Introduction
If you’ve ever thought, “We can handle ISO 27001 ourselves,” you’re absolutely right. Many organizations already are.
The belief that ISO 27001 certification requires expensive consultants is outdated. With today’s tools, templates, and AI assistants, your team can build, document, and maintain an Information Security Management System (ISMS) entirely on its own.
At Canadian Cyber, we’ve helped dozens of organizations prove one simple truth: You don’t need a consultant to be compliant you just need the right system and a clear roadmap.
Here’s how to make ISO 27001 completely DIY the smart way.
1) Start with Clarity, Not Complexity
The hardest part is getting started. Most teams jump straight into documentation before understanding what they’re building.
Start by asking two key questions:
- What are we trying to protect?
- Who has access to it?
That’s your foundation. Once you define your scope people, systems, and data you can align your policies, risks, and controls accordingly.
💡 DIY Tip: Use AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity to summarize each ISO 27001 clause in plain English. You’ll save hours and actually understand what you’re implementing.
2) Build Your ISMS with Templates, Not Blank Pages
Writing policies from scratch is a fast track to burnout. Instead, use pre-built templates designed to meet audit expectations and simply customize them for your organization.
Our Canadian Cyber ISO 27001 Template Pack includes ready-to-edit frameworks for:
- Information Security Policy
- Access Control
- Risk Management
- Business Continuity
- Supplier Management
They’re simple enough for small teams to use, yet detailed enough to pass an audit.
💻 Pair it with AI: Ask, “Customize this policy for a healthcare company using Microsoft 365 and AWS.” In minutes, you’ll have a polished, audit-ready document.
3) Organize Everything in One Place
A successful ISMS thrives on structure. Build your central hub in SharePoint keeping everything organized and accessible.
Recommended setup:
- Libraries: Policies & Procedures
- Lists: Risks, Action Items
- Folders: Evidence (access reviews, incident logs, training records)
Use Power Automate to set reminders, approvals, and version control. Your ISMS stays traceable, auditable, and always ready for review.
🧩 Bonus Tip: Use Microsoft Copilot to generate quick summaries or audit reports directly from your ISMS data.
4) Keep Your Risk Register Simple But Alive
You don’t need 50 risks to get started. Start small with 5–10 common ones such as:
- Data breach
- Phishing
- Access control failures
- Vendor risk
- Downtime or misconfiguration
- Backup failure
- Privilege misuse
Assign owners, define treatments, and review quarterly. Consistency beats complexity.
🤖 AI Assist: Prompt, “List 10 common ISO 27001 risks for a SaaS company and suggest mitigations.” Adapt the output to fit your environment.
5) Gather Evidence as You Go
Don’t scramble at the end to collect audit evidence. Make it part of your daily workflow:
- Save meeting notes as Management Review Evidence.
- Store screenshots of quarterly access reviews.
- Archive incident reports (even small ones) and resolutions.
Do this continuously, and your ISMS will stay audit-ready year-round.
6) Run Your Own Internal Audit (and Learn a Ton)
Yes you can perform your own internal audit. It’s not only allowed, it’s encouraged.
Here’s how:
- Review each ISO clause and Annex A control.
- Map them to your documentation and evidence.
- Record findings and corrective actions.
You’ll understand your ISMS better than any consultant and that confidence shines during certification.
How Canadian Cyber Supports the DIY Approach
Going fully DIY doesn’t mean doing it alone. We equip your team to implement ISO 27001 confidently without outsourcing.
- 📦 Complete ISO 27001 Template Pack: All documents, policies, and registers editable and auditor-approved.
- 🧠 Guided Consultations: Free sessions to design your roadmap, validate your scope, and clarify ISO requirements.
- ⚙️ SharePoint ISMS Framework: An optional ready-made ISMS structure built right into Microsoft 365.
- 🔍 Internal Audit Support: When ready, our certified auditors can run your official internal audit to validate your work.
- 💬 Post-Audit Support: We help you respond to findings and fine-tune before certification.
We don’t take over your project we help you finish it faster, cheaper, and with full ownership.
Start Your ISO 27001 Journey Your Way
You already have the tools, knowledge, and capability to make ISO 27001 happen.
👉 Book a Free Consultation to get your personalized DIY roadmap. We’ll share templates, outline your next steps, and keep you on track.
When you’re ready for certification, schedule your Internal Audit with us and move forward with confidence.
Canadian Cyber empowering organizations to do ISO 27001 their way.
