Frequently Asked Questions

ISO 27001 Compliance & Certification

What is ISO 27001 and why is it important for organizations?

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It provides a framework of policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical, and technical controls involved in an organization’s information risk management processes. ISO 27001 is important because it helps organizations establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain, and continually improve their information security posture, which is critical in the face of increasing data breaches and cyberattacks. (ISO)

How does Cymulate assist organizations with ISO 27001 compliance?

Cymulate assists organizations with ISO 27001 compliance by providing an assessment platform that enables fast and easy testing of the current security posture. The platform supports asset-based and scenario/event-based risk assessment methodologies, which are key components of ISO 27001. Cymulate’s breach and attack simulation capabilities help organizations validate their controls, identify vulnerabilities, and prepare for both internal and external audits required for compliance and certification. (Source)

What are the main steps to achieving ISO 27001 certification?

The main steps to achieving ISO 27001 certification include: 1) Implementing an ISMS that meets the standard’s requirements, 2) Conducting internal audits to check compliance, 3) Undergoing an external audit by an independent certification body, and 4) Passing annual surveillance audits to ensure ongoing compliance. Cymulate’s platform helps organizations prepare for these steps by enabling continuous security validation and risk assessment. (Source)

How does Cymulate help with risk assessment for ISO 27001?

Cymulate’s assessment platform supports both asset-based and scenario/event-based risk assessment methodologies, which are commonly used by organizations pursuing ISO 27001 compliance. The platform enables organizations to test their security posture against real-world threats and validate the effectiveness of their controls, making risk assessment faster and more accurate. (Source)

What are the benefits of achieving ISO 27001 compliance with Cymulate?

Organizations using Cymulate to achieve ISO 27001 compliance benefit from improved information security, enhanced reputation, and increased competitiveness. According to the ISO 27001 Global Report 2016, 98% of organizations cited improved information security as the most important benefit, while others noted reputation and competitiveness gains. Cymulate’s platform streamlines compliance processes, making them faster and more effective. (Source)

How does Cymulate’s platform make ISO 27001 assessment procedures easier?

Cymulate’s on-demand platform allows organizations to test their security posture anytime and anywhere, making the ISO 27001 assessment procedure fast and easy to perform. The platform automates testing, shortens the testing cycle, and speeds up time to remediation, which is especially valuable when preparing for certification audits. (Source)

What are common challenges organizations face with ISO 27001 compliance?

Common challenges include failing to measure the effectiveness of cybersecurity investments, not knowing where sensitive data is located, slow recovery after breaches, and poor employee understanding of IT security policies. Cymulate helps address these challenges by providing continuous validation, actionable insights, and automated testing. (2017 State of Cybersecurity Metrics Annual Report)

How does Cymulate support both compliance and certification for ISO 27001?

Cymulate supports organizations in both achieving compliance (meeting the requirements of ISO 27001) and preparing for certification (external audit by an independent body). The platform enables internal audits, validates controls, and provides evidence for external certification audits, while also supporting ongoing surveillance audits. (Source)

What metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of ISO 27001 compliance efforts?

Key metrics include the percentage of companies measuring cybersecurity effectiveness, the ability to locate and secure sensitive data, recovery time after breaches, and employee understanding of IT security policies. For example, 58% of companies fail to measure effectiveness, and 4 out of 5 don’t know where sensitive data is located. Cymulate helps organizations improve these metrics through continuous validation and reporting. (2017 State of Cybersecurity Metrics Annual Report)

How does Cymulate’s Exposure Validation feature help with ISO 27001?

Cymulate Exposure Validation makes advanced security testing fast and easy, allowing organizations to build custom attack chains and validate their controls in one place. This capability is essential for meeting ISO 27001 requirements for ongoing risk assessment and control validation. (Exposure Validation Data Sheet)

What customer feedback is available regarding Cymulate’s ease of use for compliance?

Customers consistently praise Cymulate for its ease of use and intuitive interface. For example, Raphael Ferreira, Cybersecurity Manager, stated, “Cymulate is easy to implement and use—all you need to do is click a few buttons, and you receive a lot of practical insights into how you can improve your security posture.” (Customer Quotes)

How quickly can organizations implement Cymulate for ISO 27001 compliance?

Cymulate is designed for rapid implementation, operating in agentless mode with no need for additional hardware or complex configurations. Customers can start running simulations almost immediately after deployment, enabling quick progress toward ISO 27001 compliance. (Schedule a Demo)

What certifications does Cymulate hold to support compliance efforts?

