Business

ISO 27001 Certification Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published

3 years ago

November 3, 2022

The ISO/IEC 27001, popularly known as the ISO 27001 certificate is a globally recognized information security standard. It is created by the International Organization for Standardization.

Being ISO 27001 certified means that an organization is following top-notch, internationally-approved security standards. Thus, clients are able to easily trust such an organization because they know that the organization will take good care of their data. It gives the organization a competitive edge and helps it stand out from the crowd.

Applying for the ISO 27001 certification can be confusing, especially if you are doing it for the first time. But don’t worry because we are here to help you out.

This beginner’s guide will help you understand the basics of the ISO 27001 certificate and why is it important for your organization.

So, let’s get started!

The main purpose of the ISO 27001 certificate

The main purpose of this certificate is to provide a robust model for building, implementing, operating, reviewing, and monitoring an organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS).

ISO 27001 provides a complete framework for organizations that will help them protect their data and maintain security in a cost-effective way. The ISO 27001 framework applies to organizations of all sizes and belonging to all kinds of industries.

Benefits of ISO 27001 certification

As we mentioned above, being ISO 27001-compliant has numerous benefits for an organization. Let’s have a quick look at some of them:

1. Increases customers’ trust

One of the biggest benefits of having the ISO 27001 certificate is that it helps you gain customers’ trust more easily. When you are handling a large amount of customer data and sensitive information, having the complete trust of your clients is vital.

Owning the ISO 27001 certificate demonstrates that you are capable of handling your customers’ data responsibly and securely. It also implies that you are adhering to the globally-recognized ISO standards.

2. Offers quality assurance

The ISO 27001 certificate follows a strict framework and quality checks. So, it assures your customers that you are following high standards of IT security quality. This goes a long way in helping you secure better and more profitable contracts with large businesses.

3. Strengthens your internal security

Along with giving a quality assistance to your customers, having an ISO 27001 certificate is also helpful to your organization’s internal security. While preparing for this certificate, you will have to strengthen your internal data security practices and conduct internal audits. It helps you in spotting several security loopholes in your infrastructure and remedy them effectively.

Continuous risk assessments also help you in ensuring that your business is operating as per the ISO standards. It also prevents any serious data breaches or other security issues in the future.

What is the process to be ISO 27001 compliant?

Acquiring the ISO 27001 certificate isn’t easy for any organization. It is a rigorous process designed to ensure that only the deserving organizations get it.

Here is a quick breakdown of the ISO 27001 certification process:

1. Determination of scope

To become ISO 27001-certified, an organization needs to prepare its ISMS (Information Security Management System). And for preparing a robust ISMS, the determination of its scope is essential. Businesses need to find out what type of information and assets they need to protect.

2. Analyzing your current security controls and finding gaps

Once you are clear with your scope, you need to analyze your existing security control measures. Evaluate how well your current information security measures are performing and the ways you can improve them.

You can do this by analyzing your internal policies and interviewing your IT security staff. Make sure to document all your findings for the external auditing process.

3. Risk assessment and formation of a Risk Treatment Plan

The next step is the assessment of risk. It is a basic requirement for ISO 27001 compliance and you will have to document everything you discover during the risk assessment.

Along with a thorough risk assessment, organizations also need to come up with a fool-proof Risk Treatment Plan. Devising a Risk Treatment Plan is also a necessary step for becoming ISO 27001 compliant. Such a plan acts as your roadmap and helps you mitigate all future risks effectively.

4. Collection of evidence and documentation

Collection and documentation of evidence is an important part of the ISO 27001 certification process. You will need to present all these documents during the external ISO 27001 certification audit.

How long does it take to become ISO 27001 certified?

As it is an extensive process, it can take anywhere between 3 to 12 months to become ISO 27001-certified. From starting the process to completing the ISO 27001 certification audit, the entire process can easily take one year to be completed.

Summing up

So there you go! That was our ISO 27001 beginners’ guide.

We hope you found the information presented here helpful and that we were able to offer you some useful knowledge. Having an ISO 27001 certificate can help your organization in more ways than one. So, even though the process is a bit complicated, obtaining this certificate is a wise choice.

Business

Inside the $4.3B Quarter: What’s Fueling Black Banx’s Record Revenues

Published

5 days ago

January 16, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Every quarter brings fresh headlines in fintech, but few make the kind of impact achieved by Black Banx in Q2 2025. The Toronto-based global digital banking group, founded by Michael Gastauer, reported an extraordinary USD 4.3 billion in revenue and a record USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, while improving its cost-to-income ratio to 63%.

These results not only highlight the company’s operational efficiency but also mark a pivotal moment in its journey from challenger to global leader. The big question is: what’s fueling such impressive financial performance?

Customer Growth as the Core Driver

One of the clearest engines of revenue growth is Black Banx’s expanding customer base. By Q2 2025, the platform had reached 84 million clients worldwide, up from 69 million at the end of 2024. This 15 million net gain in six months demonstrates both the attractiveness of its services and the scalability of its model.

Unlike traditional banks, which rely heavily on branch expansion, Black Banx leverages digital-first onboarding that allows customers to open accounts within minutes using just a smartphone. This approach is especially effective in regions underserved by legacy institutions, where access to affordable financial tools is in high demand.

More customers don’t just mean higher transaction volumes—they generate a compounding effect where network size, brand trust, and service adoption reinforce one another.

Real-Time Payments and Cross-Border Solutions

A major contributor to Q2 revenues is the platform’s real-time payments infrastructure. Black Banx enables instant cross-border transfers across its 28 supported fiat currencies and multiple cryptocurrencies, helping both individuals and businesses bypass the traditional bottlenecks of international banking.

For freelancers, SMEs, and multinational clients, this means faster liquidity, reduced foreign exchange costs, and simplified global operations. The demand for real-time financial services is growing rapidly—Juniper Research projects global real-time payments turnover to hit USD 58 trillion by 2028—and Black Banx is strategically positioned to capture a significant share of this market.

Crypto Integration as a Revenue Stream

Another key revenue driver is crypto integration. While many traditional institutions remain hesitant, Black Banx embraced digital assets early and has built infrastructure to support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Lightning Network. In Q2 2025, 20% of all transactions on the platform were crypto-based, reflecting strong customer appetite for hybrid banking services that bridge fiat and digital assets.

Revenue comes not only from transaction fees but also from value-added services like crypto-to-fiat conversion, staking yields (4–12% APY), and blockchain-enabled payments. For customers in markets with unstable currencies, these services act as a financial lifeline, further expanding the platform’s relevance.

AI-Powered Efficiency and Risk Management

Record revenues would be less impressive if costs ballooned at the same rate. But Black Banx has proven adept at balancing growth with efficiency. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 63% in Q2, down from 69% a year earlier, thanks to heavy reliance on AI-powered automation.

AI now drives fraud detection, compliance, and customer onboarding—areas where traditional banks often struggle with cost inefficiencies. By automating these processes, Black Banx can process millions of transactions securely while maintaining profitability at scale. This level of efficiency is rare in fintech, where high growth often comes at the expense of margins.

Regional Expansion and Untapped Markets

Geography also plays a role in fueling revenues. Much of the Q2 growth came from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—regions where demand for mobile-first banking continues to soar. In 2024 alone, Black Banx reported a 32% increase in SME clients from the Middle East and Africa, signaling the strength of its positioning in underserved markets.

By extending services to populations previously excluded from formal banking—migrant workers, rural communities, and small businesses—Black Banx taps into vast pools of latent demand. The strategy proves that financial inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Another factor behind Q2’s record revenues is Black Banx’s diversified business model. Income is not tied to a single service but spread across multiple streams, including:

Transaction fees from cross-border transfers and payments.
Crypto trading and exchange services.
Premium account features for high-net-worth clients.
Corporate services for SMEs and international businesses.

This diversification insulates the company against volatility in any single segment, creating stable revenue growth even in shifting market conditions.

Michael Gastauer’s Strategic Blueprint

Behind these results is Michael Gastauer’s long-term strategy: scale aggressively but with efficiency, innovation, and inclusion at the core. His vision has always been to create a borderless financial ecosystem, and Q2 2025’s performance is evidence that this vision is not only achievable but sustainable.

By balancing mass-market accessibility with premium features, and by blending fiat with digital assets, Gastauer has positioned Black Banx as a category-defining player in global finance.

The Road Ahead: Toward 100 Million Clients

Looking forward, the company’s goal of reaching 100 million customers by the end of 2025 will likely be the next catalyst for revenue growth. More customers mean more transactions, more data insights, and more opportunities to refine and expand its service offering.

If current momentum holds, the USD 4.3 billion quarterly revenue milestone could be just the beginning of an even larger growth story. The challenge will be ensuring systems scale securely while maintaining trust in an environment where privacy and compliance are paramount.

A Record That Signals More to Come

Black Banx’s Q2 2025 performance—USD 4.3 billion in revenue, USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, 84 million clients worldwide, and a lean 63% cost-to-income ratio—is more than a financial milestone. It is a signal of how the future of banking is being rewritten by platforms that are borderless, crypto-inclusive, and data-driven.

What fueled this record-breaking quarter is not one innovation but a combination of strategies—scalable onboarding, real-time payments, crypto integration, AI efficiency, and expansion into underserved regions. Together, they form a model that doesn’t just challenge traditional banking but actively builds the foundation for global dominance.

For Black Banx, the road ahead is clear: the $4.3 billion quarter is not an endpoint but a launchpad for even greater scale and profitability.