How much does it cost to get ISO 27001 certified?

 

Getting ISO 27001 certified is a strategic investment in your organization's information security—and the cost can vary widely. Here’s a breakdown of what influences your expenses and what you can expect to pay in 2025.

Key Cost Factors

The main driver of ISO 27001 certification cost is your organization’s size and complexity. Other variables include:

• Number of employees and locations

• The maturity of your security program

• Whether you use internal resources, external consultants, or compliance automation tools

• Choice of audit partners and certification bodies

• Ongoing maintenance and surveillance needs.

Typical Cost Ranges

Company Size/Approach	Certification Cost Range
Small business (50 staff)	$6,000 – $40,000
Medium business	$15,000 – $100,000
Large enterprise	$50,000 – $200,000+
India (all sizes)	$3,600 – $18,000

Cost Breakdown (2025)

• Preparation Costs: Buying standards and guides, gap analysis, internal/external audits, and vulnerability testing. Preparation with external support can be $5,000–$40,000.

• Implementation Costs: New/updated policies, security tools, staff time, and training. These can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on readiness.

• Certification Audits: ISO 27001 audits (Stage 1 and Stage 2) typically cost $5,000 to $60,000, depending mainly on company size and audit scope.

• Ongoing Costs:

  • Surveillance audits (annual, over a 3-year cycle) usually cost $3,000–$16,000 per year.

  • Recertification audit (after 3 years): $5,000–$16,000.

  • Compliance automation tools, staff training, and general upkeep: annual spend varies by need, often $1,000–$10,000 for tools, and $500–$1,000 per staff member for training.

Ways to Manage Costs

• DIY/internal team: Lowest hard costs but high opportunity cost due to staff hours and possible delays.

• External consultant: Standardizes and expedites the process; raises direct spend, but can save time and reduce risk of failure.

• Compliance automation/GRC tools: Streamlines audit preparation and documentation; costs vary with the platform and company size, typically $3,500–$10,000+ per year.

• Geography: Certification costs are significantly lower in countries like India compared to the US or Europe for equivalent business sizes.

Final Thoughts

While smaller organizations may pay as little as $6,000–$18,000, mid-large organizations will often see total costs between $15,000–$200,000+ for full ISO 27001 compliance, including audits, preparation, and ongoing maintenance over several years.

Budgeting tip: Get specific quotes from certification bodies and consider long-term maintenance costs—not just the initial audit or certification fees.