ISO 27002:2022 – Control 8.26 – Application Security Requirements

Understanding ISO 27002 Control 8.26: Application Security Requirements

Application software programs such as web applications, graphics software, database software, and payment processing software are vital to many critical business operations.

However, these applications are often exposed to security vulnerabilities that may result in the compromise of sensitive information.

For example, Equifax, a US-based credit bureau, failed to apply a security patch on a website application framework used to handle customer complaints. The cyber attackers used security vulnerabilities in the web application to infiltrate Equifax’s corporate networks and stole sensitive data of around 145 million people.

Control 8.26 addresses how organisations can establish and apply information security requirements for the development, use, and acquisition of applications.

Purpose of Control 8.26

Control 8.26 enables organisations to protect information assets stored on or processed through applications by identifying and applying appropriate information security requirements.

Attributes Table of Control 8.26

Control 8.26 is a preventive type of control that prevents risks to the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information assets stored on application through the use of suitable information security measures.

Ownership of Control 8.26

Chief Information Security Officer, with the support of information security specialists, should be responsible for the identification, approval, and implementation of information requirements for the acquisition, use and development of applications.

General Guidance on Compliance

General Guidance notes that organisations should carry out a risk assessment to determine the type of information security requirements appropriate to a particular application.

While the content and types of information security requirements may vary depending on the nature of the application, the requirements should address the following:

• The degree of trust assigned to the identity of specific entities in accordance with Control 5.17, 8.2, and 8.5.
• Identification of the level of classification assigned to information assets to be stored on or processed by the application.
• Whether there is a need to segregate the access to functions and information stored on the application.
• Whether the application is resilient against cyber attacks such as SQL injections or unintentional interceptions such as buffer overflow.
• Legal, regulatory and statutory requirements and standards applicable to the transaction processed, generated, stored, or completed by the application.
• Privacy considerations for all parties involved.
• Requirements for the protection of confidential data.
• Protection of information when in use, in transit, or at rest.
• Whether secure encryption of communications between all relevant parties is necessary.
• Implementation of input controls such as input validation or performing integrity checks.
• Carrying out automated controls.
• Performing output controls, taking into account who can view outputs and the authorisation for Access.
• Need to impose restrictions on the content of “free-text” fields to protect the dissemination of confidential data in an uncontrollable manner.
• Requirements arising out of business needs such as logging of transactions and non-repudiation requirements.
• Requirements imposed by other security controls such as data leakage detection systems.
• How to handle error messages.

Supplementary Guidance on Transactional Services

Control 8.26 requires organisations to take into account the following seven recommendations when an application offers transactional services between the organisation and a partner:

• The degree of trust each party in the transaction requires in the other party’s identity.
• The degree of trust required in the integrity of data communicated or processed and identification of a proper mechanism to detect any lack of integrity, including tools such as hashing and digital signatures.
• Establishment of an authorisation process for who is allowed to approve the content of, sign, or sign off on essential transactional documents.
• Maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the critical documents and proving sending and receipt of such documents.
• Protecting and maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of all transactions such as orders and receipts.
• Requirements for what time period transactions shall be kept confidential.
• Contractual requirements and requirements related to insurance.

Supplementary Guidance on Electronic Ordering and Payment Applications

When applications include payment and electronic ordering functionality, organisations should take into account the following:

• Requirements ensure that confidentiality and integrity of order information are not compromised.
• Determining an appropriate degree of verification to verify the payment details provided by a customer.
• Preventing the loss or duplication of transaction information.
• Ensuring that information related to information is stored outside of a publicly accessible environment such as on a storage media housed on the organisation’s own intranet.
• Where organisations rely on a trusted external authority such as for the issuance of digital signatures, they must ensure that security is integrated across the entire process.

Supplementary Guidance on Networks

When applications are accessed through networks, they are vulnerable to threats such as contract disputes, fraudulent activities, misrouting, unauthorised changes to the content of communications, or loss of confidentiality of sensitive information.

Control 8.26 recommends organisations perform comprehensive risk assessments to identify appropriate controls such as the use of cryptography to ensure the security of information transfers.

Changes and Differences From ISO 27002:2013

27002:2022/8.26 replace 27002:2013/(14.1.2 and 14.1.3)

There are three big differences between the two versions.

All Applications vs Applications Passing Through Public Networks

The ISO 27002:2013 version did not list requirements that apply to all applications: It provided a list of information security requirements that should be considered for applications passing through public networks.

Control 8.26 in the 2022 version, on the contrary, provided a list of information security requirements that apply to all applications.

Further Guidance on Electronic Ordering and Payment Applications

Control 8.26 in the 2022 Version contains specific guidance on Electronic Ordering and Payment Applications. In contrast, the 2013 Version did not address this.

Additional Requirement on Transactional Services

Whereas the 2022 version and the 2013 version are almost identical in terms of the requirements for transactional services, the 2022 version introduces an additional requirement not addressed in the 2013 version:

• Organisations should consider contractual requirements and requirements related to insurance.

New ISO 27002 Controls

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