In order to demonstrate compliance, SSAIB firms are required to hold copies of all relevant Codes of Practice and Standards.
“The process of Standards harmonization with Europe has the on-going potential to burden firms with the cost of replacing Standards as and when they are amended, which is, at present, all too frequent,” an SSAIB statement said.
For several years the SSAIB hass brokered prices of the Standards with the BSI in order to enable firms to comply at a reduced cost.
Now the new deal has meant negotiating access to a wide range of security related standards for SSAIB registered firms via an online portal accessible from its website. Those registered firms who subscribe to the deal can download a wide range of standards for a one off annual cost.
Cost burden
CEO of SSAIB Geoff Tate said: “As the Convenor of CENELEC WG1 I see at first hand how Standards are developed and amended and I have long been concerned at the cost burden placed on our firms from keeping current copies of Standards.
“At SSAIB we have been trying to minimise the disruption and costs associated with introduction of new Standards and the deal we have negotiated with BSI is very advantageous to SSAIB firms.
“Compliance costs are an inevitable part of the work our firms undertake; it is vital that they are up-to-date with relevant Standards and the like, so our aim is to try to help them to keep the cost of compliance to the minimum, not to reduce the rigour of the compliance audit.”
