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ISO 27001 vs ISO 9001: what is the difference?

ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 are two of the best-known management standards, but they serve different goals. Below we explain the differences, similarities and how to combine them.

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security. It centres on an ISMS that identifies risks and manages appropriate controls to protect information.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management. A QMS focuses on consistent quality, customer satisfaction and continual improvement of processes.

The key differences

  • Purpose: ISO 27001 protects information; ISO 9001 safeguards quality and customer satisfaction.
  • Focus: risks and security controls versus processes and improvement.
  • Evidence: ISO 27001 requires a Statement of Applicability, among others; ISO 9001 requires process documentation and quality objectives.

What they have in common

Both standards follow the High Level Structure (Annex SL) and the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act). As a result they share requirements around context, leadership, risk, internal audit and management review — which makes combining them far more efficient.

Can you combine them?

Yes. Many organisations manage both in one integrated management system, so shared requirements don't mean double work. SQwaire supports multiple standards on one platform with a shared control base.

Which one do you need?

Work with sensitive data or do customers ask for information security? Then ISO 27001 makes sense. Is it about demonstrable quality and customer satisfaction? Then ISO 9001. Often the combination is strongest. Book a demo to see how SQwaire streamlines both.