Background & Context
The client is a B2B SaaS platform providing workflow automation and data management software to enterprise clients across financial services, healthcare and legal sectors globally. Founded eight years prior, the platform had grown to serve 200+ enterprise clients across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific — with approximately 85 employees and $8M in annual recurring revenue at the time of engagement.
The platform was built on Microsoft Azure and used Microsoft 365 for internal operations. The technical team was small and entirely focused on product development — there was no dedicated security role, no formal security programme and no systematic approach to vulnerability management or access control.
The platform's enterprise clients began raising security as a procurement requirement in earnest approximately 18 months before engagement. By the point of engagement, 14 renewal conversations across clients accounting for $2.2M in ARR had stalled on the security question, with clients demanding ISO 27001 certification or equivalent independent verification.
The Commercial Pressure That Forced Action
Of the 14 renewal conversations that had stalled, three were with clients accounting for over $900,000 in ARR individually — and all three had set hard deadlines. One client — a regulated financial institution — had issued written notice that they would not renew without ISO 27001 certification within 60 days.
The founding team explored building internal security capability. The conclusion was that building from scratch would take 12–18 months and cost significantly more than the revenue at risk. Engaging an MSSP was both faster and more cost-effective — and would result in a higher quality programme than could be achieved through internal hiring alone.
The Octa1ne Programme
ISO 27001 Gap Assessment & Implementation Roadmap
A comprehensive gap assessment against the full ISO 27001:2022 standard was completed in the first two weeks — covering all Annex A controls mapped to the platform's Azure cloud environment, Microsoft 365 implementation, software development practices and supplier relationships. A prioritised implementation roadmap was produced with clear owners, timelines and evidence requirements for each control.
Information Security Management System Development
A complete ISMS was designed and implemented — covering the information security policy framework, organisational roles and responsibilities, risk assessment methodology, Statement of Applicability, asset management, supplier management, incident management and business continuity. All documentation reflected actual practices — not generic templates — ensuring the ISMS would survive audit scrutiny.
Microsoft Sentinel & 24/7 SOC Monitoring
Microsoft Sentinel was deployed across the Azure environment and Microsoft 365 tenant — providing the continuous monitoring capability required by ISO 27001 Clause 9. Custom detection rules were configured for the platform's specific Azure architecture. Octa1ne SOC analysts assumed 24/7 monitoring responsibility, providing both operational security and a continuous stream of audit evidence.
Vulnerability Management & Secure Development Integration
A continuous vulnerability management programme was implemented covering the Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365 environment and the platform application. SAST and DAST tooling was integrated into the CI/CD pipeline. Penetration testing was conducted against the platform application and API layer. All findings were tracked and evidenced in a format directly usable as ISO 27001 audit evidence.
Supplier Security & Third-Party Risk Management
All 34 of the platform's third-party suppliers were assessed — including cloud providers, SaaS tools used internally and development subcontractors. Data processing agreements were reviewed and updated. A supplier risk register was established. High-risk suppliers were required to provide their own security certifications or complete an Octa1ne security questionnaire.
Stage 1 & Stage 2 Audit Management
Octa1ne managed the entire certification body relationship — selecting a UKAS-accredited certification body, preparing all evidence packs for Stage 1, coordinating the Stage 2 on-site audit and managing all auditor queries. The Stage 2 audit was completed with zero major non-conformities and two minor observations — both resolved within the audit window. ISO 27001:2022 certification was awarded at the conclusion of the Stage 2 audit.
Outcomes & Results
ISO 27001:2022 certification was achieved in 4 months — ahead of the hardest client deadline. All 14 renewal conversations that had stalled were successfully concluded within 6 weeks of certification, protecting $2.2M in annual recurring revenue.
The impact on new business exceeded the renewal impact. Security due diligence that previously took 3–4 months was typically resolved in under two weeks by referencing the ISO 27001 certificate and the Octa1ne monitoring capability.
In the 6 months following certification, three significant new enterprise contracts were closed — including two in the defence and government advisory sector that had previously been inaccessible. Annual surveillance audits have been completed with zero major non-conformities in both subsequent years.
“ISO 27001 went from being the obstacle blocking our most important renewals to becoming our single most effective enterprise sales tool. Octa1ne delivered it in four months — genuinely, not on paper — and the commercial return has been remarkable.”