Organisations apply classification labels to relevant information assets to implement their information classification scheme.
Following the organisation’s adopted information classification scheme, ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.13 defines a set of procedures for information labelling.
In addition to identifying physical and electronic assets, procedures for identifying information will need to be developed that reflect the classification scheme described in 5.12.
Making labels easy to recognise and manage; otherwise, they will not be followed. Rather than getting staff to label every CRM update with a commercial in-confidence statement, it might be easier to decide de-facto that everything in the digital systems is confidential unless otherwise expressly labelled!
Using the classification scheme adopted in Annex A Control 5.12, Annex A Control 5.13 details how organisations should develop, implement, and manage a robust information labelling procedure.
The purpose of Annex A 5.13 is two-fold; to protect information assets against security risks:
Information assets can be labelled by adding metadata, so metadata stewards must be accountable for properly implementing the labelling process.
All data assets must be appropriately labelled, and asset owners must make any modifications to labelling with access and modification authorisations.
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Using Annex A Control 5.13, organisations can label information in compliance with four specific steps.
The information classification scheme created per Annex A Control 5.12 should be adhered to by organisations’ Information Labelling Procedures.
5.13 also requires that this Procedure applies to all information assets, whether digital or paper and that the labels must be easily recognisable.
There is no limit to what this Procedure document can contain, but Annex A Control 5.13 requires that the procedures include the following:
Personnel and other relevant stakeholders must understand how to label information correctly and manage labelled information assets before the Procedure for labelling information can be effective.
As a result, organisations should train staff and other relevant parties about the Procedure.
Digital information assets must be labelled using metadata per 5.13.
Metadata deployment should also facilitate easy identification and searching for information and streamline decision-making between systems related to labelled information.
The Annex A 5.13 recommendation focuses on identifying the most appropriate label for outward transfers of critical and sensitive information assets, considering the risks involved.
For data-sharing operations to be secure, it is essential to accurately identify and label classified information.
Annex A 5.13 also recommends that organisations insert additional metadata points. This is to say, the name of the process that created the information asset and the time at which it was created.
In addition, Annex A 5.13 describes the standard labelling techniques that organisations can use:
Lastly, Annex A 5.13 emphasises that labelling information assets as ‘confidential’ and ‘classified’ can have unintended consequences. This may make it easier for malicious actors to discover and find sensitive information assets.
ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.13 replaces ISO 27001:2013 Annex A 8.2.2 (Labelling of Information).
Both Annex A controls are similar to some extent, but two key differences make the ISO 27001:2022 version more comprehensive.
While the 2013 version referred to metadata as a labelling technique, it did not impose any specific obligations for compliance when using metadata.
In contrast, the 2022 version incorporates differences and changes from ISO 27001:2013.
In 2013, metadata was referred to as a labelling technique, but no specific compliance obligations were imposed.
Contrary to this, the 2022 version includes strict requirements for metadata techniques. For instance, the 2022 version requires the following:
Information Labelling Procedures in the 2013 version were not required to include the minimum content as in the 2022 version.
In the table below you’ll find more information on each individual ISO 27001:2022 Annex A Control.
| Annex A Control Type | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Identifier | ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Annex A Identifier | Annex A Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.1 | Annex A 5.1.1 Annex A 5.1.2 | Policies for Information Security |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.2 | Annex A 6.1.1 | Information Security Roles and Responsibilities |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.3 | Annex A 6.1.2 | Segregation of Duties |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.4 | Annex A 7.2.1 | Management Responsibilities |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.5 | Annex A 6.1.3 | Contact With Authorities |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.6 | Annex A 6.1.4 | Contact With Special Interest Groups |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.7 | NEW | Threat Intelligence |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.8 | Annex A 6.1.5 Annex A 14.1.1 | Information Security in Project Management |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.9 | Annex A 8.1.1 Annex A 8.1.2 | Inventory of Information and Other Associated Assets |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.10 | Annex A 8.1.3 Annex A 8.2.3 | Acceptable Use of Information and Other Associated Assets |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.11 | Annex A 8.1.4 | Return of Assets |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.12 | Annex A 8.2.1 | Classification of Information |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.13 | Annex A 8.2.2 | Labelling of Information |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.14 | Annex A 13.2.1 Annex A 13.2.2 Annex A 13.2.3 | Information Transfer |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.15 | Annex A 9.1.1 Annex A 9.1.2 | Access Control |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.16 | Annex A 9.2.1 | Identity Management |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.17 | Annex A 9.2.4 Annex A 9.3.1 Annex A 9.4.3 | Authentication Information |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.18 | Annex A 9.2.2 Annex A 9.2.5 Annex A 9.2.6 | Access Rights |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.19 | Annex A 15.1.1 | Information Security in Supplier Relationships |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.20 | Annex A 15.1.2 | Addressing Information Security Within Supplier Agreements |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.21 | Annex A 15.1.3 | Managing Information Security in the ICT Supply Chain |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.22 | Annex A 15.2.1 Annex A 15.2.2 | Monitoring, Review and Change Management of Supplier Services |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.23 | NEW | Information Security for Use of Cloud Services |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.24 | Annex A 16.1.1 | Information Security Incident Management Planning and Preparation |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.25 | Annex A 16.1.4 | Assessment and Decision on Information Security Events |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.26 | Annex A 16.1.5 | Response to Information Security Incidents |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.27 | Annex A 16.1.6 | Learning From Information Security Incidents |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.28 | Annex A 16.1.7 | Collection of Evidence |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.29 | Annex A 17.1.1 Annex A 17.1.2 Annex A 17.1.3 | Information Security During Disruption |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.30 | NEW | ICT Readiness for Business Continuity |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.31 | Annex A 18.1.1 Annex A 18.1.5 | Legal, Statutory, Regulatory and Contractual Requirements |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.32 | Annex A 18.1.2 | Intellectual Property Rights |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.33 | Annex A 18.1.3 | Protection of Records |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.34 | Annex A 18.1.4 | Privacy and Protection of PII |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.35 | Annex A 18.2.1 | Independent Review of Information Security |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.36 | Annex A 18.2.2 Annex A 18.2.3 | Compliance With Policies, Rules and Standards for Information Security |
