ISO 27001 ISMS KPI Dashboard Excel Template

ISO 27001 ISMS KPI Dashboard Excel Template: Track Info-Sec Excellence

Today, information has become an organization's most valuable asset. Therefore, it is critical for all entities to protect this valuable resource. This is why the international ISO 27001 standard was developed. Using this standard, one can implement, manage, maintain, and continually improve an information security management system (ISMS). However, even though achieving ISO 27001 certification is significant, one should still invest efforts in improving the ISMS to demonstrate that it is being continually improved. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and an accompanying dashboard are an excellent way to accomplish this task, as they can help track, measure, analyze, and visualize the performance of the ISMS.

Why are KPIs Necessary for ISO 27001?

The ISO 27001 standard is specifically designed to help entities implement, manage, maintain, and continually improve the ISMS. One of the critical aims of the ISO 27001 system is to continually improve the ISMS under evaluation. This is impossible without performance measurement and analysis.

One of the ISO 27001 requirements states that the "organization shall continually improve the ISMS, by using the information from the performance evaluation". With that said, it is entirely possible that a system demonstrating continuous improvement could fail if the performance measurement is not done correctly. As seen in clause 10.1 of ISO 27001:2013, it is vital to ensure that the performance of the ISMS is measured, as without this step, ISO 27001 continual improvement cannot take place.

In short, the significance of KPIs within ISO 27001 can be summarized as follows:

• A certified management system can stagnate because of incorrect performance measurement
  
  

• The ISO standard requires that an ISMS be monitored, measured, and analyzed for improvement
  
  

• KPIs, however, do not ensure that system processes are performed correctly

The ISO 27001 Standard and the Requirements for KPIs

Clause 9 of the ISO 27001 standard, "Performance Evaluation", contains the specific requirements related to KPIs. According to ISO 27001 clause 9.1, an organization shall plan and perform monitoring and measurement, analyze and evaluate results, and use this information to support improvement. Moreover, according to ISO 27001 clause 9.2, an organization shall carry out internal audits to determine whether the ISMS conforms to the established requirements. Finally, according to ISO 27001 clause 9.3, the management review process requires that organizations continually evaluate the ISMS's suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness.

An overview of the specific requirements related to KPIs can be found in the table below.

What to Consider When Designing a Dashboard With ISO 27001 ISMS KPIs?

A KPI dashboard enables users to quickly analyze the critical factors that indicate the system's performance. One of the primary considerations when designing a KPI dashboard for ISO 27001 ISMS is the set of relevant, meaningful, and critical categories. There are several aspects to consider when determining which categories to utilize within the dashboard. For this reason, the most crucial criteria are discussed below.

There are several common characteristics of KPI dashboards that one should consider to ensure that the created dashboard is fit for purpose. Below, one can find a list of the most critical characteristics.

Below, one can find the most common categories that one can see in an ISO 27001 ISMS dashboard. Choosing an appropriate set of categories that best reflects the information-security-related aspects of the entity under review is paramount. It is crucial to acknowledge the fact that an ISO 27001 ISMS dashboard covers a broad topic area; for that reason, it is vital not to miss any critical categories.

What Advantages Does an Excel-Based Dashboard for ISO 27001 ISMS Offer?

There are benefits and disadvantages to creating an application specifically for the purpose of tracking KPIs for ISO 27001 ISMS versus buying a pre-existing software product or using a GRC tool, designed to cover a broad set of requirements. One of the primary disadvantages of an Excel dashboard is the lack of built-in support for business intelligence (BI) tools, advanced analytics, dashboards reporting, and so on. However, a KPI dashboard in Excel offers a set of advantages, described below.

1. First of all, Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely recognized spreadsheet applications in the world. Most companies are already familiar with this type of technology because of its relative simplicity and brevity.
   
   

2. Second, Excel offers organizations the flexibility and freedom to customize the application according to their needs. This advantage is especially evident against the backdrop of the fierce competition within the business community.
   
   

3. Finally, compared to many GRC tools available on the market, Excel is relatively inexpensive. This factor is especially appealing to small companies that are only beginning to incorporate ISO 27001 requirements into their quality management system (QMS).

How to Create an ISO 27001 ISMS KPI Dashboard Excel Template

Creating an ISO 27001 ISMS dashboard Excel template is a straightforward task, enabled by utilizing the numerous features available in Microsoft Excel. While there are many steps that one should take when designing a dashboard, most of these actions can roughly be grouped into several categories.

1. The first step in creating a dashboard is defining the objectives and stakeholders that the KPI dashboard should meet. In other words, one should analyze the information-security-related goals that the organization should meet and the stakeholders who would benefit from seeing this information in a graphical format.
   
   

2. The second step in designing a KPI dashboard is selecting the relevant categories and determining specific KPIs that should be included in the dashboard.
   
   

3. The third step involves defining the tabs that would contain the data that will be utilized to generate the visual aids. These tabs should support the information-security-related goals that the dashboard should fulfill while reflecting the organization's ISMS-specific requirements.
   
   

4. The fourth step in ISO 27001 ISMS dashboard creation is data visualization; other words, one should create an aesthetically pleasing dashboard that will display the information transparently and concisely. There are numerous tools in Microsoft Excel that can be utilized for this particular step.
   
