manufacturing, etc.)
- · Integrated design that views ISMS-P and ISO 27001 together to eliminate duplication
- · One team that stays with you through renewal and operation, not just certification
Why Just Verify Is Different
Experienced auditors take 1:1 ownership. We design a system that is genuinely effective — not just one that passes the audit.
We map ISMS-P and ISO 27001 together from the start, preparing both certifications in a single build.
A cumulative track record of 500 certified enterprises and industry-specific know-how reduce trial and error.
Expected Benefits
Win Trade Trust
Prove your security posture to customers and partners on a single page
Meet Legal Obligations
Address the requirements of the Personal Information Protection Act and the Network Act at once
Tender Bonus Points
Secure mandatory requirements and bonus points when bidding on public and financial projects
Prevent Incident Costs
Head off the compensation, recovery, and trust losses caused by a breach before they happen
Frequently Asked Questions
How do ISO 27001 and ISMS-P differ, and why prepare them together?
Do we have to implement all 93 controls of ISO 27001:2022?
How do we determine whether our company is subject to mandatory ISMS-P?
Can companies in cloud environments (AWS / Azure / GCP) obtain it?
Why does choosing the right certification consultancy matter so much?
Start your information security certification with an integrated strategy
30-day average completion, 30% cost reduction, and a cumulative track record of 500 certified enterprises. Just Verify guides you down the path of preparing ISMS-P and ISO 27001 at once.