ISO27001:2023 Certification for Enterprise Growth

The Challenge

Wireless Social needed ISO27001:2023 certification to compete for contracts with major national and international brands. As a growing SaaS company serving the hospitality sector, we needed to demonstrate enterprise-grade security practices across all technology, processes, and operations.

This was a company-defining project—without certification, we couldn't access the enterprise market that represented our next phase of growth.

The Approach

I led the certification project from inception through successful audit, coordinating across all areas of the business while maintaining our existing product development and customer commitments.

Project Leadership

• Cross-functional coordination: Worked with external consultants while leading internal teams across technology, operations, sales, and support
• Gap analysis: Conducted comprehensive review of existing practices against ISO27001:2023 requirements
• Roadmap development: Created phased implementation plan balancing certification requirements with business continuity
• Stakeholder management: Regular board updates and company-wide communication to maintain momentum

Technical Implementation

• Information security management system (ISMS): Designed and implemented company-wide ISMS covering all technology and processes
• Risk assessment framework: Established systematic risk identification, assessment, and treatment procedures
• Policy development: Created comprehensive security policies, procedures, and controls
• Technical controls: Implemented and documented security controls across infrastructure, applications, and data management
• Audit preparation: Prepared evidence, documentation, and team training for external audit

Team Coordination

Led a core team of 7 staff members while engaging the entire organisation in the certification effort. This required:

• Clear role definition and accountability
• Regular progress tracking and issue resolution
• Training and awareness programs
• Change management across established processes

The Outcome

Successfully achieved ISO27001:2023 certification in 8 months, enabling Wireless Social to compete for and win enterprise contracts:

• Enterprise market access: Certification removed a major barrier to working with large national and international brands
• Process maturity: Established robust security governance that scales with company growth
• Competitive advantage: Demonstrated commitment to security that differentiates us in the market
• Team capability: Built internal expertise in security management and compliance

While specific contract details remain commercially sensitive, the certification directly enabled business development opportunities that were previously inaccessible.

Key Success Factors

• Executive commitment: Strong board support and resource allocation
• Pragmatic implementation: Balanced compliance requirements with operational reality
• External expertise: Leveraged consultants strategically while building internal capability
• Project discipline: Maintained timeline and scope through structured project management

Technical Stack & Scope

• Infrastructure: Linux servers, cloud platforms, network infrastructure
• Applications: Multi-tenant SaaS platform, customer data management
• Processes: Development, deployment, operations, support, business continuity
• Governance: Risk management, incident response, access control, vendor management

Lessons Learned

• Start early: Security governance is easier to build in than bolt on later
• Engage everyone: ISO27001 isn't just a technical project—it requires company-wide commitment
• Document as you go: Maintaining evidence throughout the process is far easier than retrospective documentation
• Balance rigor with pragmatism: The goal is effective security, not just compliance paperwork