What is ISO 27001 Annex A.16?

Information Security Incident Management is an international standard for information security management that outlines the procedures for handling and responding to information security incidents. The standard provides a comprehensive set of controls to help organisations detect, respond to, and recover from information security incidents.

Controls within ISO 27001 Annex A.16 and a step-by-step guide to meet them:

Incident management policy and procedure

• Outlines the organisation's policy and procedures for managing information security incidents.

How to meet this:

• Establish an incident management policy and procedure, create a written policy that outlines the steps and procedures for responding to and managing information security incidents.

Incident response team

• Defines the roles and responsibilities of the incident response team and their processes for responding to incidents.

How to meet this:

• Assemble an incident response team: Identify key individuals within your organisation who will be responsible for responding to incidents and define their roles and responsibilities.

Communication management

• Outlines the processes for communicating with stakeholders during an incident.

How to meet this:

• Develop a communication plan: Determine who needs to be informed during an incident and how they will be communicated with.

Reporting and recording of incidents

• Describes the procedures for reporting and documenting incidents.

How to meet this:

• Implement reporting and recording procedures: Establish procedures for reporting and documenting incidents in a timely and accurate manner.

Investigation of incidents

• Outlines the steps for investigating incidents to determine their root cause.

How to meet this:

• Investigate incidents: Develop a process for conducting investigations into incidents to determine their root cause and prevent future incidents.

Analysis of incidents

• Describes the process for analyzing incidents to identify trends and potential risks.

How to meet this:

• Analyse incidents: Use data and analysis to identify trends and potential risks.

Containment, eradication, and recovery

• Defines the steps for containing, eradicating, and recovering from incidents.

How to meet this:

• Contain, eradicate and recover: Develop procedures for containing the impact of an incident, eradicating the cause, and recovering systems and data.

Post-incident review

• Outlines the process for conducting a review after an incident to identify areas for improvement.

How to meet this:

• Conduct post-incident review: Regularly review incidents to identify areas for improvement and make changes to your incident management procedures as needed.

Demonstrate Compliance

To effectively demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001 Annex A.16, it is recommended to have the following documents, templates, and evidence to present evidence to an auditor:

Incident management policy and procedure document:

• This should outline the steps and procedures for responding to and managing information security incidents.

Incident response team structure:

• A document that defines the roles and responsibilities of the incident response team members.

Communication plan template:

• A template for documenting the communication plan for informing stakeholders during an incident

Incident reporting form:

• A template for reporting and documenting incidents in a consistent and comprehensive manner.

Incident investigation report:

• A document that details the findings and root cause of an incident.

Analysis report:

• A report that summarizes the analysis of incidents and identifies trends and potential risks.

Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures:

• Written procedures that outline the steps for containing the impact of an incident, eradicating the cause, and recovering systems and data.

Post-incident review report:

• A report that summarizes the findings of the post-incident review and outlines areas for improvement.

Training records:

• Records of training provided to the incident response team and relevant staff on incident management procedures.

Incident response drills and simulations:

• Evidence of regular incident response drills and simulations to test the effectiveness of the incident management process.

By having these items available for review, you can effectively demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001 Annex A.16 and show the auditor that you have a comprehensive and effective information security incident management process in place.

Periculo can help organisations meet the controls within ISO 27001 Annex A.16 by providing expert guidance on incident management and incident response. Our team can help you establish a robust incident management program that is tailored to your specific needs, and provide training and support to help you effectively respond to information security incidents.