ISO 37001
International standard for anti-bribery management systems
ISO 22301
International standard for business continuity management systems
Quick Verdict
ISO 37001 establishes anti-bribery systems to prevent corruption risks, while ISO 22301 builds business continuity for disruptions. Companies adopt them for legal mitigation, reputation protection, operational resilience, and certification-driven stakeholder trust.
ISO 37001
ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management Systems
Key Features
- Risk-based ABMS with proportionate controls
- Mandatory third-party due diligence requirements
- Leadership commitment and anti-bribery culture
- PDCA cycle for continual improvement
- Internationally certifiable evidentiary standard
ISO 22301
ISO 22301:2019 Business continuity management systems Requirements
Key Features
- PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment
- Leadership commitment and roles assignment
- Operational planning with testing exercises
- Annex SL integration with ISO 27001
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
ISO 37001 Details
What It Is
ISO 37001:2025 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS) is an international certifiable standard providing requirements for preventing, detecting, and responding to bribery. It employs a risk-based, proportionate approach scoped to bribery (direct/indirect, public/private sectors), following the Harmonized Structure (HS) and PDCA cycle.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operations, evaluation, improvement.
- Core controls: policy, risk assessment, due diligence, financial/non-financial controls, training, reporting.
- Built on leadership accountability, third-party focus, continual improvement.
- Optional third-party certification with audits.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mitigates legal risks (FCPA, UK Bribery Act), reduces liability via evidentiary "reasonable steps".
- Builds stakeholder trust, enhances reputation, cuts compliance costs up to 15%.
- Enables market access, ESG alignment, operational efficiencies.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, risk assessment, controls, training, audits.
- Scalable for all sizes/sectors; integrates with ISO 9001/27001.
- Typical 6-12 months to certification; requires ongoing PDCA.
ISO 22301 Details
What It Is
ISO 22301:2019 is an international certification standard titled Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements. It provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) to protect against disruptions. The standard uses a risk-based PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle and Annex SL high-level structure for alignment with other ISO standards.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10: context, leadership, planning (BIA/RA), support, operations (testing), evaluation, improvement
- Flexible requirements, no fixed controls; tailored via BIA
- Core principles: resilience, continual improvement
- Certification model: two-stage audits, 3-year validity, annual surveillance
Why Organizations Use It
- Reduces downtime, financial losses; enhances recovery
- Meets regulations like NIS Directive
- Builds trust, lowers insurance, boosts competitiveness
- Risk mitigation for cyber, natural disasters, supply chains
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, BIA/RA, policy, training, testing, audits
- All sizes/sectors; accelerated by platforms (e.g., 6 months)
- Cross-functional teams, leadership buy-in essential
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 37001 | ISO 22301 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Bribery prevention, detection, response via ABMS | Business continuity during disruptions via BCMS |
| Industry | All sectors worldwide, high-risk like extractives | All sectors worldwide, critical like finance/utilities |
| Nature | Voluntary certifiable management system standard | Voluntary certifiable management system standard |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews, certification audits | BIA/RA, exercises, internal audits, certification audits |
| Penalties | No legal penalties, loss of certification only | No legal penalties, loss of certification only |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 37001 and ISO 22301
ISO 37001 FAQ
ISO 22301 FAQ
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