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Guide

ISO 27001: running security as a managed system.

The international standard for an information security management system (ISMS), and what certification involves.

Guide · Updated November 9, 2026 · General information, not legal or audit advice

What ISO 27001 is

ISO/IEC 27001 specifies the requirements for an information security management system: the way an organisation decides what to protect, assesses risk, chooses controls and keeps improving. The current edition is ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Certification is issued by an accredited certification body and is recognised internationally.

The management system clauses (4 to 10)

ClauseAsks you to
4 ContextDefine the scope and the interested parties
5 LeadershipShow management commitment and set the security policy
6 PlanningAssess and treat risk; set security objectives
7 SupportProvide resources, competence, awareness and documentation
8 OperationRun the risk treatment plan
9 Performance evaluationMonitor, run internal audits and management reviews
10 ImprovementFix nonconformities and keep improving

Annex A controls

Annex A lists 93 controls in four themes: organisational (37), people (8), physical (14) and technological (34). You do not have to implement all of them. You choose the ones your risk assessment calls for and justify the rest.

The Statement of Applicability

The Statement of Applicability (SoA) lists every Annex A control, whether it applies, why, and whether it is implemented. Auditors read it closely; it ties your risk assessment to your controls.

The certification cycle

  1. Stage 1 audit: the auditor reviews your documentation and readiness.
  2. Stage 2 audit: the auditor checks the ISMS is operating in practice.
  3. Certificate: valid for three years.
  4. Surveillance audits in years one and two, then recertification in year three.

How Doniastack helps

Doniastack holds the risk register, the control library mapped to Annex A, the Statement of Applicability, internal audits and management reviews in one place, so the evidence for every clause is a click away.

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