Mastering ISO 114 Controls with Guide to 14 Categories

ISO/IEC 27001 concerns the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information within an organization. The standard provides a systematic approach to managing information security and helps organizations protect their sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

ISO 27001 has 114 controls that are grouped into 14 categories known as control domains or control clauses.

These control domains are:

1. A.5 Information security policies: (1 Objective and 2 Controls)
   • Management Direction for Information security
     • Policies for Information Security
     • Review of policies for information security
2. A.6 Organisation of information security: (2 Objectives and 7 Controls)
   • Internal organization
     • Information Security roles and responsibilities
     • Segregation of duties
     • Contact with authorities
     • Contact with special interest groups
     • Information Security in Project Management
   • Mobile devices and teleworking
     • Mobile device policy
     • Teleworking
3. A.7 Human resources security (3 Objectives and 6 Controls) 
   • Prior to employment
     • Screening
     • Terms and conditions of employment
   • During employment
     • Management responsibilities
     • Information security awareness, education, and training
     • Disciplinary process
   • Termination and change of employment
     • Termination or change of employment responsibilities
4. A.8 Asset management (3 objectives and 10 controls)
   • Asset management
   • Responsibility for assets
     • Inventory of assets
     • Ownership of assets
     • Acceptable use of assets
     • Return of assets
   • Information classification
     • Classification of Information
     • Labeling of Information
     • Handling of Assets
     • Media handling
     • Management of removable media
     • Disposal of media
     • Physical media transfer
5. A.9 Access control (4 objectives and 14 controls)  
   • Business requirement for access control
     • Access control policy
     • Access to network and network services
   • User access management
     • User registration and de-registration
     • User access provisioning
     • Management of privileged access rights
     • Management of secret authentication information of users
     • Review of user access rights
     • Removal or adjustment of access rights
   • User Responsibilities
     • Use of secret authentication information
   • System and Application access control
     • Information access restriction
     • Secure log-on procedures
     • Password management system
     • Use of privileged utility programs
     • Access control to program source code
6. A.10 Cryptography (1 objective and 2 controls)
   • Cryptography
   • Cryptographic controls
     • Policy on the use of cryptographic controls
     • Key management
7. A.11 Physical and environmental security (2 objectives and 15 controls)
   • Secure areas
     • Physical security perimeter
     • Physical entry controls
     • Securing offices, rooms, and facilities
     • Protecting against external and environmental threats
     • Working in secure areas
     • Public Access, delivery, and loading areas
   • Equipment
     • Equipment siting and protection
     • Supporting utilities
     • Cabling security
     • Equipment maintenance
     • Removal of assets
     • Security of equipment and assets off-premises
     • Secure disposal or re-use of equipment
     • Unattended user equipment
     • Clear desk and clear screen policy
8. A.12 Operational security (7 objectives and 14 controls)
   • Operational procedures and responsibilities
     • Documented operating procedures
     • Change management
     • Capacity management
     • Separation of development, test, and operational environments
   • Protection against malware
     • Controls against malware
   • Back-up
     • Information back-up
   • Logging and Monitoring
     • Event Logging
     • Protection of log information
     • Administrator and operator logs
     • Clock Synchronization
   • Control of Operational Software
     • Installation of software on operational systems
   • Technical Vulnerability Management
     • Management of Technical Vulnerabilities
     • Restriction on software installation
   • Information Systems Audit Considerations
     • Information System audit controls
9. A.13 Communications Security (2 objectives and 7 controls)
   • Network Security Management
     • Network Controls
     • Security of network services
     • Segregation in Networks
   • Information Transfer
     • Information Transfer Policies and Procedures
     • Agreement on Information Transfer
     • Electronic Messaging
     • Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement
10. A.14 System acquisition, development, and maintenance (3 objectives and 13 controls)
    • Security requirements of information systems
      • Security requirements analysis and specification
      • Securing Application Services on public networks
      • Protecting application services transactions
    • Security in development and support processes
      • Secure Development Policy
      • System change control procedures
      • Technical review of applications after operating platform changes
      • Restrictions on changes to software packages
      • Secure System Engineering Principles
      • Secure Development Environment
      • Outsourced Development
      • System Security Testing
      • System acceptance testing
    • Test Data
      • Protection of test data
11. A.15 Supplier relationships (2 objectives and 5 controls)
    • Information Security in Supplier Relationships
      • Information Security policy for supplier relationships
      • Addressing security within supplier agreements
      • Information and Communication Technology supply chain
    • Supplier service delivery management
      • Monitoring and review of supplier services
      • Managing changes to supplier services
12. A.16 Information security incident management (1 objective and 7 controls)
    • Management of information security incidents and improvements
      • Responsibilities and procedures
      • Reporting information security events
      • Reporting security weaknesses
      • Assessment of and decision on information security events
      • Response to information security incidents
      • Learning from information security incidents
      • Collection of evidence
13. A.17 Information security aspects of business continuity management (2 objectives and 4 controls)
    • Information security continuity
      • Planning information security continuity
      • Implementing information security continuity
      • Verify, review, and evaluate information security continuity
    • Redundancies
      • Availability of information processing facilities
14. A.18 Compliance (2 objectives and 8 controls)
    • Compliance with legal and contractual requirements
      • Identification of applicable legislation and contractual requirements
      • Intellectual property rights (IPR)
      • Protection of records
      • Privacy and protection of personality identification information
      • Regulation of cryptographic controls
    • Information Security Reviews
      • Independent Review of Information Security
      • Compliance with Security Policies and Standards
      • Technical Compliance review

Note that these numbers are subject to change, as the ISO 27001 standard is reviewed and updated periodically to ensure it remains relevant and effective in protecting information security.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Each control domain contains several controls that organizations must implement to ensure their ISMS is comprehensive and effective. The controls are designed to help organizations manage the risks to their information security and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information.