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Information Security Manual (ISM) Compliance Platform

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100s of hours

Saved on compliance

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54%

Less compliance costs

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12 weeks

To get certified

Turn ISM compliance into business as usual in under 12 weeks

Build, manage and prove a cyber security program that works in practice, not just on paper. de.iterate helps organisations implement and maintain the Information Security Manual with one integrated platform for policies, risks, controls, evidence, audits and continuous assurance.

Published by the Australian Signals Directorate, the Information Security Manual (ISM) is a cyber security framework that organisations can apply, using their risk management framework, to protect their information technology and operational technology systems, applications and data from cyber threats. The ISM is intended for chief information security officers, chief information officers, cyber security professionals and information technology managers.

The problem is not the framework itself. The problem is how most organisations try to implement it.

Policies get copied from templates. Controls are tracked in spreadsheets. Security documentation lives in folders no one can find. Evidence ends up scattered across inboxes, shared drives and disconnected systems. Audit preparation becomes a scramble. What should be a living cyber security program turns into a stressful, once-a-year project. de.iterate changes that by turning ISM alignment into a practical, ongoing way of working.

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Information Security Manual (ISM)

The Information Security Manual is an ASD cyber security framework that organisations can apply, using their risk management framework, to protect systems and data from cyber threats. The ISM includes cyber security principles that provide strategic guidance and cyber security guidelines that provide practical guidance on how to protect systems, applications and data.

In plain English: it is a structured way to strengthen cyber security governance, implement practical safeguards and build a more defensible security posture.

Done properly, the ISM helps organisations move beyond reactive security and build a management system that is clear, practical and scalable. It is not about creating more paperwork. It is about putting the right controls, responsibilities and evidence in place so cyber security is embedded into everyday operations.

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What is de.iterate?

de.iterate makes the implementation of Information Security Manual (ISM) obligations simpler, clearer and more sustainable.

Instead of stitching together Word documents, spreadsheets, shared folders and manual reminders, you get one integrated platform that helps you manage the full lifecycle of your ISMS. Policies, training, risk registers, asset registers, evidence, assurance tasks, audits and reporting all sit in one place — connected, current and easier to maintain.

A lot of compliance tools help you collect activity. de.iterate helps you build assurance. This means your policies align to the way your business actually works. Your evidence connects to the right risks, assets and controls. Your audit trail makes sense. And your management system becomes something the business can maintain — not something it has to reinvent every year. 

This is the difference between a platform that helps you prepare for an annual audit and one that helps you run a genuinely effective compliance program.

Benefits of ISM compliance with de.iterate

A lot of compliance tools help you collect activity. de.iterate helps you build assurance.

de.iterate delivers modern, scalable governance in a simple, plain-language platform that fits your business — not the other way around.

More than a checklist. More than automation. de.iterate delivers real governance programs that connect risk, compliance, privacy, safety, quality, and environmental management,  all in one place. We make governance and compliance easy in a plain-language, scalable platform that keeps your business in control, audit-ready, and confident every day.

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Accelerate time to certification

With structured workflows, ready-to-use frameworks and a clearer path to implementation, de.iterate helps you make progress faster. Instead of wasting time on admin and disconnected documents, you can focus on building a stronger, audit-ready ISMS.
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Reduce overheads & rework

Replace spreadsheet sprawl and duplicated admin with one system built for real-world operations. de.iterate keeps everything connected in one place, reducing duplication, avoiding version confusion and making it easier for teams to work from a single source of truth.
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Stay audit-ready year-round

Keep evidence, reviews and responsibilities current so audit time is calmer and far less disruptive. 
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Scale compliance with confidence

Extend your program into other standards (like ISO 9001, ISO 42001, ISO 45001) and frameworks without starting from scratch.
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Identify gaps earlier & act faster

de.iterate helps you see where your compliance program is strong, and where it needs work. By giving you a clearer view of your documentation, controls, evidence and assurance activity, the platform makes it easier to run a practical gap assessment, prioritise actions and close issues before they become audit problems.

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Migrate quickly & easily

Moving to a better compliance platform shouldn’t mean rebuilding your entire management system. de.iterate’s Management System Migration Tool helps you bring across existing policies, registers and supporting documentation from legacy systems, so you can transition faster and preserve the work you’ve already done.

Everything you need to run and prove compliance

Governance and policy management

Create, manage and distribute policy content through Policy Management, Policy Reader, Dynamic Privacy Policy, the Control Library, the Integrated Management System Guide and the Compliance Documentation Repository. Keep critical documents current, readable and connected to the frameworks and controls they support.

