Celebrating the Importance of International Standards

Each year, on 14 October, the global community observes World Standards Day, recognizing the efforts of experts worldwide who develop international standards. These standards shape a safer, more sustainable, and efficient world; in fact, standards affect nearly every aspect of daily life — from the clothes we wear and the cars we drive to the devices we use.

Standards provide tools for businesses, governments, and communities to work together. Organizations like ISO, IEC, and ITU develop these standards, creating a framework for a shared future. As a leader in testing, inspection, and certification, Kiwa takes pride in applying these standards to help our clients build trust in their products, services, and systems.

According to Marjolein Veenstra, Team Leader Cyber Security at Kiwa, “World Standards Day reminds us of our company’s vital mission towards a safer and more sustainable world. Observing this day is so important for us at Kiwa and our clients. That’s because standards can provide the framework for reducing carbon emissions, promoting fair trade, and ensuring public health and safety.”

Standards for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This year's World Standard’s Day theme, ‘Shared Vision for a Better World,’ aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tackle global challenges like inequality, sustainability, and climate change.

At Kiwa, we are committed to the SDGs and recognize that standards are essential to achieving these goals. To support this, we focus on three strategic pillars: energy transition, sustainable entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity — each closely aligned with the SDGs. These pillars guide our efforts to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability and safety challenges.

Every certification, inspection, and test we perform supports global sustainability goals. Our services help businesses reduce their environmental impact and meet international standards. For example, our environmental certifications help companies lower their ecological footprint, while our testing and consultancy services ensure safety and efficiency in key sectors like energy and healthcare.

“Standards impact every industry,” Marjolein explains. “Data security standards, essential across sectors like healthcare, IT, and construction, protect sensitive information and maintain operational security. Our services help organizations adopt these crucial standards to ensure a safer, more sustainable future.”

Daniël Knot, Sales & Account Management, Kiwa Business Partners Program, further explains the importance of standards in the public sector: “In cybersecurity, certification contributes to an organization's cyber resilience. We frequently work with various sectors, especially healthcare, where the focus isn't just on physical safety for patients but also on their digital safety. Certification helps organizations to implement the right controls and store data securely. It doesn't make them hack-proof, but it significantly reduces the risk and impact of a breach. Hospitals, for instance, can perform various security checks and ensure their processes are compliant, and auditors like us assess whether or not the internal processes are in place.”

Learn more about World Standards Day: https://www.worldstandardsday.org/home.html

Securing tomorrow with AI standards at work

Since standards are fundamental to achieving the SDGs, they must also evolve to stay relevant and keep up with rapid changes in the world. “As you can imagine, AI is a major trend right now,” states Marjolein. “The new ISO 42001 standard, published in December 2023, focuses on AI management systems, following a structure similar to ISO 27001 but tailored to the evolving AI landscape. It reflects the growing need for regulations to keep up with advancements in cybersecurity, a key component in achieving SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The standard addresses key challenges like ethics, transparency, and continuous learning, ensuring responsible AI development while balancing innovation with proper governance.”

“As a practical example, regulations or certification programs often dictate when AI can and cannot be used,” explains Daniël. “For example, some organizations might be allowed to use facial recognition technology, while others may not, depending on consent or privacy laws. Hospitals, for example, might want to use facial recognition, but it could be prohibited if the patient doesn't consent to it. Certifications help clarify what is allowed and what isn't. Over time, as AI continues to develop, new regulations will emerge, and certification processes will include a set of controls that guide organizations appropriately using these technologies.”

“Another important aspect is that many organizations, including hospitals and government buildings, are open spaces where anyone can enter, whether they have good or bad intentions,” furthers Daniël. “Without the right controls in place, it’s difficult to prevent someone from, for example, connecting their device to the network. Certification contributes to ensuring that if someone enters a sensitive area, they’ll be questioned: 'What are you doing here? How can I assist you? Who are you here to see?' This is one of the factors we measure through certification. Even in public buildings, regulations ensure everyone is operating at the same level of security."

Standards matter, and so does our willingness to improve

It is clear that adopting international standards allows businesses to foster trust, safety, and quality, contributing to a more resilient and equitable world, but “It's not just about standards keeping the world safe,” explains Marjolein. “The responsibility also lies with the organizations that follow these standards. They play a significant role in maintaining security. Certification is just a means to an end; it doesn’t guarantee safety once achieved, but it certainly aids in achieving greater public safety. Organizations must also recognize that the world is constantly evolving, and so are the threats and risks. They need to adapt and continually improve their security measures.”

“I believe the primary purpose of standards and regulations is to drive continual improvement,” Marjolein concludes. “When we audit our clients, we assess their implementation of controls and risk management practices, and we expect them to improve year after year by adhering to standards. Their intrinsic motivation is key, and standards help foster that progress. Our role at Kiwa extends beyond safeguarding digital infrastructure. Our solutions align with global sustainability, safety, and security needs through innovation and collaboration, contributing directly to the SDGs.”