Security Clauses to use for Supplier agreements

ISO 27001 Certification not only helps in protecting a business, but it also sends a clear signal to customers, suppliers, and the marketplace that your organization has the ability to handle information securely. It helps one protect information such as financial data, intellectual property or sensitive customer information,  identify risks and puts in place security measures that are right for a business, so that one can manage or reduce risks. It helps you to continually review and refine the way to do this, not only for today but also for the future.

International Standards were drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO Directives. The joint technical committee prepares International Standards.  So a revised version was drafted and adopted in 2013, which is presently the globally accepted ISO 27001 standards. Taking into consideration the intricate aspects of information security – The standard clarifies the prescribed activities expected to be carried out under specific clauses.
These clauses discreetly identify areas to be focused like the context of an organization, leadership roles for proper execution, the planning involved, support required, mode of operation, performance evaluation, and how improvement can be made in the existing procedures.

Why include security clauses in outsourcing contracts

As the outsourcing of business has become more popular, data sharing has been increased in the business, the information with these external service providers are highly confidential. Very often, the providers must use personal information supplied to them by their customers to provide the relevant services. This Secret information may be related to the customer’s employees and contractors, the businesses own customers, business partners or other third parties.

ISO 27001 Security clauses to handle outsourcing risks are as follows

Auditing Rights: The Organization has the privilege to review and test the security controls regularly, upon the significant changes in the relationship. 

Security breach notifications: The supplier is advised regarding the notifications about the security breach in a convenient way, by the organization. This clause is generally related to the information breach notification laws that influence either the association or the supplier, or both. 

Adhere to security practices: The Service provider must stick to the organization’s business security provision and to communicating with a situation where the security is not achievable, helping to compensate with the security gaps or the issues that could affect the security performance.

Response time to vulnerabilities: Periodically supplier should provide proper treatment for the known vulnerabilities which may affect the business of an organization.

Exhibition of compliance: The supplier has to give proof separately for the operations and control complies with contractual requirements. The third-party audit was done by the provider and the organization this can be accomplished.

Communication of changes:  The service provider to communicate the information periodically to the organization, with respect to changes in its condition that may affect the organization’s business.

Maintenance of service levels: The supplier to advise the organization with respect to its intended to service levels in ordinary conditions and in troublesome occasions, on either the association's or the supplier's premises. 

Using these Information Security clauses for all the customers is to be avoided because treating all the customers, in the same way, doesn’t make any sense. To define which clauses to be applied, you must focus on each supplier risk by doing surveys, questioning, and gathering of controls documentation during supplier selection. We can also categorize the suppliers based on

        1)      What they need from you or what they do for you

        2)      Prioritizing suppliers based on information that you share with them or the information they may have access to.

Kwikcert is one of the best consultants for ISO 27001 certification in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. We expertize in different ISOstandards like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 20000, and some other standards like HACCP, and CE Mark. For more details contact us at www.kwikcert.com or kwikcert@gmail.com