IT equipment such as servers, laptops, network devices, and printers are vital to many information processing operations such as storage, use, and transfer of information assets.
However, if this equipment is not maintained taking into account product specifications and environmental risks, it may degrade in quality and performance. This lack of maintenance may result in the compromise of availability, integrity, and confidentiality of information assets stored on this equipment.
For example, if an organisation fails to perform regular maintenance on server hardware, it may not recognise that the disk space is full. This may result in loss of data transmitted to or out of the server.
Furthermore, employees or external service providers may gain access to IT equipment as part of the maintenance procedure and this may also present risks to the confidentiality of sensitive information.
For instance, an external maintenance service provider may gain access to sensitive information stored on laptops or install malware into devices.
Control 7.13 deals with how organisations can establish and implement appropriate procedures and measures for the proper maintenance of equipment so that the information assets stored on this equipment are not compromised.
Control 7.13 enables organisations to put in place necessary technical measures and procedures to carry out proper maintenance activities on equipment used to store information assets.
These measures and procedures provide assurance that information assets are not lost or damaged, and they are not exposed to the risk of compromise such as unauthorised access.
Control 7.13 is a preventive type of control that requires organisations to take a proactive approach to equipment maintenance.
It entails detecting risks that may arise due to lack of maintenance, establishing equipment maintenance procedures taking into account each equipment’s specifications, and applying appropriate controls that will protect information assets hosted on this equipment against compromise.
| Control Type | Information Security Properties | Cybersecurity Concepts | Operational Capabilities | Security Domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #Preventive | #Confidentiality #Integrity #Availability | #Protect | #Physical Security #Asset Management | #Protection #Resilience |
Compliance with Control 7.13 entails creating a list of equipment, carrying out a risk assessment based on environmental factors and product specifications and establishing and implementing suitable procedures and measures for proper maintenance.
While the role of individuals handling this equipment on a daily basis is critical, the information security manager should bear the responsibility for compliance with Control 7.13.
Control 7.13 lists 11 specific recommendations for organisations to consider:
The Control 7.13 states that the following are considered equipment and fall under the scope of Control 7.13:
27002:2022/7.13 replaces 27002:2013/(11.2.4)
Compared to the 2013 version, the Control 7.13 in the 2022 Version sets out more comprehensive requirements. Whereas the 2013 version only listed six specific requirements, the Control 7.13 contains 11 requirements.
Control 7.13 introduces the five following requirements, which were not addressed in the 2013 Version:
In the Supplementary Guidance, the control 7.13 defines what falls under the scope of ‘Equipment’. In contrast, the 2013 Version did not refer to the meaning of ‘Equipment’.
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| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | New | Threat intelligence |
| 5.23 | New | Information security for use of cloud services |
| 5.30 | New | ICT readiness for business continuity |
| 7.4 | New | Physical security monitoring |
| 8.9 | New | Configuration management |
| 8.10 | New | Information deletion |
| 8.11 | New | Data masking |
| 8.12 | New | Data leakage prevention |
| 8.16 | New | Monitoring activities |
| 8.23 | New | Web filtering |
| 8.28 | New | Secure coding |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 07.1.1 | Screening |
| 6.2 | 07.1.2 | Terms and conditions of employment |
| 6.3 | 07.2.2 | Information security awareness, education and training |
| 6.4 | 07.2.3 | Disciplinary process |
| 6.5 | 07.3.1 | Responsibilities after termination or change of employment |
| 6.6 | 13.2.4 | Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements |
| 6.7 | 06.2.2 | Remote working |
| 6.8 | 16.1.2, 16.1.3 | Information security event reporting |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 11.1.1 | Physical security perimeters |
| 7.2 | 11.1.2, 11.1.6 | Physical entry |
| 7.3 | 11.1.3 | Securing offices, rooms and facilities |
| 7.4 | New | Physical security monitoring |
| 7.5 | 11.1.4 | Protecting against physical and environmental threats |
| 7.6 | 11.1.5 | Working in secure areas |
| 7.7 | 11.2.9 | Clear desk and clear screen |
| 7.8 | 11.2.1 | Equipment siting and protection |
| 7.9 | 11.2.6 | Security of assets off-premises |
| 7.10 | 08.3.1, 08.3.2, 08.3.3, 11.2.5 | Storage media |
| 7.11 | 11.2.2 | Supporting utilities |
| 7.12 | 11.2.3 | Cabling security |
| 7.13 | 11.2.4 | Equipment maintenance |
| 7.14 | 11.2.7 | Secure disposal or re-use of equipment |
