ISO/IEC 27001 Exam Preparation Guide - How to become a ISO/IEC 27001 Certified Lead Implementer

Lead Implementer Certification

The ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification is made available through various accredited certification bodies like PECB (the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board).

To earn the certification, you must first pass an exam. The 3-hour ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer exam costs $1000, is pass/fail, and consists of 80 multiple-choice questions across seven domains. Here’s a full list of the domains and the proportion of questions related to them on the exam:

1. Fundamental principles and concepts of an information security management system (ISMS) (18.75%)
2. Information security management system (ISMS) (15%)
3. Planning an ISMS implementation based on ISO/IEC 27001 (22.5%)
4. Implementing an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001 (17.5%)
5. Monitoring and measurement of an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001 (12.5%)
6. Continual improvement of an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001 (7.5%)
7. Preparing for an ISMS certification audit (6.25%)

The exam is offered in paper-based and online formats and is open book, meaning you are allowed to refer to the following resources during the exam:

• A hard copy of the ISO/IEC 27001 standard
• Training course materials (accessed through the PECB Exams app and/or printed)
• Any personal notes taken during the training course (accessed through PECB Exams app and/or printed)
• A hard copy dictionary

After you finish the exam, you will get your results by email. For online exams, this will be instant. For paper-based exams, you will need to wait two to four weeks. Keep in mind that cheating will result in an automatic failure.

If you fail the exam, you can retake it as many times as you like. However, you must wait an increasingly long period of time between each retake: 15 days, then 3 months, then 6 months, and finally 12 months. But hopefully, it doesn’t take you that long!

There’s also a retake fee for each attempt (though candidates that completed the training course get one retake within a year for free). To reschedule your exam, send an email to examination@pecb.com. You can also request special exam accommodations if you are disabled.

Once you pass the exam, you’re ready to apply for the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification. To do this, you must create an account on the PECB website. From there, you can fill out and submit the online application form and pay the $500 application fee.

Keep in mind that according to the PECB ISO/IEC 27001 LEAD IMPLEMENTER Candidate Handbook, “For all candidates that have followed the training course and taken the exam with one of PECB’s resellers, the application fee includes the costs associated with examination, application for certification, and the first

year of Annual Maintenance Fee (AMF) only.”

Also, if you take the ISO 27001 LEAD IMPLEMENTER course by Readynez, the certification and exam fees are included in the price of the course.

You will hear back about whether your application is approved by email. If approved, you can download the certification directly from your PECB account.

To maintain your ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification, you must pay a $100 annual maintenance fee (AMF) and earn 30 hours of continual professional development (CPD) credits every year. PECB offers a few ways to earn CPDs:

• Attend webinars and conferences
• Complete online courses
• Pass exams
• Contribute to articles and ebooks
• Expand your professional experience

That’s the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification in a nutshell. Let’s move on to the difference between lead implementers and lead auditors.

What Is the Difference Between a Lead Implementer and a Lead Auditor?

A lead implementer oversees the implementation of an information security management system (ISMS). This includes the design, operation, and maintenance of the ISMS.

In contrast, a lead auditor makes sure an ISMS is up to standards and meets internal and external regulatory requirements. ISMS audits fall into three different categories:

• First-party audits - These are internal audits performed by someone within the organization.
• Second-party audits - These are external audits performed by a contracted service provider on behalf of an organization.
• Third-party audits - These are independent audits performed by a certification agency or regulator to assess the ISMS.

Basically, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementers are the ones behind the scenes of an organization’s ISMS, while lead auditors are responsible for assessing an organization’s ISMS. You can be both, but you can’t audit a system you developed, as this could create a conflict of interests.

What Are the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer PECB Certificate Prerequisites?

On top of passing the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer exam, you must meet some prerequisites to earn the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer certification. Let’s go over them:

First, you must have five years of professional experience, two of which must be in information security (IS) management. To validate this experience, you must provide verifying information like job titles, start and end dates, job descriptions, and more. You must also have a professional reference who can vouch for your experience.

Next, you must also have a general knowledge of ISMS concepts and the ISO/IEC 27001 standard. This includes the following:

• Fundamental principles and concepts of an information security management system (ISMS)
• Planning an ISMS implementation based on ISO/IEC 27001
• Implementing an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001
• Monitoring and measurement of an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001
• Continual improvement of an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001
• Preparing for an ISMS certification audit

To qualify for the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer certification, you must also complete 300 hours of ISMS project activities that involve:

• Drafting an ISMS implementation business case
• Managing an ISMS implementation project
• Implementing an ISMS
• Managing documented information
• Implementing metrics
• Implementing corrective actions
• Performing a management review
• Managing an ISMS performance
• Managing an ISMS team

Lastly, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer candidates must agree to the PECB Code of Ethics. Among other things, this means you will:

1. Conduct yourself professionally, with honesty, accuracy, fairness, responsibility, and independence.
2. Act at all times solely in the best interest of your employer, your clients, the public, and the profession by acting in accordance with the professional standards and applicable techniques while performing professional services.
3. Maintain competency in your respective field and strive to constantly improve your professional skills.
4. Offer only professional services for which you are qualified to perform, and adequately inform clients and consumers about the nature of proposed services, including any relevant concerns or risks.
5. Inform each employer or client of any business interests or affiliations that might influence your judgment or impair your fairness.
6. Treat information acquired during professional and business dealings of any present or former employer or client without its proper consent confidentially and privately.
7. Comply with all laws and regulations of the jurisdictions where professional activities are conducted.
8. Respect the intellectual property and contributions of others.
9. Not intentionally communicate false or falsified information that may compromise the integrity of the evaluation process of a candidate for a professional designation.
10. Not act in any manner that could compromise the reputation of PECB or its certification programs.
11. Fully cooperate on the inquiry following a claimed infringement of this Code of Ethics.

