Free Checklist: The Startup ISO 27001 Readiness Checklist

Trusted by 1,000+ companies for compliance

What's inside the checklist

The short, high-level version of what a certification body looks for — organized the way you'll actually build your ISMS. Score each item done, partial, or not started, and you'll know in about ten minutes roughly how ready you are and where the gaps are.

Score yourself honestly

Mark every item done, partial, or not started. A lot of partials and blanks is normal for a first-timer — it just shows how much ISMS work is ahead.

ISMS scope & foundations

The ISMS scope, the context and interested parties the standard asks for, your target certificate, a named ISMS owner, and the three-year cycle.

Leadership & risk

Leadership commitment (an actual requirement), security objectives, the risk assessment and treatment plan, and the Statement of Applicability.

Annex A controls

All four themes — Organizational, People, Physical, and Technological: policies, access, suppliers, MFA, encryption, logging, backups, and more.

Operate the ISMS

The proof your system actually runs: documented procedures, an internal audit, a management review, corrective actions, and control metrics.

Certification prep

Mandatory documentation, continuous evidence, an accredited certification body, and readiness for Stage 1 and Stage 2.

The 9 categories it covers

Every area a certification body will examine, grouped the way you'll build your ISMS — the mandatory clauses plus all four Annex A themes. Around fifty individual checks in total.

ISMS scope & foundations
Leadership & governance
Risk assessment & treatment
Annex A — Organizational controls
Annex A — People controls
Annex A — Physical controls
Annex A — Technological controls
Operate the ISMS
Certification prep

Who this checklist is for

It's written for the first-timer — the founder or engineering leader standing up an ISMS for ISO 27001 certification for the very first time.

First-time founders & CTOs

You're technical, but you've never run an ISMS — and you'd rather not learn the process-heavy way, on the clock.

Non-technical founders & CEOs

An international customer or partner is asking whether you're "ISO certified," and you need to understand what that takes, fast.

Teams selling globally

A global deal is gated on ISO 27001 and the clock is already running. You need the fastest credible path to a clean Stage 2.

Price- and quality-sensitive buyers

You want certification done right the first time — scoped to what buyers need, without over-building the ISMS.

“ISO 27001 certifies a living management system, not a checklist. This list tells you what needs to be true; it doesn't run the risk assessment, conduct the internal audit, or make the judgment calls for you.”

— From The Startup ISO 27001 Readiness Checklist

Written by the team at Agency

This checklist comes from Agency — a security and compliance team you don't have to hire. U.S.-based forward-deployed engineers, supercharged by our own AI, run your ISO 27001 end to end on top of the tools you already trust like Vanta and Drata: virtual CISO, risk assessments, control implementation, internal audit coordination, evidence collection, continuous monitoring, vendor risk, and certification-body coordination — all included, without adding headcount.

&

1,000+ companies served
Y Combinatorbacked
Top-tier partner at Vanta & Drata
End‑to‑end vCISO, internal audit & cert-body coordination

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the checklist really free?

Yes. Enter your work email and we'll send the PDF straight to your inbox — no cost and no commitment, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Who is the ISO 27001 readiness checklist for?

First-time founders and engineering leaders preparing for ISO 27001 certification. No prior compliance background is assumed — it's the short, high-level version of what a certification body looks for, organized the way you'll actually build your ISMS.

What does the checklist cover?

Nine categories spanning the mandatory ISMS clauses and all four Annex A control themes: ISMS scope and foundations, leadership and governance, risk assessment and treatment, Annex A organizational, people, physical, and technological controls, operating the ISMS, and certification prep.

How is ISO 27001 different from SOC 2?

SOC 2 is a U.S.-rooted attestation report; ISO 27001 is an international certification of a management system (an ISMS) that buyers recognize by name. The underlying controls overlap heavily, but ISO leans more on governance and continual improvement — risk reviews, internal audits, and management reviews.

Will the checklist make me certification-ready?

It tells you what needs to be true; it doesn't run the risk assessment, conduct the internal audit, make the Statement of Applicability judgment calls, or face the certification body for you. That work is where the DIY, platform, or operated paths come in.

Can Agency get us certified?

Yes. Agency runs your ISO 27001 program end to end on top of Vanta or Drata — virtual CISO, risk assessment, control implementation, internal audit coordination, evidence collection, and certification-body coordination through Stage 1 and Stage 2 — without adding headcount.

The Startup ISO 27001 Readiness Checklist

What's inside the checklist

The 9 categories it covers

Who this checklist is for

Written by the team at Agency

Frequently Asked Questions

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