Cymulate holds several key certifications, including SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management), ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management), ISO 27017 (Cloud Services Security Controls), and CSA STAR Level 1. These certifications demonstrate Cymulate’s commitment to industry-leading security and compliance standards. (Security at Cymulate)

Which ISO standards does Cymulate comply with?

Cymulate complies with ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System), ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management), and ISO 27017 (Security controls for cloud services), as audited and certified by an independent body. (Security at Cymulate)

How does Cymulate ensure data security and privacy?

Cymulate ensures data security through encryption for data in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256), secure AWS-hosted data centers, and a tested disaster recovery plan. The platform also includes mandatory 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC), IP address restrictions, and TLS encryption for its Help Center. (Security at Cymulate)

What is Cymulate’s approach to application and HR security?

Cymulate follows a strict Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including secure code training, continuous vulnerability scanning, and annual third-party penetration tests. Employees undergo ongoing security awareness training, phishing tests, and adhere to comprehensive security policies. (Security at Cymulate)

Is Cymulate GDPR compliant?

Yes, Cymulate incorporates data protection by design and has a dedicated privacy and security team, including a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), ensuring GDPR compliance. (Security at Cymulate)

Features & Capabilities

What are the key features of Cymulate’s platform?

Cymulate’s platform offers continuous threat validation, unified exposure management, attack path discovery, automated mitigation, AI-powered optimization, complete kill chain coverage, ease of use, and an extensive threat library with over 100,000 attack actions updated daily. (Platform Overview)

What integrations does Cymulate support?

Cymulate integrates with a wide range of security technologies, including Akamai Guardicore, AWS GuardDuty, BlackBerry Cylance OPTICS, Carbon Black EDR, Check Point CloudGuard, Cisco Secure Endpoint, CrowdStrike Falcon, Wiz, SentinelOne, and more. For a complete list, visit the Partnerships and Integrations page.

How does Cymulate’s platform differ from traditional security validation tools?

Cymulate offers a unified platform that combines Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS), Continuous Automated Red Teaming (CART), and Exposure Analytics. Unlike traditional tools that rely on point-in-time assessments, Cymulate provides continuous, automated attack simulations and actionable insights, improving efficiency and resilience. (Cymulate vs Competitors)

What are the operational benefits of using Cymulate?

Cymulate automates security validation processes, leading to a 60% increase in team efficiency, up to 60 hours saved per month in testing, and a 40X faster threat validation compared to manual methods. (Optimize Threat Resilience)

How does Cymulate help prioritize vulnerabilities and exposures?

Cymulate validates exploitability and ranks exposures based on prevention and detection capabilities, business context, and threat intelligence, enabling organizations to focus on the most critical vulnerabilities. (Exposure Prioritization)

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from using Cymulate?

Cymulate is designed for CISOs, security leaders, SecOps teams, Red Teams, and vulnerability management teams in organizations of all sizes and industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, media, transportation, and manufacturing. (CISO/CIO, SecOps, Red Teams, Vulnerability Management)

What are some real-world case studies demonstrating Cymulate’s value?

Hertz Israel reduced cyber risk by 81% in four months using Cymulate. A sustainable energy company scaled penetration testing cost-effectively, and Nemours Children’s Health improved detection in hybrid and cloud environments. See more at the Cymulate Case Studies page.

How does Cymulate address the pain point of fragmented security tools?

Cymulate integrates exposure data and automates validation, providing a unified view of the security posture and reducing gaps caused by disconnected tools. (Optimize Threat Resilience)

How does Cymulate help organizations with resource constraints?

Cymulate automates manual security validation tasks, improving efficiency and allowing security teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive processes. (Optimize Threat Resilience)

How does Cymulate support communication between security teams and leadership?

Cymulate provides quantifiable metrics and actionable insights, enabling CISOs and security leaders to justify investments and communicate risks effectively to stakeholders. (CISO/CIO)

Pricing & Plans

What is Cymulate’s pricing model?

Cymulate operates on a subscription-based pricing model tailored to each organization’s requirements. Pricing depends on the chosen package, number of assets, and scenarios selected for testing. For a detailed quote, schedule a demo with the Cymulate team.

Support & Implementation

What support resources does Cymulate provide for new customers?

Cymulate offers email and chat support, a knowledge base with technical articles and videos, webinars, e-books, and an AI chatbot for quick answers and best practices. (Webinars, E-books)

How does Cymulate ensure ongoing compliance and security updates?