Keep in mind that PECB certifications can be suspended, revoked, or withdrawn voluntarily. So don’t take the PECB Code of Ethics lightly. You must follow it to the T.

If you meet all the prerequisites above, you’re well on your way to becoming a certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer!

How Important Is It to Get Certified With ISO 27001:2013?

The ISO 27001:2013 is the latest set of requirements published by the International Organization for Standardization (IOS) for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS).

As a company or organization, it’s important to get certified with ISO 27001:2013 because it allows you to:

• Minimize risk exposure. A well-built ISMS will help you secure confidential information, exchange information safely, and protect yourself from other cybersecurity threats.
• Save money. A 27001:2013 approved ISMS will lower your operational costs because it will help you avoid financial losses from data breaches. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach increased 2.6% from $4.24 million in 2021 to $4.35 million in 2022.
• Protect your reputation. Customers, business partners, and other stakeholders will trust your business with their data more when you are ISO 27001:2013 certified. This will boost your reputation, help you be more confident, and give you a competitive edge.
• Comply with legal regulations. ISO 27001:2013 certification guarantees that your business complies with regulations. This way, you avoid regulatory fines and reduce the need for frequent audits.
• Improve the structure of your business. As your business grows, staying organized about who is responsible for which information assets becomes increasingly difficult. ISO 27001:2013 certification will help you delegate responsibilities more effectively and stay organized.

It’s no secret that having a strong ISMS is the key to keeping your business data safe. And by following the ISO 27001:2013 standard, you can be sure it also helps your budget, reputation, regulatory compliance, and overall business organization. In the digital age, it’s a must-have!

What Are the Benefits of ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Training?

Now that you know the value of the ISO 27001:2013 certification for businesses, let’s go over how individuals benefit from getting the ISO 27001 Lead Implementer training.

Successfully completing the ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Training demonstrates your ability to implement an ISMS based on the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001, and this has many advantages.

For one, the ISO 27001 Lead Implementer training and certification is recognized globally. Several international bodies require organizations and companies to have it. As an ISO 27001 Lead Implementer certificate holder, you’ll attract employers.

The ISO 27001 Lead Implementer training is also taught by experienced professionals. Each domain is taught by an expert in that field, which means you’ll get the best training.

Lastly, the ISO 27001 Lead Implementer training offers great customer support. Whether you have a technical question or a concern or complaint, PECB customer support is there to help. They typically respond within 24 hours and offer support in both English and French.

So if you’re on the edge about completing the ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Training, don’t be. It will make you a valuable asset to your organization and help you advance your career.

Cost of Obtaining the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification

Of course, getting the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification will cost you some money and time. Let’s go over the full cost in more detail.

To earn the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification, you must take (and pass) a $1000 ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer exam. On top of that, you must pay a $500 application fee and an annual $100 annual maintenance fee (AMF).

However, according to the PECB ISO/IEC 27001 LEAD IMPLEMENTER Candidate Handbook, “For all candidates that have followed the training course and taken the exam with one of PECB’s resellers, the application fee includes the costs associated with examination, application for certification, and the first year of Annual Maintenance Fee (AMF) only.”

You can also take the ISO 27001 LEAD IMPLEMENTER course by Readynez to waive the certification and exam fees (which are included in the price of the course).

As for the time commitment, how long it takes to get the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification will depend on you. You can take a self-paced preparation course or a three-day boot camp like the one by Readynez. How fast you go is up to you.

Ultimately, the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification is an investment. The career benefits you get in return are well worth the cost.

Cost of Obtaining the ISO 27001 Certificate

To obtain an ISO 27001 Certificate, companies and organizations must factor in the cost. Here are some of the dollar costs involved:

• Preparation costs - Before your organization can get ISO 27001 certified, it must define how to measure success and perform internal audits to see where it stands in relation to those goals.
• Implementation costs - Setting up an ISMS to standard is an expensive process that requires writing security policies, deciding on a risk assessment methodology, and then conducting risk assessments.
• Maintenance costs - Once the ISMS is up and running, you need to hire staff and consultants to help run and direct it.
• Evaluation costs - Lastly, you must hire a third-party certifier to verify that your ISMS meets standards. To maintain the certification, you must also pay for regular internal and external audits.

