ISO 27002:2022, Control 7.8 – Equipment Siting and Protection

ISO 27002:2022 Revised Controls

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While cyber threats such as malware attacks, SQL injection, and traffic interception are becoming more sophisticated and pose a great risk to the security of information assets.

The risk landscape is not limited to software-based cyber attacks:

For example, spillage of a drink onto a server, a shutdown of a computer system due to high temperature, and unauthorised access to a computer system not located in a secure area are all examples of physical threats to equipment housing information assets.

Control 7.8 addresses how organisations can eliminate and mitigate risks arising out of physical and environmental threats to equipment hosting information assets.

Purpose of Control 7.8

Control 7.8 enables organisations to eliminate and/or mitigate two types of risks to equipment containing information assets:

  • Physical and environmental threats to equipment such as lighting, power outages, theft, communications interference, and electrical interference. These threats also include changes in environmental conditions like humidity and temperature levels that may disrupt the information processing activities.

  • Unauthorised access to, use of, damage to, and destruction of equipment that are not stored in secure areas.

Attributes Table

Control 7.8 is a preventive type of control that requires organisations to maintain the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information assets by protecting equipment containing information assets against physical and environmental threats.

Control TypeInformation Security PropertiesCybersecurity ConceptsOperational CapabilitiesSecurity Domains
#Preventive#Confidentiality
#Integrity
#Availability		#Protect#Physical Security
#Asset Management 		#Protection
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Ownership of Control 7.8

Compliance with Control 7.8 entails the creation of an inventory of equipment hosting information assets, siting of all equipment in secure areas and implementation of appropriate measures to prevent physical and environmental threats.

Therefore, information security managers should be responsible for establishing, implementing, and maintaining necessary measures and guidelines on secure siting and protection of equipment.

General Guidance on Compliance

Control 7.8 prescribes nine specific requirements that should be taken into account for compliance:

  1. Equipment should be sited in secure areas so that unauthorised persons cannot gain access to equipment.

  2. Tools used for processing sensitive information such as computers, monitors, and printers should be positioned in a way that unauthorised persons cannot see information displayed on screens without permission.

  3. Appropriate measures should be put in place to eliminate and/or mitigate risks arising out of physical and environmental threats such as explosives, communications interferences, fire, dust, and electromagnetic radiation.

  4. For example, a Lightning rod can be an effective control against lightning strikes.

  5. Guidelines on eating and drinking around equipment should be established and communicated to all relevant parties.

  6. Environmental conditions that may disrupt the information processing operations should be continuously monitored. These may include temperature and humidity levels.

  7. Lightning protection mechanisms should be implemented in all buildings and offices. Furthermore, lightning protection filters should be built into all incoming power lines, including communication lines.

  8. If equipment is located in an industrial environment, special protection controls such as keyboard membranes should be used if needed.

  9. Electromagnetic emanation may result in the leakage of sensitive information. Therefore, equipment housing sensitive or critical information assets should be secured to prevent such risk.

  10. IT equipment owned and controlled by an organisation should be clearly segregated from those not owned and controlled by the organisation.

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Changes and Differences from ISO 27002:2013

27002:2022/7.8 replaces 27002:2013/(11.2.1)

While the 2022 and the 2013 versions are similar to a great extent, there is one key difference to be highlighted:

In contrast to the 2013 Version, Control 7.8 in 2022 Version introduces the following requirement:

  • IT equipment owned and controlled by an organisation should be clearly segregated from those not owned and controlled by the organisation.

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New Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
5.7NewThreat intelligence
5.23NewInformation security for use of cloud services
5.30NewICT readiness for business continuity
7.4NewPhysical security monitoring
8.9NewConfiguration management
8.10NewInformation deletion
8.11NewData masking
8.12NewData leakage prevention
8.16NewMonitoring activities
8.23NewWeb filtering
8.28NewSecure coding

