BS 7799 part 1, which is the UK's code of practice for information security management has been accepted as the international standard by the International Standards Organisation.

It was first published in 1995 and has since been taken up by thousands of organisations around the world. An international version of this code of practice (ISO 17799) has been set up to allow companies to identify gaps in their security management and also provide a common benchmark for security best practice.

However, part II has not been as successful and which allows organisations to gain their BS7799 certification. To date only 40 companies in the UK have obtained this certificate. The ISO 17799 working group will be holding discussions as to whether part II should become an international standard.