TISAX® certification
Confidently, securely & directly to that prized certificate
TISAX® certification opens the door to major customers in the automotive industry. On this page you will find out what it takes to become audit-ready with minimal effort.
We will tell you in detail:
- Which TISAX® levels are truly relevant for your company - and which are not
- How to avoid typical pitfalls and obtain the label in the most direct way possible
- Which existing structures you can use to save time, money and resources
Read on and discover how you can lead your company to TISAX® certification purposefully and efficiently.
What is TISAX®
and why is it relevant
for my company?
The requirements for information security in companies have been increasing for years - not only due to the GDPR, but also due to growing customer expectations and the increase in digital lines of business. A standard has been established in the automotive industry that hardly any supplier or service provider can ignore today: TISAX®.
TISAX® stands for "Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange". This is a testing and exchange mechanism for information security, developed by the ENX Association based on the VDA ISA catalog. The aim is to protect sensitive information along the automotive supply chain - in a standardized, comparable and recognized manner.
OEMs such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes are increasingly demanding compliance with the TISAX® standard as a prerequisite for even being considered as a supplier or partner to them. Anyone who works with confidential data such as CAD drawings, development prototypes or test environments is practically obliged to deal with a possible TISAX® certification.
This means in plain language: Even if there is currently no legal TISAX® obligation: In practice, without a valid TISAX® label, you will be denied access to many lucrative projects. However, there is also good news: Those who set the right course early on not only secure the prized certificate, but can even optimize their internal processes.
TISAX®-certified:
Requirements and structure of TISAX®
Many companies ask themselves: What exactly does TISAX® require? The answer lies in the TISAX® catalog (VDA ISA catalog) - a modular catalog of questions divided into three main areas: Information security, data protection and prototype protection.
The focus is on a protection needs analysis which should answer the following 3 questions:
- What information is processed in the company?
- How sensitive is this information?
- What security measures are appropriate?
Based on this, the catalog is used to check whether suitable processes, guidelines and technical and organizational measures (TOMs) are in place.
Three different TISAX® assessment levels are used depending on the level of protection required:
- Level 1: Pure self-disclosure without external verification - not commonplace due to its low informative value
- Level 2: Standard TISAX® assessment by external assessment service provider - sufficient for many companies
- Level 3: On-site audit - required for particularly sensitive information, e.g. when protecting prototypes
The certification itself is carried out by an accredited TISAX® assessment service provider. After a successful assessment, the TISAX® label is published on the ENX portal for customers and partners to see.
The costs for TISAX® certification vary depending on the provider, depth of assessment and complexity.
The pure testing costs by the accredited service provider are usually between 3,000 Euros for Level 2 and 15,000 Euros for Level 3 assessments - similar to an ISO 27001 certification.
Added to this are the costs for preparation and implementation within the company.
What are the specific benefits of TISAX®?
The 4 biggest levers for your company
Access to attractive customers and projects
In the automotive industry: No order without TISAX®. Many OEMs categorically exclude companies without a valid TISAX® logo - no matter how convincing the offer is. TISAX®-certified companies, on the other hand, are automatically included in the shortlist of potential suppliers.
Less bureaucracy, fewer supplier audits
Instead of answering long questionnaires or providing individual security certificates for each new project, all you need to do is refer to the publicly accessible TISAX® label. This saves time, avoids misunderstandings and relieves your sales department as well as the IT team.
Clearer processes, fewer risks
TISAX® forces your company to address the issue of information security. What initially appears to be a hurdle turns out to be a significant competitive advantage in the long term. After all, once you take a structured look at risks, responsibilities and security measures, you often discover dangerous vulnerabilities that would otherwise have remained under the radar. The result: They are better prepared for audits, act more securely when handling sensitive data and remain fully capable of acting even in the event of security incidents or cyber attacks.
A strong signal - internally and externally
The TISAX® label shows: You don't leave IT and data protection to chance. This creates trust for customers, stability for investors and orientation for employees. Especially in times of growing cyber threats and an increase in regulatory requirements, this can be a decisive advantage.
How a
TISAX® certification proceeds:
Step 1
Protection needs analysis
Create transparency about your sensitive information.
Step 2
GAP analysis
Determine how big the gap is between your current security level and the TISAX® requirements - and what measures are required to close existing gaps.
