We’re excited to share a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to both security and quality. After several months of dedicated effort, our cloud security and compliance startup has successfully achieved ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 compliance! ISO is a globally recognized standard known for its rigorous requirements and focus on quality, and we’re delighted that we achieved this certification this early in our product journey.

Why ISO 27001 First?

As a cloud security and compliance SaaS that helps our customers to understand and improve their security, and track and enhance their compliance efforts across various frameworks—including ISO 27001—protecting data is at the core of what we do. We already had experience implementing SOC 2 certification (read more about that achievement here), so many of our foundational security policies were in place. However, ISO 27001 pushed us to formalize and expand these measures into an Information Security Management System (ISMS) that covers not just technology, but also people and processes. Of course, having access to the HTCD SaaS and being able to monitor every step of our progress along this journey made the process that much easier.

Key Motivations for Getting ISO 27001 Certified:

• ‍Holistic Security: We needed a framework that addressed our entire organization, from how we grant system access to how we handle incident response.
• Global Recognition: ISO 27001 is respected worldwide, making it easier to establish trust with international customers.
• Structured Growth: As we scale, having an established ISMS allows us to manage new risks and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Our ISO 27001 Certification Experience

Even though our background in SOC 2 gave us a head start, ISO 27001 offered deeper layers of security rigor:

1. Risk Assessment & Management

We identified risks at both the organizational and technical levels. For instance, we discovered potential oversights in employee offboarding—things we might’ve missed without ISO 27001’s thorough checklists.

2. Access Controls & Documentation

By fine-tuning our onboarding/offboarding procedures, we ensured every role has the right level of access at the right time, with immediate revocation upon departure.

3. Incident Response Enhancements

We refined our playbooks for security incidents, adding clearer escalation paths and communication plans. This extra detail ensures team members can respond swiftly and effectively if an issue arises.

4. Cultural Integration

The ISO 27001 certification isn’t just about documents—it’s about a shift in mindset. From engineering to customer support, our entire team learned to view security as part of their day-to-day responsibilities.

Transition to ISO 9001 Certification: Quality, Often Overlooked

After solidifying our security posture, we turned our attention to ISO 9001 certification, which focuses on a Quality Management System (QMS). In the race to develop software quickly, quality can sometimes become an afterthought. Yet, we know from experience that bugs are inevitable—and how you handle them can make or break customer trust.

Why Quality Matters More Than Ever

• Customer Confidence: High-quality software means fewer production issues, which leads to happier users and stronger customer relationships.
• Reputation Management: In a competitive market, a stable product is a differentiator. Word spreads fast when software fails; ISO 9001 helps prevent that.
• Scalable Processes: As we grow, a consistent approach to testing and bug tracking helps us maintain quality without slowing down development.

Our Unique Approach to QMS

While working with our auditor, we discovered our internal practices stood out in a few key ways:

1. Continuous Integration & Automation

We rely heavily on automated testing and continuous integration (CI). Each code commit triggers a suite of user tests. The auditor remarked on how embedding these tests in our daily workflow inherently catches many bugs before they hit production.

2. Cross-Functional Reviews

Our approach involves more than just developers. Product managers, Operations team members, and even customer support reps get involved in code reviews and user story validations.  The broadened viewpoints and unique skillsets of our cross-team testers have already borne fruit in identifying unique fixes and improvements to our SaaS product.

3. Customer Feedback Loops

We formalized feedback channels so customers can quickly report issues or request enhancements. That feedback is then prioritized in our development sprints. Closing the loop with customers has been instrumental in optimizing features and driving improvements.

4. Escalation Protocols

For critical bugs, we have clear escalation procedures. The second a high-priority issue is detected, a dedicated task force tackles it. This ensures minimal downtime and fast, effective fixes.

What’s Next?

Achieving ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 compliance is just the beginning. These certifications are designed around continuous improvement, meaning we’ll revisit our processes regularly, perform internal audits, and challenge ourselves to evolve with the industry’s changing demands.

Ongoing Commitments:

• Regular Security Audits: Even small changes in software can introduce new vulnerabilities. We’ll be proactive in spotting and resolving them.
• Quality Refinements: We’ll keep refining our bug tracking and testing processes, ensuring that customer feedback remains a top priority.
• Team Training: As new security and quality frameworks emerge, our team will stay current through ongoing education and certifications.

Final Thoughts

ISO 27001 cemented our commitment to security, giving us an organization-wide view of potential risks and a roadmap to mitigate them. ISO 9001, on the other hand, ensured we address the one thing too many startups overlook: quality.

By integrating these standards into our everyday operations, we’ve built a stronger foundation for growth. We hope our experience encourages other startups—not just those in security—to see these certifications as catalysts for culture change, better products, and higher customer satisfaction.

Ready to learn more about our journey or want to discuss how we can help with your security and compliance needs? Get in touch with us today! We’re excited to continue innovating while keeping the bar high for both security and quality.

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