ISO 27002:2022, Control 7.5 – Protecting Against Physical and Environmental Threats

ISO 27002:2022 Revised Controls

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Threats to information assets are not merely digital: An organisation’s critical physical infrastructure hosting information assets are also exposed to environmental and physical threats that may result in loss, destruction, theft and compromise of information assets and sensitive data.

These threats may include natural events such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires. They may also include man-made disasters such as civil unrest and criminal activities.

Control 7.5 addresses how organisations can assess, identify and mitigate risks to critical physical infrastructure due to physical and environmental threats.

Purpose of Control 7.5

Control 7.5 enables organisations to measure the potential adverse effects of environmental and physical threats and to mitigate and/or eliminate these effects by putting in place appropriate measures.

Attributes Table

Control 7.5 is a preventive type of control that requires organisations to eliminate and/or mitigate the consequences that are likely to arise out of external risks such as natural disasters and man-made incidents.

Control TypeInformation Security PropertiesCybersecurity ConceptsOperational CapabilitiesSecurity Domains
#Preventive#Confidentiality
#Integrity
#Availability
#Protect#Physical Security#Protection

Ownership of Control 7.5

Control 7.5 requires organisations to carry out an in-depth risk assessment before beginning any operations on a physical premise and to implement necessary measures commensurate with the level of risk identified.

Chief security officers therefore, should be accountable for creation, management, implementation and review of the entire process.

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General Guidance on Compliance

Control 7.5 specifies a three-step process to identify and eliminate risks due to physical and environment threats:

  • Step 1: Complete a Risk assessment

Organisations should conduct a risk assessment to identify potential physical and environmental disasters that may occur on each specific physical premise and then measure the effects likely to arise due to the identified physical and environmental threats.

Considering that each physical premise and infrastructure therein will be subject to different environmental conditions and physical risk factors, the type of threat and the level of risk identified will vary by each premise and its location.

For instance, while one premise may be most vulnerable to wildfire, another premise may be located in an area where earthquakes occur frequently.

Another critical requirement set forth by the control 7.5 is that this risk assessment should be carried out before launch of operations on a physical premise.

  • Step 2: Identify and Implement Controls

Based on the type of threat and the level of risk identified in the first step, organisations should put in place appropriate controls taking into account the likely consequences of the environmental and physical threats.

To illustrate, Control 7.5 provides examples of controls that can be put in place for the following threats:

Fire: Organisations should deploy systems to trigger alarms when a fire is detected or to activate fire suppression systems capable of protecting storage media and information systems from damage.

Flooding: Systems should be deployed and configured to detect flooding in areas where information assets are stored. Furthermore, tools such as water pumps should be ready to be used in case of flooding.

Electrical Surges: Servers and critical information management systems should be maintained and protected against electrical outages.

Explosives and Weapons: Organisations should carry out random audits and inspections on all individuals, items and vehicles entering into premises that hosts critical infrastructure.

  • Step 3: Monitoring

Considering that the type of threats and the level of risks may change over time, organisations should continuously monitor the risk assessments and reconsider the controls they implemented if needed.

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Supplementary Guidance

Control 7.5 lists four specific considerations that organisations should take into account.

Consultation With Experts

Each specific type of environmental and physical threat, whether it is toxic waste, earthquake or fire, is unique in terms of its nature, the risks it presents and counter-measures it requires.

Therefore, organisations should seek for expert advice on how to identify eliminate and/or mitigate risks arising out of these threats.

Choice of Location for Premises

Taking into account the local topography, water levels and tectonic movements of the potential location for premises can help identify and eliminate risks early on.

Furthermore, organisations should consider the risks of man-made disasters in the chosen urban area such as political unrest and criminal activity.

Extra Layer of Security

In addition to the specific controls implemented, secure information storage methods such as safes can add an extra layer of security against diasters such as fire and flooding.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Control 7.5 recommends that organisations consider this concept when implementing controls to enhance the security of premises. This method can be used to eliminate urban threats such as criminal activities, civil unrest and terrorism.

Changes and Differences From ISO 27002:2013

27002:2022/7.5 replaces 27002:2013/(11.1.4)

Whereas the the 2013 version addressed how organisations should put in place appropriate preventive measures against physical and environmental threats, the 2022 version is much more comprehensive in terms of specific compliance steps organisations should take.

Overall, there are two key differences:

  • 2022 version provides guidance on compliance

The 2013 version did not encompass any guidance on how organisations should identify and eliminate risks due to environmental and physical threats.

The 2022 version, in contract, describes a three-step process organisations should follow, including carrying out a risk assessment.

  • 2022 version recommends organisations consider implementing extra layer of measures

In the supplementary guidance, the 2022 version refers to measures such as use of safes and crime prevention through environmental design concepts that can be utilised to enhance protection against threats.

