Assurance planning
Identify assurance activities and evidence appropriate to the system or service, including audit, accreditation support and assurance assessment.
Assurance
Audit and Assurance Compliance Services
Security assurance provides stakeholders with confidence that security risks have been understood and appropriate measures have been considered and implemented.
Talk to us about Assurance and Accreditation
Assurance with evidence your stakeholders can use
Stanway Hope supports organisations in planning and delivering security assurance activities relating to systems and services, including security assurance and cyber risk-management support within relevant government and defence environments. Rather than treating assurance solely as an activity undertaken at the end of delivery, assurance can connect with requirements, architecture, risk management, testing and governance.
We offer a tailored range of audit, accreditation and assurance assessment services. Our teams include NCSC Certified Cyber Security Professionals, BSI certified ISO 27001 auditors and technical assurance specialists with a range of professional accreditations. We have decades of experience delivering these services across UK Defence, National Security, National Policing, Telecommunications, Education, Retail and Charity sectors.
How we can help
Plan the assurance activity, gather the evidence and present a clear picture of risk, controls and outstanding issues.
Security evidence
Help identify, organise and review evidence relevant to security decisions.
Risk review
Review security risks, treatments and outstanding actions as part of the wider assurance picture.
ISO 27001 readiness
Support organisations in understanding and reviewing evidence relevant to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002, including ISMS elements and control implementation. This is readiness and assurance support, not certification.
Statement of Applicability
Support review of control applicability, implementation status and supporting evidence.
Audit preparation
Help organise relevant security information, review internal audit findings and track corrective actions ahead of assurance or audit activity.
- ISO27001
- NIST
- SOC 2
- PCI DSS
- NCSC CAF
- HMG IS1
- IAMM
- NPSA
- Bespoke client standards
What this helps you achieve
Assurance is useful when it increases confidence and shows clearly where that confidence should be limited.
A clearer security position
Greater confidence in the security position of a system or service, based on evidence rather than assumption.
Evidence and issues in one view
Improved visibility of security evidence and outstanding issues, including residual risk.
Risk, architecture, testing and assurance connected
Better coordination between the activities that produce the assurance picture, instead of treating them as separate exercises.
Information that supports decisions
Clearer information to support governance and security decisions, including where stakeholders need a view of evidence and outstanding issues.
Our approach
Scope the assurance question, assess the evidence, then report findings, gaps and outstanding risks clearly.
Scope
Establish the assurance objectives, boundaries and stakeholders, and the standard or client scheme that applies.
Assess
Review security requirements, risks, architecture and relevant controls.
Evidence
Gather and evaluate appropriate assurance information, including residual risk.
Report
Present findings, gaps and outstanding risks clearly to relevant stakeholders, including those involved in accreditation.
Building confidence through evidence
Effective security assurance requires more than policies and documentation. Organisations need to understand whether security requirements have been addressed, relevant controls have been implemented and the resulting security position can be supported by appropriate evidence.
Stanway Hope can help review security arrangements, identify relevant evidence, examine control implementation and understand areas requiring further attention. For organisations operating an Information Security Management System, this can also support preparation for ISO/IEC 27001 assessment by considering risk management, the Statement of Applicability, control implementation, internal audit findings and corrective actions. Independent certification, where it is sought, remains a separate activity.
Related services
Security challenges rarely exist in isolation. Assurance often draws on testing, risk assessment and the architecture that was designed.
Testing & Test Management
Plan, coordinate and manage security testing so findings and evidence can support wider assurance.
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Risk Assessment & RMADS
Understand the risks and residual risk that assurance activity needs to report on.
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Security Architecture
Review whether security requirements are reflected in the technical design.
Explore serviceLet us talk about assurance and accreditation
If you need audit, accreditation support, ISO 27001 readiness or an assurance assessment, we can discuss how Stanway Hope can help plan the activity and present the evidence.