“An information security management system (ISMS) can help companies of any size to protect themselves effectively against cyberattacks and other forms of malicious data manipulation. ISO/IEC 27001 certification enables companies to strengthen their protection against cyberattacks and prevent loss of sensitive information”, says Alexander Häußler, Global Product Performance Manager IT and Lead Auditor at TÜV SÜD.

The ISO/IEC 27001 standard is the foremost international standard for information security management systems (ISMS), and accordingly also for cybersecurity. After revision in October 2022, the new ISO/IEC 27001:2022 has replaced the previous ISO/IEC 27001:2013. The new version contains long-awaited amendments with respect to IT security measures, data protection and concrete cloud security measures.

New controls

The main changes in the new ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compared to its predecessor involve the controls defined in Annex A, which have been reduced in number from 114 to 93 and reclassified into four groups: Organisational Controls (37 controls), People Controls (8 controls), Physical Controls (14 controls), Technological Controls (34 controls). 11 new controls have been added, addressing issues including data masking (a method of rendering data unusable for hackers), monitoring activities (to detect unusual IT activities) and information security for use of cloud services.

Transition period ends in autumn 2025

A transition period of 36 months applies from the time of publication of the new standard; this means that existing certificates must be transitioned to the new ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard by autumn 2025. Companies that already hold ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification thus have around three years to complete the transition of their certificates. Nevertheless, TÜV SÜD advises companies to begin addressing the changes in the new standard as soon as possible, given their crucial importance for information security.

The White Paper published by TÜV SÜD provides an up-to-date overview of ISO/IEC 27001, its development and the concrete steps involved in gaining certification. It can be downloaded free of charge at: https://www.tuvsud.com/….

For more information on certification under ISO/IEC 27001, visit: https://www.tuvsud.com/….