Overview

 

An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is the foundation for protecting critical information assets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building stakeholder trust. Based on the ISO/IEC 27001 international standard, an ISMS provides a systematic framework for identifying, managing, and reducing information security risks.

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At SynAck, we guide organizations through the full ISMS journey — from initial scoping and readiness assessments through to audit preparation. Our role is to ensure your business is fully prepared for certification by an independent third-party, maintaining objectivity and avoiding any conflict of interest.

Our approach integrates the ASD Essential 8 maturity model with ISO 27001, ensuring both international best practices and Australian-specific regulatory resilience. To streamline implementation and accelerate audit readiness, we leverage the SynAck Compliance Manager (powered by Kaseya GRC). This platform provides automated control mapping, gap analysis, evidence collection, and audit-ready reporting.

 

Why an ISMS Matters

 

Implementing an ISMS delivers strategic benefits to your organization:

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• Certification Readiness – Be fully prepared for ISO 27001 certification by an accredited third party.

• Risk Management – Proactively identify and address threats to business-critical information.

• Alignment with Essential 8 – Meet Australian government-recommended maturity levels.

• Business Resilience – Strengthen governance and operational continuity.

• Stakeholder Confidence – Reassure customers, regulators, and partners with an internationally recognized security framework.

 

Our Approach to ISMS Implementation

 

1. Readiness & Gap Assessment

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• Review existing policies, procedures, and controls against ISO 27001 and ASD Essential 8.

• Conduct interviews, workshops, and document reviews.

• Deliver a gap analysis report with prioritized remediation actions.

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2. ISMS Design & Framework Development

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• Define ISMS scope, context, and information assets.

• Develop governance frameworks including policies, risk registers, and Statement of Applicability (SoA).

• Map controls to ISO 27001 Annex A and Essential 8 strategies.

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3. Implementation & Control Integration

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• Support deployment of technical and administrative controls.

• Configure SynAck Compliance Manager for centralized monitoring and evidence collection.

• Align operational processes with ISMS requirements (incident response, access control, vendor management).

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4. Training & Awareness

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• Deliver tailored training for management and staff on ISMS responsibilities.

• Conduct workshops to embed Essential 8 controls into IT operations.

• Foster a culture of continuous security improvement.

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5. Internal Audit & Certification Preparation

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• Perform internal ISMS audits against ISO 27001.

• Provide audit-ready reports via SynAck Compliance Manager.

• Coach teams on audit interviews, evidence submission, and expectations for third-party certification.

 

Methodologies and Frameworks

 

Our ISMS implementation draws on:

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• ISO/IEC 27001 – International standard for ISMS certification.

• ISO/IEC 27002 – Control guidance for Annex A.

• ASD Essential 8 – Australian Signals Directorate baseline maturity model.

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) – Supplementary structure for risk-based controls.

• Kaseya GRC (SynAck Compliance Manager) – Automated platform for compliance mapping, reporting, and audit readiness.

 

Business Value

 

An ISMS implementation with SynAck delivers:

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• Certification Readiness – Structured pathway to ISO 27001 certification by an independent auditor.

• Audit Efficiency – Centralized evidence collection and reporting reduce audit fatigue.

• Risk Reduction – Proactive management of security risks aligned to global and national frameworks.

• Cost Savings – Eliminate duplicated effort by aligning ISO 27001 with Essential 8 controls.

• Trust & Market Advantage – Enhance reputation by demonstrating mature, certified information security practices by demonstrating mature, certified information security practices.