   

5. The final step is ensuring that the reporting frequency and responsibilities are well-defined and that the dashboard is regularly updated.

Key Performance Indicators for an ISO 27001 Dashboard

As mentioned above, key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of the ISO 27001 standard are utilized to show how well a company is doing in relation to the specific process it is monitoring. There are four categories of KPIs for an ISO 27001 dashboard, as shown in the table below.

Compliance and Audit KPIs Example

• Number of Non-Conformances The total number of non-confirmations reported as a result of internal and external ISO 27001 audits. The indicator should be decreased or maintained at the lowest possible level. Target: 0;
  
  

• Audit Action Closure The percentage of action closures on time. This value should be increased to the maximum, preferably 100%. Target: 95%+,
  
  

• Policy Reviews The policy review frequency is a measure of the number of essential information security policy reviews made as part of continual improvement activities. The value should be maintained at the highest possible level. Target: 100%;
  
  

• Legal and Regulatory Compliance Score Measure of compliance with laws, regulations, and requirements with which the organization must comply. Target: 90%+;

Risk Management KPIs Example

• Number of Identified Risks The total number of identified information security risks. Note: there are no target values because the number of new risks varies between different organizations and can change from year to year;
  
  

• Risk Treatment Plan Closure The percentage of risk treatment plans closed on time. The value should be increased to the maximum, preferably 100%. Target: 90%;
  
  

• Residual Risk Levels The residual risk level represents the amount of risk that an enterprise retains after it treats an identified risk. This value should be decreased to the minimum possible level. Target: <acceptable risk;
  
  

• Risk Register Review Frequency The frequency of the risk register reviews. The value should be maintained at the highest possible level. Target: 100%,

Incident Management KPIs Example

• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) The mean time to detect measures the average time between when an incident occurs and when it is detected. The target value should be decreased to the minimum.
  
  

• Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) The mean time to respond measures the average time between when an incident is detected and when a response begins. The target value should be decreased to the minimum.
  
  

• Number of Critical Incidents The total number of critical incidents is dangerous and can lead to system failure in the case of an information security incident. The target value should be decreased to the minimum.
  
  

• Incident Recurrence Rate The incident recurrence rate indicates the number of similar incidents that have reoccurred. This value should also be decreased to the minimum.
  
  

• Security Incident Log Completeness The completeness of the security incident log indicates what percentage of fields in the incident logs were filled in. The target value should be the highest, ideally 100. Target: 95%+;

Operational Security KPIs Example

• Patch Compliance Rate This metric reflects the percentage of successful patches within the patching cycle; Target: 95%+;
  
  

• Vulnerability Scan Remediation Rate This metric reflects the percentage of remediated vulnerabilities within the remediation period after a vulnerability scan was performed; Target: 90%;
  
  

• Review Coverage Rate The review coverage rate indicates the percentage of user access reviews completed on schedule; Target: 100%;
  
  

• Antivirus/EDR Coverage This metric shows the percentage of hosts protected by active and updated antivirus software; Target: 100%;
  
  

• Configuration Baseline Compliance This metric reflects the percentage of compliant configuration items according to the configuration baseline; Target: 90%+;

Training and Awareness KPIs Example

• Security Awareness Program Completion This metric reflects the percentage of complete training; Target: 95%+;
  
  

• Phishing Simulation, Click Rate Measures the percentage of recipients who have clicked a link in a phishing campaign; Target: The lowest percentage possible.
  
  

• Security Awareness Scores The value reflects the scores' average results; Target: The highest percentage.

Best Practices in Tracking ISO 27001 ISMS KPIs Using Excel Spreadsheets: Common Mistakes to Avoid

The primary consideration when designing the ISO 27001 dashboard is to ensure that the selected information reflects the needs of the particular business. Another critical aspect is to remember that a KPI dashboard is a living document designed to collect and analyze information about the system. A company should remember to update this kind of document on a regular basis. Moreover, a dashboard is not only a collection of data but an analytical tool. The critical aspect here is that the selected data should reflect the company's critical factors. Additionally, an entity should ensure that it analyzes trends rather than data points.

Finally, the last critical aspect of utilizing KPIs to measure ISMS compliance is to link the selected metrics to company objectives and continually improve the ISMS under evaluation in accordance with ISO 27001requirements.

Conclusion

Creating an ISO 27001 ISMS KPI dashboard Excel template is an incredibly important step in ensuring that the company fulfills the requirements of ISO 27001. Moreover, an entity can utilize this dashboard to not only ensure that it meets the requirements of the standard but also continuously improve the system in accordance with ISO 27001. As can be seen from the description provided above, a KPI dashboard in Excel is relatively easy to implement due to the countless functions that can be utilized in Microsoft Excel. In addition, an entity that utilizes such a dashboard would have the distinct advantage over competitors who do not utilize these kinds of tools. Using an ISO 27001 ISMS KPI dashboard Excel template is an excellent way to ensure that the company's KPIs reflect the critical success factors of the entity and that these KPIs are up-to-date. This dashboard is useful for the following reasons: