ISO 27001 Clause 7.5: Documented Information

ISO 27001 Clause 7.5.1: General

This clause requires the organisation to include documented information required by the standard as well as any other documented information required by the organisation for the effectiveness of the ISMS. It should also be noted that the extent of the documented information may vary from organisation to organisation. It depends on the size, type of activities, products, complexity of processes, their interactions, etc.

ISO 27001 Clause 7.5.2: Creating and updating

This documented information may need to be changed or updated as a result of the continual improvement nature of the ISMS. The standard requires an organisation to ensure that the newly created or updated document has proper identification and description (i.e. title, date, author or reference number, etc.) and is presented in the appropriate format and media (i.e. paper, electronic, etc.).

All the new or updated documents must go through proper review and approval procedures to ensure that they are ready to be implemented throughout the organisation.

ISO 27001 Clause 7.5.3: Control of documented information

According to this clause, all the documented information required by the ISMS and the standard itself must be available in the relevant format when and wherever required. The organisation must ensure that all the documented information is protected so that the integrity and confidentiality of the information cannot be compromised or negatively affected.

For effective control of documented information, the organisation must consider activities like distribution, access, retrieval, use of the documented information, storage, and preservation. This includes the preservation of legibility, control of changes (e.g. version control), and retention and disposition.

Mandatory Documented Information

The following list details the various mandatory documented information that organisations must upkeep:

1. ISMS scope (documents) Clause 4.3

1. High-level information security policy (documents) Clause 5.2

1. Risk assessment methodology (documents) Clause 6.1.2

1. Risk assessment report and risk treatments (record) Clause 6.1.2, Clause 6.1.3, Clause 8.2, Clause 8.3

1. Statement of applicability (documents) Clause 6.1.3 d)

1. Information security objectives (documents) Clause 6.2

1. Evidence of competencies (record) Clause 7.2

1. Documented information as required by the ISMS (documents and record) Clause 7.5.1 b)

1. Documents and records required by ISO 27001 (documents and record) Clause 7.5.1 a)

1. Monitoring and measurement results (record) Clause 9.1

1. Internal audit program aid results (record) Clause 9.2

1. Results of management review (record) Clause 9.3

1. Non-conformances and results and corrective action (record) Clause 10.1