Secure Storage Media Management: Safeguarding Sensitive Information
Use of storage media devices such as solid-state drives (SSDs), USB sticks, external drives, and mobile phones are vital to many critical information processing operations such as data back-up, data storage, and information transfer.
However, the storage of sensitive and critical information on these devices introduces risks to the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information assets. These risks may include loss or theft of storage media containing sensitive information, propagation of malware into all corporate computing networks via the storage media, and failure and degradation of storage media devices used for data back-up.
Control 7.10 addresses how organisations can establish appropriate procedures, policies, and controls to maintain the security of storage media throughout its life cycle, from its acquisition to its disposal.
Purpose of Control 7.10
Control 7.10 enables organisations to eliminate and mitigate risks of unauthorised access to, use, deletion, modification, and transfer of sensitive information hosted on storage media devices by setting out procedures for the handling of storage media across its entire life cycle.
Attributes Table of Control 7.10
Control 7.10 is a preventive type of control that requires organisations to create, implement and maintain procedures and measures to ensure the security of storage media devices from their acquisitions to their disposal.
| Control Type | Information Security Properties | Cybersecurity Concepts | Operational Capabilities | Security Domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #Preventive | #Confidentiality | #Protect | #Physical Security | #Protection |
| #Integrity | #Asset Management | |||
| #Availability |
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What Storage Media Does Control 7.10 Cover?
Control 7.10 applies both to digital and physical storage media. For example storage of information on physical files is also covered by Control 7.10.
Furthermore, alongside the removable storage media, fixed storage media such as hard disks is also subject to Control 7.10.
Ownership of Control 7.10
Control 7.10 requires organisations to create and implement appropriate procedures, technical controls, and organisation-wide policies on the use of storage media based on the organisation’s own classification scheme and its data handling requirements such as legal and contractual obligations.
Considering this, information security managers should be responsible for the entire compliance process.
General Guidance on Compliance
Removable Storage Media
While removable storage media is essential to many business operations and they are commonly used by most personnel, they present the highest degree of risk to the sensitive information.
Control 7.10 lists ten requirements organisations should adhere to for the management of removable storage media throughout its lifecycle:
- Organisations should establish a topic-specific policy on the acquisition, authorisation, use, and disposal of removable storage media. This policy should be communicated to all personnel and to all relevant parties.
- If it is practical and necessary, organisations should put in place authorisation procedures on how removable storage media can be taken out of corporate premises. Furthermore, organisations should maintain log records of the removal of storage media for audit trail purposes.
- All removable storage media should be stored in a secure area such as a safe, taking into account the information classification level assigned to the information and the environmental and physical threats to storage media.
- If confidentiality and integrity of information contained on removable storage media are of critical importance, cryptographic techniques should be used to protect the storage media against unauthorised access.
- Against the risk of degradation of removable storage media and loss of information stored on the media, the information should be transferred to a new storage media device before such risk occurs.
- Critical and sensitive information should be copied and stored on multiple storage media to minimise the risk of loss of critical information.
- To mitigate the risk of complete loss of information, registration of removable storage media devices can be an option to consider.
- Unless there is a business-related reason to use removable storage media ports such as USB ports or SD card slots, they should not be allowed.
- There needs to be a monitoring mechanism in place for the transfer of information to removable storage media devices.
- When information contained in physical mediums such as papers is transferred via courier or post, there is a high risk of unauthorised access to this information. Therefore, appropriate measures should be applied.
Guidance on Secure Reuse and Disposal of Storage Media
Control 7.10 provides separate guidance on secure reuse and disposal of storage media so that organisations can mitigate and eliminate risks to the compromise of the confidentiality of information.
Control 7.10 highlights that organisations should define and apply procedures for the reuse and disposal of storage media, taking into account the sensitivity level of information contained in the storage media.
In establishing these procedures, organisations should consider the following:
- If a storage media will be reused by an internal party within an organisation, the sensitive information hosted on that storage media should be irreversibly deleted or reformatted before it is authorised for reuse.
