ISO 27002:2022 – Control 8.2 – Privileged Access Rights

Purpose of Control 8.2

Malicious or incorrect use of elevated system administrator privileges is one of the major causes of ICT disruption across commercial networks all over the world.

Privileged access rights allows organisations to control access to their infrastructure, applications, assets and maintain the integrity of all stored data and systems.

Control 8.2 is a preventative control that maintains risk by establishing an authorisation process that handles all requests for access across an organisation’s ICT network and associated assets.

Attributes Table of Control 8.2

Ownership of Control 8.2

Control 8.6 deals with an organisation’s ability to control access to data via user accounts that enjoy enhanced access rights.

As such, ownership should reside with the Head of IT (or organisational equivalent), who holds responsibility for the organisation’s ability to administer and monitor privileged domain or application user accounts.

General Guidance on Control 8.2

Control 8.2 outlines 12 main guidance points that organisations need to follow, in accordance with a “topic specific” policy on access control (see Control 5.15) that targets individual business functions.

Organisations should:

1. Identify a list of users who require any degree of privileged access – either for an individual system – such as a database – application, or underlying OS.
2. Maintain a policy that allocates privileged access rights to users on what is known as an “event by event basis” – users should be granted levels of access based on the bare minimum that is required for them to carry out their role.
3. Outlining a clear authorisation process that deals with all requests for privileged access, including keeping a record of all access rights that have been implemented.
4. Ensure that access rights are subject to relevant expiry dates.
5. Take steps to ensure that users are explicitly aware of any period of time where they are operating with privileged access to a system.
6. Where relevant, users are asked to re-authenticate prior to using privileged access rights, in order to affect greater information/data security.
7. Carry out periodic audits of privileged access rights, especially following a period of organisational change. Users’ access rights should be reviewed based upon their “duties, roles, responsibilities and competence” (see Control 5.18).
8. Consider operating with what’s known as a “break glass” procedure – i.e. ensuring that privileged access rights are granted within tightly-controlled time windows that meet the minimum requirements for an operation to be carried out (critical changes, system administration etc).
9. Ensure that all privileged access activities are logged accordingly.
10. Prevent the use of generic system login information (especially standardised usernames and passwords) (see Control 5.17).
11. Keep to a policy of assigning users with a separate identity, that allows for tighter control of privileged access rights. Such identities can then be grouped together, with the associated group being provided differing levels of access rights.
12. Ensure that privileged access rights are reserved for critical tasks only, that relate to the continued operation of a functioning ICT network – such as system administration and network maintenance.

Supporting Controls

• 5.15

Changes and Differences from ISO 27002:2013

Control 27002:2022-8.2 replaces 27002:2013-9.2.3 (Management of privileged access rights).

27002:2022-8.2 contains 5 major guidance points that aren’t explicit in its 2013 counterpart:

• 27002:2022-8.2 doesn’t explicitly require a different user ID for privileged access rights.
• 27002:2022-8.2 stresses the need to re-authenticate prior to receiving privileged access rights.
• 27002:2022-8.2 advocates for a break glass approach when performing critical maintenance duties, based on tightly controlled time windows.
• 27002:2022-8.2 asks organisations to keep thorough privileged access logs, for auditing purposes.
• 27002:2022-8.2 asks organisations to limit the use of privileged access rights to administrative tasks.

New ISO 27002 Controls

How ISMS.online Helps

ISO 27002, Control 6.6, covers the need for organisations to prevent the leakage of confidential information by establishing confidentiality agreements with interested parties and personnel.

Our cloud-based platform provides a complete set of tools to assist organisations in setting up an information security management system (ISMS) according to ISO 27002.

These tools include:

• A library of templates for common corporate documents.
• A set of predefined policies and procedures.
• An audit tool to support internal audits.
• A configuration interface for customising ISMS policies and procedures.
• An approval workflow for all changes made to policies and procedures.
• A checklist for making sure that your policies and information security processes follow the approved international standards.

ISMS.Online also allows users to:

• Manage all aspects of the ISMS life cycle with ease.
• Get real-time insights into their security posture and compliance gaps.
• Integrate with other systems like HR, finance and project management.
• Demonstrate compliance of their ISMS with ISO 27001 standards.

The ISMS.Online tool also provides guidance on how best to implement your ISMS by providing tips on how to create policies and procedures related to aspects such as risk management, personnel security awareness training and incident response planning.