Cymulate updates its SaaS platform every two weeks with new features, threat intelligence, and compliance enhancements, ensuring customers always have access to the latest capabilities. (About Us)

Resources & Further Reading

Where can I find Cymulate’s Resource Hub?

The Resource Hub is a central location for insights, thought leadership, and Cymulate product information. Access it at cymulate.com/resources/.

Where can I read about the latest threats and research from Cymulate?

Stay updated on the latest threats, research, and company news by visiting the Cymulate blog and newsroom.

Does Cymulate provide a glossary of cybersecurity terms?

Yes, Cymulate offers a glossary explaining cybersecurity terms, acronyms, and jargon. Visit cymulate.com/cybersecurity-glossary/ for more information.

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How Cymulate Assists With ISO 27001 Certification and Compliance

Last Updated: February 19, 2025

cymulate blog article

The ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards was developed to help organizations with keeping their information assets secure. Of all the ISO 27000 standards, ISO 27001 is the best-known. It is a specification for an information security management system (ISMS), which is a framework of policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical and technical controls involved in an organization’s information risk management processes.

Why ISO 27001 Matters

As ISO points out, ISO 27001 was developed to "provide a model for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving an information security management system." It uses a top-down, risk-based approach and is technology-neutral.

ISO 27001 is popular since organizations realize how important it is to implement an ISMS that protects their business. This is not surprising considering the rise in data breaches, cyberattacks, nation-state hacking incidents and ransomware outbreaks. To protect themselves, global companies, enterprises and governments investing heavily in cybersecurity. According to Gartner, worldwide information security spending will reach $86.4B this year. However, they often don’t know how effective their data and system security really is.

The State of Cybersecurity Metrics

The 2017 State of Cybersecurity Metrics Annual Report outlines the IT security effectiveness of 400 global companies. Using internationally accepted standards for security embodied in ISO 27001 (as well as best practices from industry experts and professional associations), the report shows:

  • 58% of companies fail to measure the effectiveness of their cybersecurity investments and performance against best practices.
  • 1 in 3 companies invest in cybersecurity technologies without measuring their value or effectiveness at all.
  • 4 out 5 companies don’t know where their sensitive data is located, and how to secure it.
  • After a data breach, 64% of the surveyed organizations fail to recover in a timely manner or in a way in line with their disaster recovery plan.
  • 8 out 10 companies fail to ensure that their IT security policies are understood by employees, which puts those organizations at risk for data leakage and internal data breaches.

Achieving ISO 27001 Compliance and Certification

Implementing the ISO 27001 helps organizations to solve the issues outlined above. They can opt to only comply with the standard, or to also be ISO 27001 certified. An organization complies with the ISO 27001 standard when it meets the requirements. To check the compliance, internal audits are carried out.  Cymulate’s assessment platform is a powerful tool to assist organizations to test their current security posture.

Once the organization is compliant, it can ask to become certified. This involves an external audit by an independent certification body. Such an audit normally involves a high level review of the management system, followed by an in-depth look at the management system to check the compliance in various areas. Once certified, the organization must undergo annual surveillance audits to check whether its ISMS is maintained. Cymulate’s breach and attack simulation platform shortens the testing cycle and speeds up time to remediation which helps organizations when they are preparing to become certified.

The ISO 27001 Global Report 2016 illustrates how popular compliance with the ISO 27001 standard has become. Out of the respondents, 98% stated that the most important benefit of ISO 27001 was improved information security, 11% said that compliance with the standard improved their company’s reputation, and 8% stated it improved competitiveness. Their main driver for implementing ISO 27001 was to improve their organization’s information security posture (69%), with 55% of respondents reporting that the single most important benefit of ISO 27001 for them was the improved information security.

When it comes to risk assessment, 76% of respondents follow an asset-based risk assessment methodology, with 40% indicating that they move to a combination of scenario/event-based and asset-based methods. The Cymulate assessment platform is a powerful tool for helping with the risk assessment.

To help organizations with their ISO 27001 compliance, Cymulate has made the assessment procedure fast and easy to perform. The on-demand platform allows for testing the security posture of the organization at anytime and anywhere.

Cymulate Exposure Validation makes advanced security testing fast and easy. When it comes to building custom attack chains, it's all right in front of you in one place.
Mike Humbert, Cybersecurity Engineer
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC.
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