Step 3
Action Plan & Implementation
Implementation of the necessary measures - prioritized, practical and in line with your resources.
Step 4
Audit & Audit
During the TISAX® audit, an accredited service provider checks whether your security measures have been implemented completely, comprehensibly and effectively - and whether they meet the required standards.
Step 5
TISAX® Label & Publication
After the successful audit, your TISAX® label is published in the ENX portal and can be viewed there by authorized partners and customers.
TISAX® Best Practices:
How to get through
the audit stress-free
We have been in the business for over 20 years and see two things time and time again:
1. Many companies start too late
TISAX® often only becomes an issue when the certificate is requested by the customer or a specific tender is in progress. Then the time pressure is suddenly enormous and chaos reigns.
2. TISAX® is too often seen as a purely IT issue
Information security affects the entire organization and includes processes, personnel and communication. If you leave the responsibility solely to IT, you risk blind spots and bumpy audits. Our recommendation is therefore:
Start early with a protection needs analysis
This allows you to clarify in good time which measures are relevant and necessary for your company.
Get off to an imperfect start
It's not about setting up perfect processes overnight, but about creating realistic, auditable structures. TISAX® stocktaking, awareness training and practiced responsibilities are therefore much more important than committing to textbook-like workflows that cannot be implemented in day-to-day work.
Make it easy for yourself
Don't start from scratch, use existing structures and processes. If you have already implemented ISO 27001, for example, you can adapt a lot of content for TISAX® and save yourself a considerable amount of work (more on this in a moment).
Align information security with the day-to-day work of your team, not with the auditor
After all, information security is only effective if processes are comprehensible, practicable and supported by all involved.
Clever integration of TISAX®:
Use existing systems and in
doing so create real synergies
TISAX® certification does not have to be an additional burden. Quite the opposite: When set up correctly, TISAX® fits seamlessly into existing structures and standards. Companies that already work in accordance with ISO 27001, ISO 9001 or other established compliance standards have a decisive advantage: Many of the required measures complement each other or can be adapted with minimal effort. Typical synergies are possible in the following areas, among others:
Documents & Guidelines
Processes and policies from the quality or ISMS environment can often be adopted or easily adapted.
Awareness & Training
Joint training concepts for data protection, information security and quality management save time and resources.
Risk & Protection Needs Analysis
If you are already working with risk assessments, you can add TISAX®-relevant aspects to them - without having to start from scratch.
Technical & Organizational Measures (TOMs)
Many measures from the ISO 27001 (e.g. access controls, backup strategies, role & rights management) are also of central importance at TISAX®.
TISAX® FAQs –
other important questions and answers:
Legally no. But in practice, TISAX® certification is the entry ticket to working for many customers in the automotive industry.
Experience has shown that TISAX® certification takes between two to six months - depending on the initial situation, available resources and target level.
The cost of the TISAX® audit is generally between 3,000 and 15,000 Euros - depending on the location, scope and audit level. In addition, there is the internal effort, which can be significantly reduced through careful preparation.
Yes, for documentation, protection needs analysis or awareness training, among other things. If you choose to use us for the preparation of your TISAX® certification, we will show you what suits your unique setup and what would be unnecessary ballast.
ISO 27001 is an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS) and defines requirements for the systematic protection of sensitive data - across all industries and recognized worldwide. TISAX® is based on ISO 27001 but was developed specifically for the automotive industry. TISAX® certification incorporates industry-specific requirements such as prototype protection or GDPR-compliant data protection measures and is based on the VDA ISA catalog. TISAX® is therefore not an independent standard, but an industry-internal assessment and exchange procedure coordinated by the ENX Association and published on the TISAX® portal. If you are using TISAX® as an introduction but would like to establish a more comprehensive level of security in your company in the long term, it is worth looking at our ISMS offering.
We clarify this in a free brief check along the VDA ISA requirements - precise, with no obligation and free of charge. Make an appointment HERE for a free TISAX® consultation.
Gain clarity now
and secure the TISAX® certificate
Does everything sound too big, too technical, too complex? Don't worry, we'll make it as easy as possible for you. In a compact 30-minute consultation we will clarify the specific requirements you will face - and how you can become audit-ready with minimal effort.
Check your TISAX® certification-readiness now - free of charge & without obligation:
