Accreditation versus certification: what is the difference?
Accreditation and certification are often confused. They are related, but they do not mean the same thing. Certification assesses whether an organization, product, process, service or person meets specified requirements. Accreditation assesses whether a conformity assessment body is competent to carry out specific assessments.
Accreditation and certification: what is the difference? #
| Aspect | Accreditation | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| What is assessed? | The competence and working methods of a conformity assessment body, within a defined scope. | Whether an organization meets the requirements of a standard or certification scheme. |
| Who carries out the assessment? | In Belgium, BELAC is the national accreditation body. | A certification body carries out the certification audit. |
| What is the outcome? | Accreditation for the activities and standards included in the defined scope. | A certificate, provided that the organization meets the applicable requirements and the certification decision is positive. |
| How are they related? | BELAC assesses and accredits conformity assessment bodies for the activities and scopes specified in the accreditation annex. | The certification body assesses the organization within its accredited scope. |
What is certification? #
Certification involves an independent certification body assessing whether the requirements of a standard or certification scheme are met. The assessment may cover a product, process, service, person or management system.
Following a positive certification decision, the organization receives a certificate. This certificate indicates that the assessed elements met the applicable requirements at the time of the assessment. Certification does not guarantee that nonconformities or incidents will never occur.
Why do organizations seek certification? #
A certificate can enable an organization to demonstrate to customers, clients and other interested parties that specified requirements have been independently assessed. A certificate may be required by a client, an insurer or legislation. Whether certification is mandatory depends on the situation and the applicable requirements.
What can be certified? #
- A product, process or service: the assessment determines whether it meets specified requirements.
- A management system: the assessment determines whether the system meets the requirements of the relevant standard.
- A person: the assessment determines whether someone meets specified requirements for knowledge or competence.
What is verification? #
Verification assesses whether an organization’s information or claims meet predefined criteria. For CyFun®, the assessment concerns compliance with the applicable requirements of the CyberFundamentals Assessment Scheme. The outcome is a verification statement. Verification is a separate activity from certification, which assesses compliance with the requirements of a standard or certification scheme.
What do you receive following a positive outcome? #
ISO/IEC 27001 certification: following a positive certification decision, your organization receives an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate.
CyFun® verification: following a positive verification, your organization receives a verification statement.
What is a quality label? #
A quality label is a recognizable mark indicating that specified requirements have been met. It may be associated with a certificate or another assessment scheme. The conditions for using a quality label depend on the relevant scheme.
What is a standard? #
A standard describes agreements, requirements or guidelines, for example in the areas of quality, information security or environmental management. Standards are generally not laws. However, a standard may become mandatory when legislation, a contract or a client refers to it.
What happens when a standard changes? #
When a standard is revised, a transition period may apply. During this period, organizations and certification bodies must apply the new requirements in accordance with the provisions of the standard or the relevant certification scheme. The transition arrangements differ between standards.
What is accreditation? #
Accreditation is formal recognition that a conformity assessment body is competent to carry out specific assessments. This recognition applies only to the activities, standards and scope specified in the accreditation annex. Accreditation does not automatically mean that every service or certification provided by a body is carried out under accreditation.
In Belgium, BELAC is the national accreditation body. BELAC assesses conformity assessment bodies within defined scopes. For Brand Compliance België, this concerns the competence to carry out ISO/IEC 27001 certification audits and CyFun® verifications within the accredited scope.
What is Brand Compliance België accredited by BELAC to do? #
Brand Compliance België bv holds the following BELAC accreditations:
- ISO/IEC 27001 certification: accreditation certificate 766-QMS. The scope covers certification of information security management systems according to ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
- CyFun® verification: accreditation certificate 766-VV. The scope covers verification at Basic and Important levels, within the versions and conditions specified in the BELAC annex.
These Belgian BELAC accreditations apply exclusively within the defined scope. They do not mean that all certifications or verifications provided by Brand Compliance België are carried out under BELAC accreditation.
See the current scopes in the BELAC annex for ISO 27001 and the BELAC annex for CyFun®. More information about the Belgian accreditation body is available from BELAC.
Questions about accreditation or certification in Belgium? #
Explore our Belgian services for ISO 27001 certification and CyFun® verification. Would you like to know which accreditation scope applies to your request? Contact Brand Compliance België.
