Managed Security
Cyber security compliance: ISO 27001, Egypt IA and ADHICS
From gap analysis to audit day, we help you build security that satisfies auditors, regulators and clients, and actually protects the business.
- Gap analysis, policies and technical controls in one team
- Practical, right-sized documentation
- Support through certification and audits
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Compliance that protects, not just paperwork
More Egyptian organisations are being asked to prove their security. Government entities require suppliers to meet security standards. Healthcare providers in Alexandria must comply with ADHICS. Critical-sector organisations are expected to follow the Egyptian Information Assurance Standards. Enterprise clients send detailed questionnaires and ask for ISO 27001 certification before signing contracts. Insurers want evidence of controls.
Compliance projects often go wrong in one of two ways. Some produce piles of generic policy documents that nobody follows, which may pass a first audit but leave the business no safer. Others focus only on technology and fail audits because governance, risk management and evidence are missing.
ITZone takes a balanced approach. Because we’re also a technical security and IT provider, we don’t stop at documents: we implement the controls, such as MFA, logging, backups, access reviews and incident response, and collect the evidence auditors need. Our goal is a security programme that passes audits and genuinely reduces risk, sized for your organisation rather than copied from a template.
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Frameworks we support
| Framework | Who it applies to |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001 | Any organisation wanting an internationally recognised information security certification |
| Egypt Information Assurance (IA) Standards | Government entities and critical-sector organisations in Egypt |
| Cairo Electronic Security Center (DESC) requirements | Cairo government entities and their suppliers |
| ADHICS | Healthcare entities licensed in Alexandria |
| Egypt PDPL and free zone data laws | Organisations processing personal data |
| PCI DSS | Businesses storing, processing or transmitting payment card data |
| CIS Controls / NIST CSF | Practical frameworks for building a security programme |
What is ISO 27001?
ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It sets out how an organisation should identify information security risks, select and implement controls to manage them, and continually monitor and improve its security. The current version, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, includes a set of reference controls in Annex A grouped into four themes: organisational, people, physical and technological.
Certification is issued by an accredited certification body after a two-stage audit: a documentation review and an implementation audit. Certificates are typically valid for three years, with surveillance audits each year. ISO 27001 is widely recognised by clients, partners and government entities as evidence that security is managed systematically.
What is the Egyptian Information Assurance Standard?
The Egypt Information Assurance (IA) Standards set security requirements for government entities and organisations in critical sectors. They were originally issued by the National Electronic Security Authority (NESA), which is why many people still call them “NESA standards” or “NESA compliance”. The standards cover management controls, such as governance, risk and awareness, and technical controls, such as access, operations and communications security, and they use a risk-based approach that prioritises controls according to threat.
What is ADHICS?
ADHICS is the Alexandria Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard, issued by the Department of Health – Alexandria. It applies to healthcare entities licensed in Alexandria and sets requirements for protecting health information and systems, covering governance, risk management, access control, asset management, incident management, third-party security and more. Compliance is assessed through audits, and requirements are scaled according to the size and type of facility. See Healthcare Industry
How we work
1
Scope
Agree the framework, scope (sites, systems, departments) and target date.
2
Gap analysis
Compare your current state with every requirement and score maturity.
3
Roadmap
Prioritised plan to close gaps, with owners and timelines.
4
Risk assessment
Identify and rate information security risks; decide treatments.
5
Policies and procedures
Practical documents written for your organisation.
6
Technical controls
Implement MFA, logging, backups, endpoint protection, access reviews and more.
7
Awareness training
Staff trained on policies and responsibilities.
8
Internal audit
Independent check of readiness before the external audit.
9
Certification or assessment support
We support you during the external audit and help close any findings.
10
Ongoing compliance
Monitoring, evidence collection and annual surveillance support.
Not sure where your gaps are?
Book a free security assessment and we’ll show you what to fix first.
Typical timeline
| Organisation size | ISO 27001 readiness (typical) |
|---|---|
| Small (under 50 staff) | 3–6 months |
| Medium (50–250 staff) | 6–9 months |
| Large or complex | 9–12+ months |
Avoiding “paper compliance”
Auditors increasingly ask for evidence that controls work, not just that policies exist. We help you collect real evidence as part of normal operations: access review records, backup test results, training records, incident logs, vulnerability scan reports and change records. Combined with our managed security services, much of this evidence is generated automatically.
What a good compliance programme gives you
Winning business
Many government tenders, enterprise clients and international partners require ISO 27001 or equivalent evidence before they’ll work with you.
Fewer questionnaires
A certificate or audit report answers most supplier security questions quickly.
Lower risk
A risk-based programme focuses spending on the threats that matter most to your business.
Clear responsibilities
Everyone knows who owns which risks and controls.
Better insurance position
Insurers look favourably on documented, tested controls.
Continuous improvement
Regular audits and reviews keep security from slipping as the business changes.
What auditors look for
Auditors look for four things: documented policies and procedures appropriate to your risks; evidence that controls are implemented and operating, such as logs, records and reports; management involvement, including risk decisions and reviews; and a cycle of measurement and improvement, including internal audits and corrective actions. Missing evidence is the most common reason for audit findings, which is why we build evidence collection into daily operations from the start.
Who needs compliance support
Technology and software companies selling to enterprises and government, healthcare providers in Alexandria, suppliers to Cairo government entities, financial and payment businesses, logistics and port-related companies, and any organisation asked repeatedly for security evidence by clients.
Mapping one control set to many frameworks
Most frameworks ask for similar things in different words: access control, risk assessment, incident management, backups, supplier management and training. Rather than running separate projects, we build one integrated control set and map it to each framework you need, so a single access review or backup test provides evidence for ISO 27001, the Egyptian IA Standards and ADHICS at once. This saves effort and keeps the programme manageable.
Case study
An Egyptian software company needed ISO 27001 to bid for a government contract. We completed the gap analysis, ISMS documentation and technical controls; they achieved certification at the first attempt.
Industries we serve
Healthcare
Secure, compliant IT for clinics and healthcare providers.
Government
Secure, Arabic-first digital services for government and its suppliers.
Compliance questions, answered
What is ISO 27001?
The international standard for information security management systems, certified by accredited bodies after an audit.
Can ITZone certify us?
No. Certification is issued by accredited certification bodies. We prepare you and support you through the audit.
What is NESA compliance?
A common name for compliance with the Egyptian Information Assurance Standards, originally issued by NESA.
What is ADHICS?
The Alexandria Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard for healthcare entities licensed in Alexandria.
How long does ISO 27001 take?
Typically three to nine months depending on size and starting point.
Do we need a full-time person to maintain ISO 27001?
Not necessarily. Many SMEs use a part-time internal owner supported by an external consultant or vCISO.
Can one programme cover several frameworks?
Yes. Controls overlap heavily, so we map one set of controls to multiple frameworks.
Do you provide ongoing compliance support after certification?
Yes, including internal audits, evidence collection, management reviews and surveillance audit preparation.
Can you help with client security questionnaires?
Yes. We help you answer accurately and gather supporting evidence.
What does a gap analysis include?
A requirement-by-requirement comparison of your current state against the framework, with maturity scores, priority gaps and an implementation plan.
Do you work with certification bodies?
We work alongside your chosen accredited certification body during audits; we remain independent from them.
What if we fail an audit finding?
We help you analyse the root cause, put corrective actions in place and provide evidence for closure.
Related services
Security Assessment
A clear picture of your risks and what to fix first.
vCISO
Senior security leadership, part-time.
Data Protection
Keep sensitive data from leaking, and meet data protection laws.
Security Awareness Training
Turn staff into your first line of defence.