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The Future of ISO Standards in an Advancing Digital Environment: Trends and Predictions for 2025
- 2025-04-16
In 2025, the technology and digital landscape will continue to evolve rapidly, bringing new challenges and opportunities. For organizations that operate in this dynamic environment, maintaining compliance with ISO standards has never been more important. ISO standards will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring security, quality, and safety across various industries.
In this article, we explore the future of ISO standards in an advancing digital environment with trends and predictions for 2025.
Key upcoming trends in ISO Standards
With digital technologies continuing to reshape the global landscape, ISO standards must adapt to meet new needs. Here are some of the key upcoming trends in ISO:
1. ISO’s Commitment to Sustainability
ISO’s commitment to sustainability is becoming more pronounced, with new standards expected to encourage organizations to prioritize environmental responsibility. The ISO 14001 standard deals with environmental management systems and is anticipated to evolve, pushing organizations to implement even more rigorous practices related to energy use, waste reduction, and sustainable sourcing.
In 2025, ISO will further integrate sustainability into standards across various industries. From green building certifications to supply chain transparency, ISO will guide businesses in minimizing their environmental impact while staying competitive in a market that increasingly values sustainability.
2. Cybersecurity in the Digital Age: ISO Standards for Emerging Threats
As organizations embrace digital technology, strengthening their cybersecurity is crucial. In 2025, ISO standards related to cybersecurity will likely be more comprehensive, focusing on emerging threats like cyberattacks, data breaches, and privacy violations.
ISO/IEC 27001 for Information Security and Cyber-Security will likely expand to address emerging technologies, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the IoT (Internet of Things), ensuring that organizations will safeguard their data and maintain their confidence in the digital landscape.
3. The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration
In 2024, we saw an increase in Artificial Intelligence, with AI technology becoming increasingly established across industries, and ISO is expected to develop standards specifically that will govern AI applications.
As AI continues to disrupt industries, ISO standards will focus on ethical guidelines and frameworks for the responsible deployment of AI technologies. These guidelines will ensure that AI is developed and used safely, transparently, and fairly.
This would help organizations ensure ethical AI deployment and mitigate potential risks in AI Systems. It will also help build trust with stakeholders and customers.
4. ISO Licensing: A New Compliance Frontier
ISO 37001:2025 introduces a critical shift—certification bodies must now verify that audited organizations hold valid licenses for the standards they implement. This marks a new compliance checkpoint likely to extend to ISO 9001, 14001, and 27001 by 2026.
For compliance managers, this means licensing will become an auditable item. Ensuring your organization holds proper usage rights is no longer optional—it’s essential. Certification bodies will expect documented proof of licensing during audits.
Proactive license management and coordination with standards distributors will be key to maintaining certification readiness in this evolving regulatory landscape.
5. ISO Standards Growth
The cumulative net number of ISO standards continues to grow at a steady rate of approximately 528 new standards per year.
With 25,703 standards recorded by the end of 2024, projections suggest this number will reach 26,231 in 2025 and 26,759 in 2026. For compliance managers, this trend signals an expanding landscape of requirements, particularly in emerging areas like sustainability, digital trust, and supply chain resilience.
Staying ahead means proactively monitoring new publications, updating internal controls, and ensuring licensing compliance.
6. ISO Strategy 2030: A Vision for Resilient, Inclusive Standards
ISO’s Strategy 2021–2030 outlines a bold vision: to make lives easier, safer, and better through globally trusted standards. It focuses on three strategic goals—increasing ISO’s impact, ensuring relevance, and enhancing inclusivity—supported by six priorities including digital transformation, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement.
For compliance managers, this means future standards will be more agile, digitally accessible, and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Expect greater emphasis on transparency, innovation, and global collaboration. Staying aligned with ISO’s evolving strategy will be key to maintaining relevance and resilience in a rapidly changing compliance landscape.
The Impact of AI on ISO Audits and Certifications
Artificial Intelligence is changing the world day by day and is expected to revolutionize the landscape of ISO Audits and Certifications to deliver better efficiency and accuracy. AI is set to significantly transform ISO Audits and Certifications by 2025, and here are some of the key impacts:
- Smarter Focus on Critical Controls: AI can support risk-based auditing by helping auditors allocate time where it matters most. Through advanced data analysis, AI identifies high-risk areas and critical controls early in the audit planning phase. This enables auditors to prioritize resources, ensuring deeper scrutiny of the most impactful processes.
- Enhanced Data Analysis: One of the ways AI will impact ISO Audits is through enhanced data analysis. Auditors sift through a whole lot of documentation to evaluate compliance with ISO standards. AI can automate this process by quickly identifying patterns and flagging inconsistencies.
- Streamlined Documentation and Reporting: AI will simplify the documentation process by automating report generation and record-keeping, having natural language processing tools that will assist auditors in findings and compliance reports, and will enable faster turn-around times.
- Improving Auditor Training and Skill Development: With AI evolving, the skill set for auditors is also evolving. AI tools can provide auditors with real-world scenarios for training purposes and help their required skills for effective training. As AI will handle the routine tasks for auditors, auditors will focus on engaging in higher-level strategic discussions with organizations about improvements.
How MSECB can help your organization prepare for ISO Changes in the future
At MSECB, we always strive to offer excellent services to our clients with our follow-through and customer-focused approach
To ensure that your organization stays informed and prepared for ISO changes, we invite you to take advantage by subscribing to our newsletter where you get timely updates, expert insights, and certification tips.
By subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media, you will be up-to-date and handle ISO changes with confidence.
You can also join our webinars for deeper insights into ISO standards and best practices.
Conclusion
As of 2025, the future of ISO standards in an advancing digital environment is shaped by the rapid pace of technological innovation. From sustainability initiatives to the integration of AI and strengthened cybersecurity measures, ISO standards are evolving to address new challenges and opportunities.
Organizations that adapt to these changes will not only ensure compliance but also gain a competitive edge by embracing forward-thinking practices.
By being informed and proactive in preparation for these developments, businesses can navigate the complexities of future ISO standards to ensure that they continue to meet the highest levels of quality, security, and sustainability.
Remember: Obtaining ISO Standards will not only maintain compliance but also gain a competitive advantage. Staying ahead by following trends and proactively adopting new ISO Standards, your organization will position itself as a leader in its industry.
About Contributor
Friedhelm Düsterhöft
Friedhelm Düsterhöft is a Managing Director at msdd.neT GmbH. He is an esteemed auditor with over 30 years of professional experience, specializing in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). With a background spanning various industries, including critical infrastructure sectors like energy, telecommunications, and finance, Friedhelm has become a trusted advisor known for his ability to navigate complex regulatory frameworks and deliver comprehensive solutions.
