11 July 2019

Skynamo users’ data now in world-class hands. Officially.

Submitted by: Esther Tredoux
Skynamo users’ data now in world-class hands. Officially.

The Field Sales app provider is one of relatively few tech providers worldwide to achieve the global benchmark in data security - ISO 27001:2013 certification – to protect its customers' business data.

Skynamo, app provider for field sales management and productivity, today announced that it has received the ISO 27001:2013 certification, the internationally recognised standard for global best practice in information security management.

Skynamo chose to complete the arduous certification process to verify that it meets global standards in information security and provides the best possible protection of their customers’ business data.

“The heavy fine imposed on British Airways this week for last year’s data breach shows just how seriously we should all be taking data security as service providers,” says Skynamo CEO Sam Clarke.  “A data breach can increase the risk of litigation for customers, damage their business reputation, and impact their revenue should their data ever fall into the wrong hands, which is why we sought this certification to ensure we are doing all we can to look after our customers’ business data.”

An ISO 27001 certification confirms that the highest internationally recognised security standards, agreed upon and set by members from 164 countries and 783 technical committees and subcommittees, are met. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, international organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, that develops the global standards for security and safety, among others.

As of 31 December 2017, according to The ISO Survey, only 7,478 companies in the IT sector worldwide were ISO 27001 certified and only 69 companies across all sectors in South Africa were ISO 27001 certified.

“The relatively low number of ISO 27001 certified companies worldwide is alarming. At a time when data is falling into the wrong hands more frequently and the consequences are more severe than ever before, we want to encourage all app providers to go through this certification process to ensure their users’ data is protected,” says Clarke.

Skynamo’s audit was conducted by independent certification service provider, Sancert. This audit looks at, among other things, the general storage of data across the entire company, how data is handled by the company’s employees and the physical security of the premises where the company conducts their daily business. Every possible digital, physical and social breach opportunity was considered and assessed in the audit.

The 2019 SaaS Survey revealed that the average employee at a company uses 8 apps. As an IT Manager or business owner, I would want to make sure that none of those apps posed a security risk for my business. IT departments and business owners alike should encourage ISO 27001 certification by asking their app providers if they are certified and urging them to get certified if they are not,” concludes Clarke.