Organisational Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
5.105.1.1, 05.1.2Policies for information security
5.206.1.1Information security roles and responsibilities
5.306.1.2Segregation of duties
5.407.2.1Management responsibilities
5.506.1.3Contact with authorities
5.606.1.4Contact with special interest groups
5.7NewThreat intelligence
5.806.1.5, 14.1.1Information security in project management
5.908.1.1, 08.1.2Inventory of information and other associated assets
5.1008.1.3, 08.2.3Acceptable use of information and other associated assets
5.1108.1.4Return of assets
5.12 08.2.1Classification of information
5.1308.2.2Labelling of information
5.1413.2.1, 13.2.2, 13.2.3Information transfer
5.1509.1.1, 09.1.2Access control
5.1609.2.1Identity management
5.17 09.2.4, 09.3.1, 09.4.3Authentication information
5.1809.2.2, 09.2.5, 09.2.6Access rights
5.1915.1.1Information security in supplier relationships
5.2015.1.2Addressing information security within supplier agreements
5.2115.1.3Managing information security in the ICT supply chain
5.2215.2.1, 15.2.2Monitoring, review and change management of supplier services
5.23NewInformation security for use of cloud services
5.2416.1.1Information security incident management planning and preparation
5.2516.1.4Assessment and decision on information security events
5.2616.1.5Response to information security incidents
5.2716.1.6Learning from information security incidents
5.2816.1.7Collection of evidence
5.2917.1.1, 17.1.2, 17.1.3Information security during disruption
5.30NewICT readiness for business continuity
5.3118.1.1, 18.1.5Legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements
5.3218.1.2Intellectual property rights
5.3318.1.3Protection of records
5.3418.1.4Privacy and protection of PII
5.3518.2.1Independent review of information security
5.3618.2.2, 18.2.3Compliance with policies, rules and standards for information security
5.3712.1.1Documented operating procedures

People Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
6.107.1.1Screening
6.207.1.2Terms and conditions of employment
6.307.2.2Information security awareness, education and training
6.407.2.3Disciplinary process
6.507.3.1Responsibilities after termination or change of employment
6.613.2.4Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements
6.706.2.2Remote working
6.816.1.2, 16.1.3Information security event reporting

Physical Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
7.111.1.1Physical security perimeters
7.211.1.2, 11.1.6Physical entry
7.311.1.3Securing offices, rooms and facilities
7.4NewPhysical security monitoring
7.511.1.4Protecting against physical and environmental threats
7.611.1.5Working in secure areas
7.711.2.9Clear desk and clear screen
7.811.2.1Equipment siting and protection
7.911.2.6Security of assets off-premises
7.1008.3.1, 08.3.2, 08.3.3, 11.2.5Storage media
7.1111.2.2Supporting utilities
7.1211.2.3Cabling security
7.1311.2.4Equipment maintenance
7.1411.2.7Secure disposal or re-use of equipment

Technological Controls

ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Control IdentifierISO/IEC 27002:2013 Control IdentifierControl Name
8.106.2.1, 11.2.8User endpoint devices
8.209.2.3Privileged access rights
8.309.4.1Information access restriction
8.409.4.5Access to source code
8.509.4.2Secure authentication
8.612.1.3Capacity management
8.712.2.1Protection against malware
8.812.6.1, 18.2.3Management of technical vulnerabilities
8.9NewConfiguration management
8.10NewInformation deletion
8.11NewData masking
8.12NewData leakage prevention
8.1312.3.1Information backup
8.1417.2.1Redundancy of information processing facilities
8.1512.4.1, 12.4.2, 12.4.3Logging
8.16NewMonitoring activities
8.1712.4.4Clock synchronization
8.1809.4.4Use of privileged utility programs
8.1912.5.1, 12.6.2Installation of software on operational systems
8.2013.1.1Networks security
8.2113.1.2Security of network services
8.2213.1.3Segregation of networks
8.23NewWeb filtering
8.2410.1.1, 10.1.2Use of cryptography
8.2514.2.1Secure development life cycle
8.2614.1.2, 14.1.3Application security requirements
8.2714.2.5Secure system architecture and engineering principles
8.28NewSecure coding
8.2914.2.8, 14.2.9Security testing in development and acceptance
8.3014.2.7Outsourced development
8.3112.1.4, 14.2.6Separation of development, test and production environments
8.3212.1.2, 14.2.2, 14.2.3, 14.2.4Change management
8.3314.3.1Test information
8.3412.7.1Protection of information systems during audit testing
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