Assurance and evidence

Operationalise your compliance program through automated Assurance Tasks, Checklists, and our Compliance Calendar. Store contextual evidence that maps directly to specific controls. Turn your organisation's compliance program into a repeatable workflow with clear ownership, less chasing and stronger audit trails.

Risk and operational registers

Manage what matters most to your organisation through our embedded risk management approach, with a Risk Register, Asset Register, Supplier Register, Incident Register and Privacy Register. Bring all your scope, ownership, treatment plans, classifications and review cycles together in one easy-to-use platform.

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Automation where it helps. Context where it matters.

Plenty of platforms promise automation. de.iterate goes further by making that automation useful.

We don't just help you collect evidence. We help you understand whether the evidence is connected to the right risk, the right asset, the right control and the right process. We don't just store policies. We help you keep them aligned to the way your business actually operates. We don't just prepare you for an audit. We help you build a management system that stays healthy long after the audit is over.

That is the difference between a tool that creates activity and a platform that creates assurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? Luckily, we've got answers!

After all, we're here to help you get your ducks in a row.

What is the ISM?

The Australian Signals Directorate produces the Information Security Manual (ISM). The purpose of the ISM is to outline a cyber security framework that an organisation can apply, using their risk management framework, to protect their systems and data from cyber threats.

Who has the ISM been written for?

The ISM is intended for Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Information Officers, cyber security professionals and information technology managers.

What are the cyber security principles as outlined in the ISM?

The purpose of the cyber security principles is to provide strategic guidance on how an organisation can protect their systems and data from cyber threats. These cyber security principles are grouped into four key activities:

  • Govern: Identifying and managing security risks.

  • Protect: Implementing controls to reduce security risks.

  • Detect: Detecting and understanding cyber security events to identify cyber security incidents.

  • Respond: Responding to and recovering from cyber security incidents.

What are the cyber security guidelines as outlined in the ISM?

The cyber security guidelines in the ISM provide practical guidance on how an organisation can protect their systems and data from cyber threats. These cyber security guidelines cover governance, physical security, personnel security, and information and communications technology security matters. They include guidelines for cyber security roles, cyber security incidents, procurement and outsourcing, security documentation, communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility, media, system hardening, software development, database systems, email, networking, gateways, data transfers and more.

How do I implement the principles and guidelines outlined in the ISM?

You’re in luck, de.iterate will provide you with all the practical items you need to implement to meet the standard, and a suite of tasks to help you demonstrate you have implemented them too. If you have the IT talent in-house to do this yourself you will find it easy, if not we have a list of IT partners who are on standby to help.

How long does it take to implement the ISM and ensure compliance?

The ISM implementation process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on your pace. Once you’re onboard in de.iterate, you’ll have all the tools and information you need to get certified in the fastest, easily way possible.

Can I be ISM certified?

If we could, we would. But unfortunately no such certification exists. Don’t worry though, using de.iterate effectively demonstrates to your customers, the privacy regulator and your insurers that you take security seriously and have considered all the elements of data security and data privacy.

How much does ISM compliance cost?

de.iterate has price plans available to suit just about any size business. We can help you work out which plan is right for you.Talk to one of the team today about your options at hello@deiterate.com.

Simple pricing, based on the frameworks you need

de.iterate pricing is structured around the compliance frameworks you choose to access, giving you the flexibility to build a program that fits your organisation’s needs. Every plan includes access to the de.iterate platform and its feature set, from automated and expert-led onboarding, through to migration support, assurance workflows, live registers, compliance reporting and the core documentation needed to run and maintain your management system with confidence.
Starter

$179/mo$2148/yr

  • Essential Eight

  • SMB 1001

  • Privacy Acts

  • DISP

Business

$1,800/mo

  • ISO 27001

  • ISO 27701

  • ISO 42001

  • ISO 9001

  • ISO 45001

  • ISO 14001

  • SOC 2

  • NIST CSF 2.0

  • NIST 800-53

  • NIST 800-171

  • NIST 800-172

  • GDPR

  • Essential Eight

  • SMB 1001

  • Privacy Acts

  • DISP

Enterprise

$3,500/mo

  • ISO 27001

  • ISO 27701

  • ISO 42001

  • ISO 9001

  • ISO 45001

  • ISO 14001

  • SOC 2

  • NIST CSF 2.0

  • NIST 800-53

  • NIST 800-171

  • NIST 800-172

  • GDPR

  • Essential Eight

  • SMB 1001

  • Privacy Acts

  • DISP

  • ISM

  • SOCI

  • Right Fit for Risk (RFFR)

Ready for simple, stress-free compliance? Want help from real GRC experts?