ALC - Arc

We’re pleased to confirm that our Acronis #TeamUp partnership with Italian motorsport team, PREMA Racing, is continuing into its second year.

The partnership launched...

Last week, we successfully completed a major upgrade and modernisation of our Basildon data centre infrastructure, delivering significant improvements in resilience,...

Following a year of continued growth, innovation and investment in our people and services, we’re proud to share that we’ve been shortlisted for two UK Business Tech...

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for two National Technology awards!

We’ve been shortlisted for:

• Healthcare & Life Sciences Technology of the...

We’re delighted to announce that Skye Cloud has become a part of the Arc Group.

Skye Cloud is a UK-based organisation with offices in London and Dartford. With a team...

We’re pleased to confirm that we have successfully passed our ISO 27001 recertification audit following the five-day assessment in December.

For UK businesses, protecting data is a legal, commercial and reputational requirement. As a Managed Service Provider, trust is vital: our customers need to rely on us following best practice so we can ensure we’re protecting them and their customers, too.

Matt Westney, our COO, said: “ISO 27001 is one of the clearest ways to prove that trust is earned and maintained. This recertification reinforces our trusted security posture, supports compliance, and ensures we continue to protect customer and company data in line with internationally-recognised standards. As with ISO 9001, it also helps us drive ongoing continuous improvement; this is a great result, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining high standards of ISMS and reflects the strong information security practices embedded across the business, as well as our whole team’s cooperation during the audit.”

In this blog, we explain what ISO 27001 is, why it matters to an MSP, and how it benefits both providers and their clients.

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security management. It sets out how an organisation should manage and protect sensitive information, which covers customer data, financial records and intellectual property.

The standard essentially focuses on risk. It requires a business to understand what data it holds, where it lives, who can access it and how it is protected. Certification is then awarded by an independent body after a formal audit and must be maintained through regular reviews.

Why ISO 27001 matters for MSPs

MSPs have privileged access to client systems and data which, unsurprisingly can make them a high value target for cyber attacks.

ISO 27001 helps MSPs reduce this risk by putting structured controls in place. It moves security away from ad hoc tools and towards a consistent, documented approach. This includes clear policies, defined responsibilities and tested processes.

For an MSP, certification shows that security is built into daily operations, not bolted on when something goes wrong. However, for its clients, there’s many other reasons why having ISO 27001 is important too.

1. Building trust with clients

Clients want reassurance that their data is safe. Many now ask about security standards as part of procurement and, especially for certain industries, some will not work with suppliers who lack recognised certification.

ISO 27001 provides clear, independent proof that an MSP takes information security seriously. It is widely recognised and understood across industries. This makes conversations with clients simpler and more credible.

Rather than relying on promises, an MSP can point to a formal standard that is audited and maintained. This builds confidence and shortens sales cycles.

2. Supporting compliance and regulation

UK organisations face growing regulatory pressure around data protection. The UK GDPR policies place strict obligations on how personal data is handled. Clients often rely on their MSP to help them meet these requirements.

While ISO 27001 is not a legal requirement, it aligns closely with data protection principles. It supports better access control, incident management and data handling practices.

For MSPs, this reduces the risk of compliance failures and the reputational damage that follows. It also helps clients demonstrate due diligence when working with third parties.

3. Improving internal efficiency

ISO 27001 isn’t just about security technology or even a ‘tickbox exercise’ – it also improves how an MSP operates.

The standard encourages clear documentation and consistent processes. Staff understand their responsibilities and know how to respond to incidents. Risks are identified and reviewed regularly, rather than ignored.

Over time, this leads to fewer surprises and better decision making, so that security becomes part of everyday work, rather than a separate project.

Why you need to choose an ISO 27001 certified MSP

For businesses selecting an MSP, ISO 27001 certification is a strong indicator of quality. It shows that security is governed at board level and embedded across the organisation.

Whether you’re looking to move MSPs or with your existing MSP, ask whether the certification covers the services you use and how often audits take place – a credible MSP will be open and transparent.

In a world where data breaches are common and confidence is fragile, ISO 27001 helps MSPs stand out for the right reasons. Want to work with experts you can trust? Contact us today.

Last week, Arc were finalists at both the UK IT Industry Awards and the CRN Channel Awards. We were absolutely thrilled to receive the Judges Commended award for Managed Services Provider of the Year (£10m+).

For this category, we were asked to evidence our approach to service, our product offering, growth and sales data, HR policies, financial performance, operational processes, the impact of our work on customers and how we work alongside our partners. It’s a detailed and rigorous judging process that involves contributions from right across the business.

Geoff Wing, our CRO, said: “We’re delighted to have won the Judges Commended trophy for Managed Services Provider of the Year at the CRN Channel Awards: it reflects the hard work happening across every team and the collective effort that goes into delivering great service for our customers. Being named finalists was an achievement in itself, but bringing home a trophy is even better: thank you to the event organisers for two great evenings and congratulations to our team, our partners and our customers.”

Think you’ve got what it takes to join an award-winning team? See our open vacancies here.

We’re pleased to share that Arc has officially announced the appointment of Mark Darrah as our new Chief Technology Officer, marking an exciting new chapter for the...

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that we’re finalists for two national awards in four different categories!

We’re finalists for:

UK IT Industry Awards Services...

We’re proud to announce our partnership with global cyber protection leader Acronis and premier Italian motorsport team, PREMA Racing. The collaboration kicks off at...