The International Standard
ISO/IEC 27001’s Framework for Robust Information Security Management
In an era marked by escalating cybersecurity threats and relentless attacks, ISO/IEC 27001 (a.k.a. ISO 27001) stands as a crucial lifeline for organizations, offering a robust framework to fortify defenses, safeguard sensitive information, and navigate the complex landscape of evolving risks.
What is ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 is a comprehensive framework that assists organizations in establishing and refining their Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). This standard is crucial for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.
- ISO 27001:2013 has 114 information security controls
- ISO 27001:2022 has of 93 information security controls
While the 2022 framework maintains alignment with the structure and scope of the 2013 version, for a comprehensive understanding, this document will reference both versions of the framework.
To achieve and maintain compliance, organizations must address these two essential security components in their Identity Hygiene strategy
- Asset Management – Identify information assets in scope for the management system and define appropriate protection responsibilities.
- Access Control – Ensure users are authorized to access systems and services as well as prevent unauthorized access.
The Challenge
Implementing and Maintaining Effective Controls
Despite a more streamlined set of controls, obtaining certification remains a substantial achievement.
Challenges organizations face during the planning and execution of the certification process include:
- A significant investment of time and resources – typically 3-6 months, for organizations with a dedicated team
- Overhaul and update of security policies – organizations must architect and implement rigorous policies to meet and maintain compliance requirements
- Continuous collaboration – across all departments within an organization
- An ongoing commitment – to maintaining stringent requirements; it’s not a framework to set and forget.
Above all, the greatest challenge that organizations must face: Choosing the right security tools to maximize efficiency and achieve ongoing compliance.
In the sea of tools available for identity security, organizations often find themselves overwhelmed, resorting to patching together multiple tools to create a solution. Unfortunately, this approach frequently reveals gaps in their Identity Hygiene program and falls short of the requirements outlined in the Asset Control and Asset Management annexes of ISO 27001 certification.
With all these challenges ahead of them, one question organizations always find themselves asking – amid the abundance of tools, limited resources, and the constant threat of cyberattacks, what’s the next step?
Although no single tool can address all 94 required controls simultaneously, there exists an end-to-end Identity Hygiene solution. This tool not only facilitates ISO 27001 compliance but also minimizes overall risk through intelligent discovery, automated remediation, and continuous protection of your organization’s most critical assets.
THE SOLUTION
How SPHEREboard’s Capabilities Support ISO 27001 Framework Compliance
Ultimately, SPHEREboard is designed not only to align with but to elevate ISO 27001 compliance. Our focus on prioritizing Identity Hygiene and fortifying Access Controls and Asset Management practices sets SPHEREboard apart in enhancing your cybersecurity posture.
With these challenges in mind, we developed an Analysis Matrix to align SPHEREboard with the two main categories of the ISO 27001 Annex A controls, employing the following concepts:
- Complete – One or more of SPHEREboard’s capabilities addresses all components of the ISO 27001 Stage Subcategory
- Contribute – One or more of SPHEREboard’s capabilities addresses all components of the ISO 27001 Stage Subcategory
- Inform – SPHEREboard provides insights that can be used to decide HOW to identify and address risk in the ISO 27001 Stage Subcategory
The Results
Mapping SPHEREboard Capabilities to the ISO 27001 Framework
To align SPHEREboard’s intelligent discovery, intuitive reporting, and automated remediation capabilities with ISO 27001, we split the Annex A requirements into two capabilities within the context of the ISO 27001 Framework:
- Reporting/Remediation:
- SPHEREboard utilizes intelligent discovery for identities associated with accounts, groups, and systems to deliver comprehensive reporting
- It provides automated remediation capabilities to revoke access based on an organization’s defined controls and industry best-practices
- Analytics
- SPHEREboard leverages advanced analytics of Accounts, Groups, and identities to identify and evaluate an organization’s risk exposure
- It provides the ability to perform risk assessments on demand to get real-time insights into activities among users and groups
With this in mind, our evaluations determined that SPHEREboard’s Identity Hygiene capabilities either directly or indirectly supported 10 of ISO 27001’s framework subcategories, with the greatest impact being in Access Controls and Asset Management.
The Value
All in all, SPHEREboard’s vital role in your ISO 27001 compliance efforts SPHEREboard focuses on a broad spectrum of categories related to and extending beyond Access Control and Asset Management. It seamlessly integrates with an extensive array of tools such as BigID and CyberArk PAM, effectively closing critical gaps in any company’s Identity Hygiene program.
SPHEREboard’s capabilities zero in on these major components of the ISO 27001 framework:
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- Intelligent discovery (ISO 27001:2013 Annex A.9.4.3)
- Identity, account, and group correlation (ISO 27001:2013 Annex A.9.2)
- Advanced analytics and reporting (ISO 27001:2013 A.9.4)
- Remediation of account, group, and data control violations (ISO 27001:2013 Annex A.9.2.6)
- Sustained protection of an organization’s assets (ISO 27001:2013 Annex A.8.1.2)
You can download the complete list of SPHEREboard’s ISO 27001 supporting capabilities here.
Learn More
Discover how SPHERE can assist your organization in achieving compliance with the ISO Framework. Contact us for more information.
About SPHERE
SPHERE is the global leader in Identity Hygiene. We are dedicated to reshaping modern identity programs by embedding this foundational fabric, enabling organizations to quickly reduce risks. Our expertise lies in leveraging automation to deliver immediate time-to-value, providing an identity lens that protects an organization’s accounts, data, and infrastructure.
Driven by our core values of passion, empathy, and transparency, our vision drives us to continually innovate, helping our clients to sleep better knowing their attack surface is drastically reduced, thwarting the plans of bad actors every single day.
We’re ready to help you address your identity hygiene and security challenges.
