Week 1: Foundation
•Secure management commitment — Get a formal mandate and budget
•Appoint an ISMS owner — Someone with authority and time
•Define initial scope — Start broad, refine later
•Set up your toolkit — Get your ISMS management platform ready
Week 2: Context & Stakeholders
•Document your context — Internal and external factors affecting security
•Identify interested parties — Customers, regulators, employees, partners
•Map their requirements — What do they expect from your security?
•Review existing policies — What do you already have?
Week 3: Risk & Controls
•Choose your risk methodology — Keep it simple
•Run initial risk identification — Workshop with key stakeholders
•Review Annex A controls — Understand what's required
•Start your Statement of Applicability — Map controls to your context
Week 4: Planning & Quick Wins
•Create implementation timeline — Be realistic
•Identify quick wins — Policies, access reviews, backup verification
•Set up regular meetings — Weekly implementation standups
•Begin documenting — Start with your Information Security Policy
What Not to Do in Month 1
•Don't try to write all policies at once
•Don't buy expensive tools before understanding needs
•Don't aim for perfection — aim for progress
•Don't skip stakeholder engagement