According to the latest figures from the International Standards Organisation (ISO), covering the period up to the end of 2019, there have been significant increases in the number of certifications to ISO 22301 and ISO 27001 globally:
- ISO 22301 “Valid Certificates” rose 12% to 1690; and
- ISO 27001 “Valid Certificates” rose 14% to 36 360.
Unfortunately no direct comparison is possible with earlier years as the basis of the survey was changed in 2018. The UK and India remained the most popular countries for ISO 22301 (305 and 142 certificates respectively); and the top three was completed this year by S Korea with 118 certificates. Meanwhile the top three countries for ISO 27001 were unchanged from last year:
- China – 8360 certificates (up 16%);
- Japan – 5250 certificates (up 3%); and
- UK – 2800 certificates (up 15%).
Whilst any increase in the uptake of these standards is encouraging, the numbers of ISO 22301 still remain very low. It will be interesting to see what effect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on 22301 certifications when the ISO survey is published next year. Will the experience of this crisis have persuaded more organisations of the need to conduct business continuity management in a formal, systematic way; or will the cost and distraction of Covid-19 lead to a significant reduction in certifications? It will also be fascinating to see if any evidence emerges that certified organisation have fared better than their peers in these very challenging times.
Follow the links for more details of ISO 22301 and ISO 27001 and how we can assist you in achieving certification.