In the rapidly developing digital economy, PharmaEssentia faces risks and challenges brought about by emerging technologies. To address this, the company has gradually established a professional IT team and, in 2022, formed an Information Security Promotion Group responsible for information security management, regularly reporting business progress to the Board. Since October 2023, the IT department has implemented the ISO 27001 information security management system certification. After six months of efforts, the company passed the third-party ISO/IEC 27001:2022 international information security management system certification by SGS in April 2024 and received the certification on July 9, 2024, becoming a company that meets international information security standards.  

Information Security and System Availability 

In the current trend of digitization, including cloud computing, online marketplaces, and payments, ensuring continuous access to networks, IT systems, and data is crucial. System performance below the agreed standards or service disruptions can result in higher costs and reputational risks for companies. The main risks come from technical failures, human errors, malicious attacks, weather events, natural disasters, or terrorist attacks. Managing such risks, including contingency plans, is crucial to ensuring business continuity. The standard evaluates how well companies are prepared to prevent IT system failures and major information security/cybersecurity incidents, and their ability to respond appropriately. It also assesses whether companies have experienced information security incidents in the past and their financial impacts.  

Cybersecurity Challenges 

Over the past decade, the number of information security breaches has grown exponentially, indicating that information security/cybersecurity has become a crucial financial issue that must be diligently managed to protect corporate value. The costs of cybercrime impact companies in various ways, including internal costs (operational costs related to dealing with cybercrime and incident prevention) and external costs (such as the loss or theft of sensitive information, operational disruptions, fines, infrastructure damage, or revenue losses due to customer attrition). The standard focuses on evaluating how well companies are prepared to prevent major information security/cybersecurity incidents and their response capabilities. It also assesses past information security incidents and their financial consequences.   

Advantages of ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is the international standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), providing requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving an information security management system. Achieving ISO/IEC 27001:2022 international certification offers the following competitive advantages: 

 Enhanced Trust: An effective information security management system can withstand certain cybersecurity risks, enhancing customer trust, market competitiveness, and customer loyalty. 

 Legal Compliance: Adhering to regulatory requirements helps avoid legal risks, establish a good compliance record, and enhance the company's brand image. 

 Improved Security: The PDCA process of ISO 27001 requires continuous review of the information security system to timely identify and fix system vulnerabilities, thus improving security. 

 Protection Against Cyberattacks: Robust information security measures can effectively detect and defend against modern cyberattacks such as ransomware, hacking, and phishing, reducing potential losses and protecting system integrity and availability, thereby preventing business disruption.

In conclusion, information security protection is crucial for modern businesses and individuals to address ever-changing challenges and risks. It helps maintain digital environment security, protect important assets, promote business development, and ensure legal compliance. Adopting ISO 27001 standards can help companies build safe, resilient, and sustainable systems, driving global sustainable development.