ISO 27001 vs. ISO 27002: Understanding the Differences Between These Two Information Security Rules
When people talk about information security, two standards, ISO 27001 and ISO 27002, are often at the top of the list. These standards are linked, but they are used for different things in computer security management. Organizations that want to set up strong information security practices need to know how ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 vary and how they relate to each other. This piece really digs into these standards, looking at how they work together to make a complete information security system. It talks about their similarities and differences.
What It Is: What ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 Mean
The exact name for ISO 27001 is ISO/IEC 27001:2013. It is an international standard that tells you what an Information Security Management System (ISMS) needs to do. For keeping private company information safe, it lays out a methodical way to handle it. The ISO 27001 standard is part of the ISO 27000 family of standards. These standards give advice on how to handle information security in the best way possible.
ISO 27002, or ISO/IEC 27002:2013, on the other hand, is a set of rules for how to control information protection. It tells you in great detail how to put the security rules in Annex A of ISO 27001 into action. It tells you what to do, but it also tells you how to do it in ISO 27002.
What Makes ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 Different
Goals and Range
While ISO 27001 is a management standard, it outlines the steps that must be taken to create, execute, keep, and constantly improve an ISMS within a company. Best practices for information security management are laid out in this document, which helps businesses keep their information safe.
But ISO 27002 is a set of rules for how things should be done. It gives advice on how to set information security standards and handle information security, such as choosing, putting in place, and managing controls, while taking into account the information security risk setting of the company.
Building and Content
ISO 27001 is organized into ten parts (4–10) that spell out the standards that an ISMS must meet:
Clause 4: The organization’s setting
- Clause 5: Leadership 6. Clause 7: Planning 8. Clause 9: Operation 9. Clause 10: Evaluating performance
Clause 10: Getting better
It also comes with Annex A, which has a list of 114 rules for 14 different areas.
But ISO 27002 is only about giving thorough instructions on how to put the 114 controls listed in Annex A of ISO 27001 into action. It goes into more detail about each tool and gives advice on how to use them and other details.
Getting certified
The part about approval is one of the main changes between ISO 27001 and ISO 27002. Organizations can get ISO 27001 certification by showing that they follow the standard by having an approved certification body audit them. Getting this license can help you build trust with clients and show that you care about information security.
There is no way to certify ISO 27002. It is a code of behavior, not a list of standards. It can be used as a guide to choose and put in place rules for managing information security risks.
Method for Assessing Risk
ISO 27001 stresses that information security should be based on risk. In order to find, examine, and rate information security risks, companies must carry out a full risk assessment. Companies choose the right measures to deal with these risks based on this evaluation.
Even though ISO 27002 doesn’t talk about risk assessment directly, it does talk about how to put controls in place that may be chosen based on the risk assessment process in ISO 27001.
Nature of Requirements vs. Choice
ISO 27001 uses directive language to tell businesses what they “shall” do to follow the rules. It lists the conditions that an ISMS must meet.
ISO 27002, on the other hand, uses wording that is more descriptive and gives advice on the best ways to do things. It uses words like “should” and “may,” which gives groups more freedom in how they put the rules in place.
How ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 Work Together: Even though they are different, ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 are meant to work together to make an all-around information security management plan:
Framework and Specifics
ISO 27001 is the main document that tells you what needs to be done for an ISMS. Then, ISO 27002 fills in the blanks by giving advice on how to put certain rules in place. With this mix, companies can make an ISMS that works well and has strong limits.
Risk assessment and putting controls in place
The ISO 27001 standard helps businesses figure out how to measure risks and decide which controls they need. Then, ISO 27002 gives thorough instructions on how to put these chosen rules into action correctly.
Always Getting Better
While ISO 27001 stresses that the ISMS needs to be improved all the time, ISO 27002 gives clear instructions on how to improve controls over time.
Usage in Real Life: Setting up ISO 27001 and ISO 27002
The steps below are usually what a company does when it chooses to put in place an ISMS based on ISO 27001:
Scope Definition: Set the limits of the ISMS (an ISO 27001 condition).
Risk Assessment: Do a full risk assessment (this is required by ISO 27001).
Risk Treatment: Develop a risk treatment plan, choosing suitable controls from Annex A of ISO 27001.
Control Implementation: Put the chosen controls into place, using ISO 27002 to help you with best practices and specifics of how to do it.
Documentation: Make sure you have all the policies, processes, and records you need (ISO 27001 standard).
Internal Audit: As required by ISO 27001, you must do internal checks to make sure the ISMS is working as it should.
Management Review: As required by ISO 27001, have the ISMS reviewed by the top management to make sure it is still appropriate, sufficient, and successful.
Continuous Improvement: Keep an eye on, review, and make the ISMS better all the time (ISO 27001 rule); use ISO 27002 to help you improve certain controls.
In this process, ISO 27001 tells you “what” you need to do and how to do it. ISO 27002 tells you “how” to do it and gives you full instructions on how to set up and improve certain controls.
Case Study: The Journey of a Financial Services Company
Take XYZ Financial as an example. It is a medium-sized financial services business that chose to use an ISMS based on ISO 27001:2013. Following the steps needed by ISO 27001, they first defined the scope of their ISMS and did a full risk review.
Based on their risk assessment, they found a number of high-risk areas, such as provider ties, access control, and security. Then, they looked to ISO 27002 for specific instructions on how to set up rules in these areas.
For instance, XYZ Financial used the right part in ISO 27001 to put in place access control means (Control A.9 in ISO 27001). This gave them full instructions on how to set up processes for registering and deregistering users, handling users’ access rights, and restricting access to systems and programs.
XYZ Financial was able to set up a strong ISMS that met the requirements of ISO 27001 and dealt with their unique risks by using both standards. They were able to get ISO 27001 approval after a year of hard work, showing their clients and partners that they were serious about information security.
Problems and Things to Think About
Even though ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 cover a lot of ground when it comes to information security management, companies may have trouble putting them into practice:
Intensive on Resources: Setting up an ISMS and the rules that go with it can be very time-, effort-, and skill-consuming.
Finding the Right Balance Between Strong Security Controls and Business Needs: Businesses need to find the best way to keep their businesses flexible while still having strong security controls.
Keep Up with Changes: Both standards are changed from time to time to include new technologies and threats. Companies need to keep up with these changes and make sure their ISMS is up to date.
Even though ISO 27002 gives a lot of detailed advice, it may still be hard for organizations to figure out how to use this advice in their own situation.
In conclusion
Even though ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 are different, they work well together to provide a complete method to managing information security. ISO 27001 gives you the structure and standards for an ISMS, and ISO 27002 gives you the specific instructions you need to set up controls that work.
Organizations that want to set up strong information security practices need to know how these standards relate to each other. By properly using both standards, businesses can build a strong base for safeguarding their data, earning the trust of stakeholders, and managing the complicated world of information security dangers.
The rules in ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 will continue to be very important for companies to follow if they want to handle information security well, even as the digital world changes and brings new possibilities and risks. Organizations that follow these guidelines are better able to protect their important information assets in a world that is becoming more and more connected, whether they want to get certified or just make their security better.