| Organisational Controls | Annex A 5.37 | Annex A 12.1.1 | Documented Operating Procedures |
| Annex A Control Type | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Identifier | ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Annex A Identifier | Annex A Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| People Controls | Annex A 6.1 | Annex A 7.1.1 | Screening |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.2 | Annex A 7.1.2 | Terms and Conditions of Employment |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.3 | Annex A 7.2.2 | Information Security Awareness, Education and Training |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.4 | Annex A 7.2.3 | Disciplinary Process |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.5 | Annex A 7.3.1 | Responsibilities After Termination or Change of Employment |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.6 | Annex A 13.2.4 | Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreements |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.7 | Annex A 6.2.2 | Remote Working |
| People Controls | Annex A 6.8 | Annex A 16.1.2 Annex A 16.1.3 | Information Security Event Reporting |
| Annex A Control Type | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Identifier | ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Annex A Identifier | Annex A Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.1 | Annex A 11.1.1 | Physical Security Perimeters |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.2 | Annex A 11.1.2 Annex A 11.1.6 | Physical Entry |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.3 | Annex A 11.1.3 | Securing Offices, Rooms and Facilities |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.4 | NEW | Physical Security Monitoring |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.5 | Annex A 11.1.4 | Protecting Against Physical and Environmental Threats |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.6 | Annex A 11.1.5 | Working In Secure Areas |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.7 | Annex A 11.2.9 | Clear Desk and Clear Screen |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.8 | Annex A 11.2.1 | Equipment Siting and Protection |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.9 | Annex A 11.2.6 | Security of Assets Off-Premises |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.10 | Annex A 8.3.1 Annex A 8.3.2 Annex A 8.3.3 Annex A 11.2.5 | Storage Media |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.11 | Annex A 11.2.2 | Supporting Utilities |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.12 | Annex A 11.2.3 | Cabling Security |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.13 | Annex A 11.2.4 | Equipment Maintenance |
| Physical Controls | Annex A 7.14 | Annex A 11.2.7 | Secure Disposal or Re-Use of Equipment |
| Annex A Control Type | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Identifier | ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Annex A Identifier | Annex A Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.1 | Annex A 6.2.1 Annex A 11.2.8 | User Endpoint Devices |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.2 | Annex A 9.2.3 | Privileged Access Rights |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.3 | Annex A 9.4.1 | Information Access Restriction |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.4 | Annex A 9.4.5 | Access to Source Code |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.5 | Annex A 9.4.2 | Secure Authentication |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.6 | Annex A 12.1.3 | Capacity Management |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.7 | Annex A 12.2.1 | Protection Against Malware |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.8 | Annex A 12.6.1 Annex A 18.2.3 | Management of Technical Vulnerabilities |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.9 | NEW | Configuration Management |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.10 | NEW | Information Deletion |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.11 | NEW | Data Masking |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.12 | NEW | Data Leakage Prevention |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.13 | Annex A 12.3.1 | Information Backup |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.14 | Annex A 17.2.1 | Redundancy of Information Processing Facilities |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.15 | Annex A 12.4.1 Annex A 12.4.2 Annex A 12.4.3 | Logging |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.16 | NEW | Monitoring Activities |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.17 | Annex A 12.4.4 | Clock Synchronization |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.18 | Annex A 9.4.4 | Use of Privileged Utility Programs |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.19 | Annex A 12.5.1 Annex A 12.6.2 | Installation of Software on Operational Systems |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.20 | Annex A 13.1.1 | Networks Security |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.21 | Annex A 13.1.2 | Security of Network Services |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.22 | Annex A 13.1.3 | Segregation of Networks |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.23 | NEW | Web filtering |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.24 | Annex A 10.1.1 Annex A 10.1.2 | Use of Cryptography |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.25 | Annex A 14.2.1 | Secure Development Life Cycle |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.26 | Annex A 14.1.2 Annex A 14.1.3 | Application Security Requirements |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.27 | Annex A 14.2.5 | Secure System Architecture and Engineering Principles |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.28 | NEW | Secure Coding |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.29 | Annex A 14.2.8 Annex A 14.2.9 | Security Testing in Development and Acceptance |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.30 | Annex A 14.2.7 | Outsourced Development |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.31 | Annex A 12.1.4 Annex A 14.2.6 | Separation of Development, Test and Production Environments |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.32 | Annex A 12.1.2 Annex A 14.2.2 Annex A 14.2.3 Annex A 14.2.4 | Change Management |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.33 | Annex A 14.3.1 | Test Information |
| Technological Controls | Annex A 8.34 | Annex A 12.7.1 | Protection of Information Systems During Audit Testing |
Implementing ISO 27001 is easier with our step-by-step checklist, which guides you from defining the scope of your ISMS through risk identification and Annex A control implementation.
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