July 12, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Dutch hosting provider LeaseWeb (http://www.leaseweb.com) has Gained ISO 27001 Certification, it was announced recently. Certification was granted after an audit by Noordbeek IT Audit (http://www.noordbeek.com) and according to the company, it offers LeaseWeb customers a “guarantee for safe hosting”.
“ISO 27001 is a rigorous standard that is consistent with what De Nederlandsche Bank expects from banks and insurances companies,” explained Dr. Ronald Paans, Noordbeek IT Audit’s Lead Auditor.
“This ISO standard is considered the framework of the Code for Information Security, but for hosting provider LeaseWeb we have done far more within this certification process than just examining and assessing the information security. We also examined and approved the management of different processes within the organization in accordance with the ISO 27001 standard.”
Dr. Paans has particular praise for LeaseWeb’s management. “Among other things, we reviewed LeaseWeb’s general management, and more specifically the operational management of the hosting network. We also assessed the stock management and the invoicing procedures. Is there a sufficient supply of equipment and parts to guarantee the continuity of server management at any given time? Does LeaseWeb keep track of exactly which hosting solutions are purchased by its customers? And is it clear precisely what the respective responsibilities of LeaseWeb and its customers are? According to the ISO standard LeaseWeb has organized these processes properly.”
One of the security aspects which Noordbeek IT Audit included in its ISO 27001 assessment concerns risk management within LeaseWeb. Dr. Paans suggested, “Is there a correct division between certain responsibilities within the organization? Is LeaseWeb’s current worldwide growth being managed properly and are the control measures permanently embedded in the organization? In addition, sufficient checks must be built in to ensure good risk management, so that you know where you stand at any time. And as an organization you need to be aware of all potential security aspects that can constitute risks, and organize your processes accordingly.”
As a hosting provider LeaseWeb primarily targets the corporate market. Certification such as ISO 27001 is extremely important for LeaseWeb’s larger customers, and also for e-commerce sites, for example. “Corporate website hosting requires a structured and secure approach from a hosting provider, through fixed procedures,” says Con Zwinkels, Managing Director of LeaseWeb. “The same applies to e-commerce sites, and to other companies for which the web environment plays a critical role in the business.”
ISO 27001 is a continuous process, and LeaseWeb will be audited according to these ISO standards each year. Zwinkels: “This gives LeaseWeb’s customers the guarantee that their hosting will continue to be in safe hands with us in the future. LeaseWeb is growing rapidly. We recently increased our bandwidth capacity to a whopping 210 Gbps, and we have doubled in size over the past year in terms of personnel. In view of the tremendous growth in both the hosting network and personnel, continuity is extremely important in the assessment according to this ISO standard. It guarantees our customers professional hosting, and gives them the security that their hosting is and will continue to be professionally organized.”
Noordbeek is an IT Audit organization, founded by Dr. Ronald Paans, a professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. LeaseWeb is an international provider of hosting solutions focusing primarily on the professional market.
