ISO 27001 vs 22301 certification: Why integration is crucial

Over the past five years, the rise in cyberattacks and operational disruptions has forced organisations to rethink and upgrade their cybersecurity and operational resilience strategies. While some businesses remained in firefighting mode, others have taken deliberate steps to strengthen their information security infrastructure or business continuity arrangements.

However, one reoccurring issue is the siloed implementation of these initiatives. When an organisation’s departments operate in silos, they risk inefficiencies, duplication of efforts and most importantly, unaddressed vulnerabilities. For example, the IT department might implement a cybersecurity plan aligned with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27002:2022 controls, while the operations team separately adopt business continuity procedures under ISO 22301:2019. However, without integration crucial interdependencies are often missed, leading to misaligned efforts. The impact of this disjointed methodology often becomes clear only during a real disruption by which time the damage is already done.

From my auditing and consultancy experience supporting ISO-certified management systems across various sectors such as telecommunications, data centres, healthcare, facilities management, construction, cloud computing service providers, fintech, etc, I have consistently seen that aligning information security with business continuity produces a more operationally resilient and effective organisation.

Strategic Integration of ISO 27001 and ISO 22301

Integrating ISO/IEC 27001:2022 with ISO 22301:2019 is not only a good practice, but also a strategically imperative one. During a recent audit, I encountered an organisation whose incident response capabilities had not accounted for physical disruptions such as power outages, or third-party supplier disruptions. 

Despite having strong firewalls and access control systems, they assumed that because remote work was functioning smoothly, disruption scenarios were unlikely, hence no fallback plans had been tested.

That mindset changed abruptly when a regional power grid failure occurred. The company was unprepared for the cascading impact on customer service level agreements and their recovery lagged behind competitors.

Information security without continuity is incomplete. Real-world threats do not respect isolated systems.

Complementary roles of ISO 27001 and ISO 22301

As a certified Lead Auditor, I regularly audit clients on how ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Information Security Management Systems) and ISO 22301:2019 (Business Continuity Management Systems) can complement each other. Standards like ISO/IEC 27031:2025 and ISO/IEC 27036-2:2022 provide further guidance on information and communication technology readiness for business continuity and cybersecurity. They also offer advice on how supplier relationships can be adapted to strengthen the management system. 

ISO 27001 vs 22301 CERTIFICATION

The main difference between ISO 27001 and 22301 certification is that ISO 27001 focuses on information security management systems (ISMS), while ISO 22301 targets business continuity management systems (BCMS). ISO 27001 protects data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. ISO 22301 ensures organisations can continue operating during disruptions.

When these two standards are integrated, you create a unified systems support response to both information compromise and operational disruption, enabling your organisation to maintain trust, compliance and continuity.

Understanding low likelihood, high impact risks

Certain risks associated with ICT and continuity planning are low in likelihood but high in impact. For example, as per ISO/IEC 27031 - ICT Readiness for Business Continuity, the risks which are low in likelihood but high in impact could overwhelm operations if not proactively addressed resulting in loss of operations and even clients. Business continuity planning ensures that if such events occur, the consequences are minimised. It is imperative that organisations should assess their risks to business processes through a combined risk management and business continuity plan. You should use business impact analysis to prioritise critical services, determine ICT dependencies and define acceptable recovery time frames.

The most common ICT-related threats which are often overlooked include:

1. Environmental events such as fire, flooding, or natural disasters
2. Technical failures including power outages, HVAC failure, hardware or software crashes
3. Human error such as incorrect system changes or misconfigured backups
4. Malicious threats including hacking, ransomware, sabotage, or internal threat actors
5. ICT supply chain disruptions, which may also involve external community level disturbances resulting from any of the above sources

To manage and contain ICT supply chain disruptions, ISO/IEC 27036 Part 1 and Part 2 provide essential guidance for managing information security within supplier relationships. These standards emphasise identifying and managing risks that arise from the acquisition of ICT products and services and reinforce the need to embed security controls throughout the procurement lifecycle.

CASE STUDY: Separate implementation of ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 in a UK fintech organisation

Background:

A fintech company processing thousands of transactions per second had implemented ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 separately. Despite compliance, they struggled to maintain service availability during DDoS attacks and third-party API failures.

Actions Taken:

1. They conducted a joint risk assessment integrating ICT readiness for business continuity (IRBC) principles
2. They mapped ISO/IEC 27001:2022 controls to continuity plans in line with Clause 8 of ISO 22301:2019
3. They rolled out role-based training and scenario-based tabletop exercises, assigning specific role during the exercise elevated the awareness of the individuals involved in the exercise
4. They performed lessons learned analysis and implemented corrective actions
5. They developed a unified crisis communication and disaster recovery plan

Outcomes:

1. Reduced average recovery time by 47% through improved testing and ICT continuity strategies
2. Achieved seamless internal audits and enhanced external audit readiness
3. Applied business impact analysis to prioritise risks in ICT supply chain procurement
4. Gained a shared understanding of supplier related information risks in line with ISO/IEC 27036
5. Achieved 99.98% uptime during a regional network disruption, outperforming competitors
6. Strengthened alignment with the European legislation mandating ICT risk management and resilience in the financial ecosystem unlocking opportunities in EU countries

Benefits of integrating ISO 27001 and 22301

The integrated management system brought several strategic advantages to this company:

1. Consolidated shared registers, mitigation controls and training documentation
2. Reduced audit fatigue through joint internal and external audits
3. Improved governance with unified reporting and key performance indicators across security and continuity functions

The company decision to integrate ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO 22301:2019 meant that it was better prepared for cyber incidents but also aligned itself with evolving regulatory expectations like the European regulatory framework for ICT risk and resilience.

ISO 27001 vs 22301: Build resilience before you need it

The organisations that integrate and enforce ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 22301 are not just compliant. They are also operationally resilient due to:

1. Holistic risk management
2. Coordinated governance
3. Strengthened stakeholder confidence
4. Seamless information and operational continuity in the face of disruption
5. Possible cheaper insurance premiums 

In my auditing practice, I have consistently observed that organisations who break down silos and integrate security with continuity outperform their peers, especially during crisis events. 

If your organisation is ready to move beyond compliance and build true resilience, we’re here to help. Our team specialises in designing, implementing and integrating ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 22301 management systems tailored to your specific needs and sector.

Partner with us to strengthen your security, streamline your operations, and stay ahead of regulatory expectations. Let us help you build the resilience you need, before you need it.

Contact our auditors or explore our ISO audit and certification services including ISO 27001.