When we tell people our insurtech startup just achieved ISO 27001 certification in under 4 months, we often get raised eyebrows. “Isn’t that what the big companies do, and doesn’t it usually take them much longer?” they ask. Well, yes – but here’s how our small but mighty team pulled off this impressive feat in a very short timeframe.
Why ISO 27001 matters in insurtech
In the insurance world, trust is everything. When customers share their sensitive data with us, they’re putting their faith in our ability to protect it. That’s why we decided that information security couldn’t be just a checkbox – it needed to be part of our DNA.
ISO 27001 certification is typically associated with large enterprises that have dedicated security teams and substantial resources. But we know that being small shouldn’t mean compromising on security standards. In fact, our size turned out to be our superpower in this journey.
David vs Goliath: why our size was our biggest advantage
Being a startup actually gave us some unique advantages in pursuing this certification. While larger organisations often struggle with bureaucratic hurdles and complex approval processes, our agility allowed us to implement changes quickly and efficiently. We started with a relatively clean slate, free from the burden of legacy systems and outdated processes that often plague established companies.
Plus, our small size meant every team member could be actively involved in the security conversation. Changes that might take months to implement in larger organisations were discussed and rolled out in days. This direct communication and ability to pivot quickly became one of our greatest assets throughout the certification process. Having our software engineers directly involved in our information security journey was particularly valuable – they could immediately spot potential vulnerabilities, suggest practical security improvements, and implement security controls that worked seamlessly with our existing systems. Their hands-on involvement meant security is built into our products from the ground up, rather than being bolted on as an afterthought.
The heavy lifting: what it really takes to get ISO certification
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Achieving ISO 27001 certification meant implementing comprehensive security measures across every aspect of our operations. We began with thorough risk assessments of all our business processes, developing and implementing treatment plans for each identified risk. Regular review cycles have been established to ensure continuous monitoring and improvement.
The documentation phase was particularly intensive. We created and implemented over 20 security policies, ranging from incident management procedures to change management protocols. Each policy has been drafted to be both comprehensive and practical, ensuring they are genuinely useful, rather than just collecting digital dust.
On the technical side, we implemented robust security controls throughout our infrastructure. This included deploying multi-factor authentication across all systems, establishing comprehensive endpoint protection, and setting up thorough logging and monitoring systems.
The human side of security
One of our biggest realisations was that security isn’t just about technology – it’s about people. Rather than simply imposing rules from above, we worked to ensure every team member understands not just what they need to do, but why it matters. Our engineers, marketing team, and even our CEO have all become security champions in their own right.
Regular security awareness training is part of our routine, but we made sure that it is relevant to each person’s role. We’ve established clear incident reporting procedures and have implemented practical policies like clear desk and clear screen requirements. These aren’t just rules to follow – they have become part of our company culture.
Measuring success
The certification process opened our eyes to entirely new ways of thinking about and measuring security effectiveness. While we have always taken security seriously, ISO 27001 pushed us to develop a more sophisticated and holistic approach to tracking and quantifying our security posture.
Because meaningful security metrics aren’t just about counting incidents or tracking system uptime; they’re about understanding the complete picture of our security health. Our comprehensive monitoring system gives us real-time visibility into our security status, but more importantly, helps us understand trends and patterns over time.
Likewise, our internal audit program is something far more valuable than a compliance checkbox. These regular reviews are opportunities for us to step back, assess our practices, and identify areas where we can do better. This has created a feedback loop where findings from these audits directly inform our security roadmap, ensuring we’re always moving forward.
One of our proudest achievements has been developing performance metrics that actually mean something to our business. Instead of drowning in security data, we focused on indicators that tell us whether we’re genuinely protecting our customers’ data and maintaining their trust. This includes measuring how quickly we address risks, how effectively our team follows security procedures, and how prepared we are for potential incidents.
Why this matters for our customers
Achieving ISO 27001 certification isn’t just about having a fancy certificate. For our customers, it’s concrete evidence that we take their data security seriously. Our security practices now match or exceed industry standards, demonstrating that we have the maturity to handle enterprise-level requirements despite our startup status.
For us, this certification is just the beginning of our security journey. We’re committed to regular reviews and updates of our security measures, staying ahead of emerging threats, and continuous improvement of our processes. The challenge now is maintaining our startup agility while growing our security maturity, but we’re confident we can strike that balance.
Raising the bar in insurtech
Achieving ISO 27001 certification as a small insurtech startup wasn’t easy, but it was worth every bit of effort. We’ve proven that you don’t need to be a corporate giant to implement enterprise-grade security. Sometimes, being small means being mighty.
For other startups considering this journey, don’t let your size deter you. Use your agility to your advantage, make security everyone’s responsibility, and build your security framework systematically. Document your progress as you go, and celebrate the small wins along the way.
We’re proud of this achievement not just because of the certification itself, but because it reflects our commitment to protecting our customers’ trust. In the insurance industry, that’s what really matters.
About Kanopi
Kanopi is the modular full-stack insurance platform for insurers, MGAs and brokers to rapidly launch and scale insurance products into new channels within a fraction of the time and cost. Kanopi’s platform supports accelerated quote journeys, intuitive end-to-end policy management, and streamlined distribution, eliminating the need to juggle multiple systems or vendors. A one-stop shop, Kanopi simplifies operations and drastically cuts down on the time and resources typically required for product development and distribution.
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