How can an information security management system (ISMS) be supported or even implemented with the help of tools?

Variants

The basic understanding is that an ISMS is not primarily a piece of software or a complete application, but rather a formless management system. In other words, it is a system consisting of - in abstract terms - tools and methods for managing information security.

The usual start

The first tools used to establish and initially operate an ISMS are usually documents (guidelines, policies, process documents, etc.) and lists (inventories, etc.). Nowadays, this is no longer done by hand, but with the help of word processing programs and spreadsheet software.

Existing office applications on workstations are often the first software tools used to implement an ISMS.

Specialized software

In the context of information security, there are various types of specialized applications for managing the information and data necessary to meet the requirements of an ISMS. The transition between “automated” spreadsheet templates and standalone applications is not always clearly defined. As a rule, specialized software supports one or more information security norms or standards.

Various functions required for an ISMS may be integrated into these software solutions - for example, document version management or a simple solution for risk inventory. As you might imagine, existing solutions (software for document management systems, risk management systems, quality management systems, ticket systems, etc.) have been expanded by manufacturers to also support information security management. Software for an ISMS has therefore not always been developed with the primary goal of focusing on information security. Some software was originally designed to meet other requirements and purposes and has only been expanded to include information security as the need arose.

Generalized compliance applications

There are quite extensive and powerful software solutions available within the framework of overarching “governance, risk, and compliance.” Within these applications, multiple management systems can be bundled into a holistic, integrated compliance system tailored to an organization. Quite often, various frameworks can be stored and manipulated in the form of management system requirements within these software systems. Many products ensure that synergies between different management systems (information security, data protection, quality, occupational safety, environmental management, etc.) can be exploited and that multiple entries of redundant data are avoided.

Another aspect of these application systems is the ability to exchange information with various other systems via interfaces. This means that information in these compliance systems does not have to be compiled manually, but can be automatically transferred from other systems. This helps to keep the information up to date and eliminates redundant entries by different organizational units within a company. This is not an exclusive feature of these complex software applications, but in these applications, the ability to flexibly set up interfaces to other systems is usually very pronounced.

Usually such systems are also highly adaptable to the company’s own requirements. Modern systems often offer flexible configuration options, so that complex programming is not necessary for every change to the system.

Conclusion

The transitions between the various “sizes” of software applications mentioned above are fluid. The easier it is to integrate supporting software into the organization, the easier it will be to gather the necessary information from the organization into the tool-supported ISMS. The design of a software program is only one facet of success. Another important aspect is the acceptance of the tool by the organization’s employees or by those stakeholders who have to contribute information to the ISMS as part of their duties.

The reduction and avoidance of redundancies, the use of synergy effects from existing information collections, and the bundling of this information into one or more ISMS tools reduce recurring work and enable the often scarce resources of information security to be used for conceptual work, the integration of new assets, and increasing the maturity level of the ISMS.