The 2013 version, on the other hand, did not address such additional measures.

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New Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
5.7NewThreat intelligence
5.23NewInformation security for use of cloud services
5.30NewICT readiness for business continuity
7.4NewPhysical security monitoring
8.9NewConfiguration management
8.10NewInformation deletion
8.11NewData masking
8.12NewData leakage prevention
8.16NewMonitoring activities
8.23NewWeb filtering
8.28NewSecure coding

Organisational Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
5.105.1.1, 05.1.2Policies for information security
5.206.1.1Information security roles and responsibilities
5.306.1.2Segregation of duties
5.407.2.1Management responsibilities
5.506.1.3Contact with authorities
5.606.1.4Contact with special interest groups
5.7NewThreat intelligence
5.806.1.5, 14.1.1Information security in project management
5.908.1.1, 08.1.2Inventory of information and other associated assets
5.1008.1.3, 08.2.3Acceptable use of information and other associated assets
5.1108.1.4Return of assets
5.12 08.2.1Classification of information
5.1308.2.2Labelling of information
5.1413.2.1, 13.2.2, 13.2.3Information transfer
5.1509.1.1, 09.1.2Access control
5.1609.2.1Identity management
5.17 09.2.4, 09.3.1, 09.4.3Authentication information
5.1809.2.2, 09.2.5, 09.2.6Access rights
5.1915.1.1Information security in supplier relationships
5.2015.1.2Addressing information security within supplier agreements
5.2115.1.3Managing information security in the ICT supply chain
5.2215.2.1, 15.2.2Monitoring, review and change management of supplier services
5.23NewInformation security for use of cloud services
5.2416.1.1Information security incident management planning and preparation
5.2516.1.4Assessment and decision on information security events
5.2616.1.5Response to information security incidents
5.2716.1.6Learning from information security incidents
5.2816.1.7Collection of evidence
5.2917.1.1, 17.1.2, 17.1.3Information security during disruption
5.30NewICT readiness for business continuity
5.3118.1.1, 18.1.5Legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements
5.3218.1.2Intellectual property rights
5.3318.1.3Protection of records
5.3418.1.4Privacy and protection of PII
5.3518.2.1Independent review of information security
5.3618.2.2, 18.2.3Compliance with policies, rules and standards for information security
5.3712.1.1Documented operating procedures

People Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
6.107.1.1Screening
6.207.1.2Terms and conditions of employment
6.307.2.2Information security awareness, education and training
6.407.2.3Disciplinary process
6.507.3.1Responsibilities after termination or change of employment
6.613.2.4Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements
6.706.2.2Remote working
6.816.1.2, 16.1.3Information security event reporting

Physical Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
7.111.1.1Physical security perimeters
7.211.1.2, 11.1.6Physical entry
7.311.1.3Securing offices, rooms and facilities
7.4NewPhysical security monitoring
7.511.1.4Protecting against physical and environmental threats
7.611.1.5Working in secure areas
7.711.2.9Clear desk and clear screen
7.811.2.1Equipment siting and protection
7.911.2.6Security of assets off-premises
7.1008.3.1, 08.3.2, 08.3.3, 11.2.5Storage media
7.1111.2.2Supporting utilities
7.1211.2.3Cabling security
7.1311.2.4Equipment maintenance
7.1411.2.7Secure disposal or re-use of equipment

Technological Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
8.106.2.1, 11.2.8User endpoint devices
8.209.2.3Privileged access rights
8.309.4.1Information access restriction
8.409.4.5Access to source code
8.509.4.2Secure authentication
8.612.1.3Capacity management
8.712.2.1Protection against malware
8.812.6.1, 18.2.3Management of technical vulnerabilities
8.9NewConfiguration management
8.10NewInformation deletion
8.11NewData masking
8.12NewData leakage prevention
8.1312.3.1Information backup
8.1417.2.1Redundancy of information processing facilities
8.1512.4.1, 12.4.2, 12.4.3Logging
8.16NewMonitoring activities
8.1712.4.4Clock synchronization
8.1809.4.4Use of privileged utility programs
8.1912.5.1, 12.6.2Installation of software on operational systems
8.2013.1.1Networks security
8.2113.1.2Security of network services
8.2213.1.3Segregation of networks
8.23NewWeb filtering
8.2410.1.1, 10.1.2Use of cryptography
8.2514.2.1Secure development life cycle
8.2614.1.2, 14.1.3Application security requirements
8.2714.2.5Secure system architecture and engineering principles
8.28NewSecure coding
8.2914.2.8, 14.2.9Security testing in development and acceptance
8.3014.2.7Outsourced development
8.3112.1.4, 14.2.6Separation of development, test and production environments
8.3212.1.2, 14.2.2, 14.2.3, 14.2.4Change management
8.3314.3.1Test information
8.3412.7.1Protection of information systems during audit testing

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