The total cost of an ISO 27001 Certificate depends on a number of factors, including the following:

• Size of the organization. A big company will need a much more extensive information security management system (ISMS) than a small one. With a large organization, more employees and security risks are involved, so getting ISO 27001 certified will cost more money.
• Current security infrastructure. The state of your existing security measures also determines how much an ISO 27001 Certificate will cost you. The more robust and mature your ISMS, the less you’ll need to spend to bring it to standard. Perform a gap analysis to see what you still need to be ISO 27001 compliant.
• In-house capacity. Are you able to build your ISMS in-house? If not, you’ll need to pay contractors to develop one for you. These outsourcing costs can add up fast if you’re not careful.
• Timeline. If you need to earn your ISO 27001 Certificate quickly, the cost will go up as well. After all, time is money, and auditors and other contractors charge more for their services when they need to be fast-tracked.

Ultimately, there’s no way to give an exact number for the cost of obtaining the ISO 27001 Certificate. However, most of the time, you can count on it falling anywhere in the range of $6,000 to $40,000.

So is the cost worth it? In short, yes.

Obtaining the ISO 27001 Certificate helps organizations and companies win the trust of more clients - specifically, those who value data security. And in a world where cybercrime is up, most people are worried about their data.

Showing that you are ISO 27001 certified will give you a competitive edge, not to mention help you operate internationally since ISO certificates are recognized across the globe. If you want to expand your reach and attract more customers, the ISO 27001 Certificate is a good investment.

What are the Role and Responsibilities of an ISO Lead Implementer?

An ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer is responsible for establishing, managing, implementing, and maintaining an organization’s ISO standard.

They help make big decisions like setting the scope of an information security management system (ISMS) and addressing management about security requirements. They make sure everyone in the organization understands and complies with ISO 27001 standards.

The role of an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer is intended for all of the following:

• Managers and consultants who help implement the information security management system (ISMS) of an organization
• Individuals responsible for maintaining conformity with the information security requirements in an organization
• Members of an ISMS implementation team

The responsibilities of an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer fill a wide scope. Your specific duties will depend on your organization.

Lead Implementer Jobs, Demand Trends & Salaries

Now that you know what it takes to become an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, let’s go over jobs, demand trends, and salaries for this role.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 141,200 information security analyst jobs in 2020. From 2020 to 2030, information security analyst jobs are expected to grow by 33%, which is much faster than the average job growth and amounts to 47,100 new jobs. Much of this growth includes new demand for ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementers.

The average salary for an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer is $93,025 per year. That’s $7,752 per month, $1,788 per week, and $45 per hour!

According to ZipRecruiter.com, Lead Implementer salaries can run as high as $138,500 and as low as $50,500. Across the US, the 25th percentile earns $65,000, the 75th percentile earns $112,000, and the 90th percentile earns $131,500.

Whatever job you have now, getting your ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certificate will likely give you a significant salary boost.

Lead Implementer Career Roadmap

So what’s the roadmap to becoming an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer? Let’s take a look:

There are a few different ways you can approach becoming an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer:

• Self-study. You can teach yourself the principles of ISO lead implementation through books, articles, white papers, and videos. This can be a great way to learn, but you must be self-disciplined to stay on track. Otherwise, you’ll lose focus and never reach your goal.
• Professional mentor. No matter how much you study on your own, you can’t replicate the wisdom and knowledge you’ll get from a mentor who’s been in your shoes before. Find a veteran ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer to guide you down this career path.
• Formal education. Some universities and institutions of higher learning offer information security (IS) programs that can prepare you to become an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer. Get good grades in high school so that you can go to a respected university with a good program.
• Training program. There are many training programs designed specifically to prepare you for becoming an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer. Complete an in-house training offered by your employer or enroll in a third-party training like the one by Readynez. It lasts 3 days and has a $2,410 online version and a $3,190 classroom version, both of which include an exam voucher and a certification guarantee.

Once you’ve completed the necessary training to become an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, you’ll find it will help you in one or all of the following ways:

• Find a new job. Cybersecurity is a growing industry in need of evermore lead implementers. That means new job opportunities will open up to you, and you won’t have much trouble finding a new job.
• Earn more recognition at your current job. Certifying as an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer shows that you are an expert in designing, executing, and managing an information security management system (ISMS). Your boss and coworkers will come to see you with new respect.
• Advance within your organization. As an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, you will have the technical and managerial skills to take your organization’s ISMS to the next level. Whether you execute a new ISMS or audit the current one, there are many ways for you to advance your role within your organization.

Wherever you let your ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer certification take you, you’ll be a valuable asset. Organizations and companies across the world need ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementers to help fortify their data, so your skills won’t go unused.

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer 2021-2022 Overview

The ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer position is here to stay. Throughout 2021 and 2022, demand for ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer has only been increasing, and we can expect that trend to continue for a while.

If you’re interested in becoming an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, now is the time. The sooner you become trained and certified, the easier it will be for you to fill a top-ranking information security (IS) position.

Enroll in the ISO 27001 LEAD IMPLEMENTER training by Readynez today to get started! It comes with all course materials, an exam voucher, a certification guarantee, and even accommodation and meals for the classroom version—everything you need to ensure you pass the ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Certification exam with flying colors. Contact us today to learn more!