- Storage media hosting sensitive information should be destroyed in a secure manner when it is no longer needed. For instance, paper documents can be shredded and digital equipment can be physically destroyed.
- There should be a procedure for the identification of storage media items that need to be disposed of.
- When organisations choose to work with an external party to handle the collection and disposal of storage media, they should conduct due diligence to ensure that chosen vendor is competent and it implements appropriate controls.
- Maintaining a record of all disposed items for audit trail.
- When multiple storage media is to be disposed of together, the accumulation effect should be taken into account: Combining different information pieces from each storage media may transform non-sensitive information into sensitive information.
Last but not the least, Control 7.10 requires organisations to carry out a risk assessment on damaged equipment storing confidential information to decide if the equipment should be destroyed instead of being repaired.
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Changes and Differences from ISO 27002:2013
27002:2022/7.10 replaces 27002:2013/(08.3.1, 08.3.2, 08.3.3, 11.2.5)
There are four key differences that need to be highlighted:
- Structural changes
Whereas the 2013 version contained three separate controls on management of media, disposal of media, and physical media transfer, the 2022 Version combines these three controls under Control 7.10.
- 2022 Version includes requirements for the reuse of storage media
In contrast to the 2013 version that only addressed the secure disposal of storage media, the 2022 Version also deals with the secure reuse of storage media.
- 2013 version contains more comprehensive requirements for the physical transfer of storage media
The 2013 Version entailed more comprehensive requirements for the physical transfer of storage media. For instance, the 2013 Version included rules on ID verification for couriers and packaging standards.
Control 7.10 in the 2022 Version, on the other hand, only stated that organisations should act with diligence when choosing service providers such as couriers.
- 2022 Version requires a topic-specific policy on removable storage media
While the 2022 and 2013 Versions are similar to a great extent in terms of requirements for removable storage media, the 2022 Version introduces the requirement of establishing a topic-specific policy on removable storage media. The 2013 version, on the other hand, did not cover this requirement.
New ISO 27002 Controls
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | NEW | Threat intelligence |
| 5.23 | NEW | Information security for use of cloud services |
| 5.30 | NEW | ICT readiness for business continuity |
| 7.4 | NEW | Physical security monitoring |
| 8.9 | NEW | Configuration management |
| 8.10 | NEW | Information deletion |
| 8.11 | NEW | Data masking |
| 8.12 | NEW | Data leakage prevention |
| 8.16 | NEW | Monitoring activities |
| 8.23 | NEW | Web filtering |
| 8.28 | NEW | Secure coding |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 07.1.1 | Screening |
| 6.2 | 07.1.2 | Terms and conditions of employment |
| 6.3 | 07.2.2 | Information security awareness, education and training |
| 6.4 | 07.2.3 | Disciplinary process |
| 6.5 | 07.3.1 | Responsibilities after termination or change of employment |
| 6.6 | 13.2.4 | Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements |
| 6.7 | 06.2.2 | Remote working |
| 6.8 | 16.1.2, 16.1.3 | Information security event reporting |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control Identifier | ISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control Identifier | Control Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 11.1.1 | Physical security perimeters |
| 7.2 | 11.1.2, 11.1.6 | Physical entry |
| 7.3 | 11.1.3 | Securing offices, rooms and facilities |
| 7.4 | NEW | Physical security monitoring |
| 7.5 | 11.1.4 | Protecting against physical and environmental threats |
| 7.6 | 11.1.5 | Working in secure areas |
| 7.7 | 11.2.9 | Clear desk and clear screen |
| 7.8 | 11.2.1 | Equipment siting and protection |
| 7.9 | 11.2.6 | Security of assets off-premises |
| 7.10 | 08.3.1, 08.3.2, 08.3.3, 11.2.5 | Storage media |
| 7.11 | 11.2.2 | Supporting utilities |
| 7.12 | 11.2.3 | Cabling security |
| 7.13 | 11.2.4 | Equipment maintenance |
| 7.14 | 11.2.7 | Secure disposal or re-use of equipment |
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