Ongoing effort to improve security processes, controls, and effectiveness over time.
Continual improvement is the ongoing effort to enhance security management—processes, controls, and outcomes—over time. ISO 27001 requires continual improvement as part of the ISMS. Improvement inputs include audit findings, incident learnings, metrics analysis, and control assessments. The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle structures improvement: plan improvements, implement them, check effectiveness, and act on results. Security is never 'done'—threats evolve, and defences must improve continuously.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
Security that doesn't improve falls behind evolving threats. Build improvement into your programme—learn from incidents, act on audit findings, and regularly assess effectiveness.