Awareness For ISO 27001 Requirement 7.3

What is covered under ISO 27001 Clause 7.3?

Clause 7.3 of ISO IEC 27001 is a simple one to dovetail in with clause 7.2 around competence and 7.4 around broader communication about the information security management system to all the relevant interested parties.

ISO 27001 is seeking confirmation that the persons doing the work are aware of:

• the information security policy
• their contribution to the effectiveness of the ISMS including benefits from its improved performance 

• what happens when the information security management system does not conform to its requirements

How to demonstrate awareness for clause 7.2 of the ISO 27001 standard

As part of a joined up implementation of the ISMS, the resources involved in its building will have participated in the creation of the information security policy for top management to approve (clause 5.2).  They would have a good understanding of their role because it would have been agreed and documented as part of clause 7.1 (and other areas already noted before). 

We also recommend that:

• Anyone involved in an ISMS implementation reads the ISO 27001 standard to understand the requirements and then is shown how they are being addressed in practice (which is easy in ISMS.online).  This would include awareness and understanding for 6.1 risk management, 6.2 ISMS objectives and 9.1 broader measurement & evaluation, 9.2 internal audits, 9.3 management reviews, 10.1 non conformities and corrective actions, as well as continual improvements in line with 10.2.

• In addition to the specific awareness of the ISMS administration and operation above, we also highly recommend that staff involved in the ISMS follow the same path as those who are part of the broader communication in line with clause 7.4 where staff communication, engagement and compliance are considered, which also dovetails into the HR security lifecycle, in particular with Annex A 7.2.2. information security awareness, education and training.