ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 8.2 Privileged access rights

In this guide, I will show you exactly how to implement ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 and ensure you pass your audit. You will get a complete walkthrough of the control, practical implementation examples, and access to the ISO 27001 templates and toolkit that make compliance easy.

I am Stuart Barker, an ISO 27001 Lead Auditor with over 30 years of experience conducting hundreds of audits. I will cut through the jargon to show you exactly what changed in the 2022 update and provide you with plain-English advice to get you certified.

Key Takeaways: ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 requires organizations to strictly manage and restrict privileged access rights. Privileged access (often called “Admin,” “Super User,” or “Root” access) allows users to bypass security controls, install software, and change system configurations. Because these accounts pose the highest risk of misuse or compromise, they must be governed by an authorization process that follows the principles of Least Privilege and Need-to-Know.

Core requirements for compliance include:

• Account Separation: Admins must not use their privileged accounts for day-to-day tasks like checking email or browsing the web. They should have two accounts: a standard one for daily work and a privileged one used only when performing administrative tasks.
• Banning Generic Accounts: You must eliminate generic accounts (e.g., admin, support, root). Every privileged action must be traceable to a specific, identifiable individual to ensure accountability.
• Formal Authorization: Granting admin rights should never be “informal.” There must be a documented request and approval process that is reviewed at least monthly.
• Segregation of Duty: The person who needs the access should not be the same person who authorizes the access. This prevents “Self-Approval” and reduces the risk of internal fraud.
• Logging and Monitoring: All actions performed using privileged accounts must be logged and reviewed. This creates an audit trail for high-impact changes.

Audit Focus: Auditors will look for “The Admin Bloat”:

1. The Count: “Show me a list of everyone with ‘Global Admin’ rights. Why is this list so long?”
2. Traceability: “Here is a system change from last Tuesday made by the ‘Administrator’ account. Who exactly was logged in at that time?” (Hint: If you can’t prove who it was, you fail).
3. Laptop Admin Rights: One of the most common failures is giving all employees local admin rights on their laptops. Auditors will expect a strong risk-based justification for this.

Account Separation (The Golden Rule):

Activity	Standard User Account	Privileged (Admin) Account
Email / Web Browsing	✓ Allowed	❌ FORBIDDEN
Daily Documentation	✓ Allowed	❌ FORBIDDEN
Installing Software	❌ Blocked	✓ Allowed
Modifying Firewall Rules	❌ Blocked	✓ Allowed

What is ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2?

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights is an ISO 27001 control that wants you to make sure you have controls in place to manage privileged access rights.

There are users that will be granted privileged access such as administer (admin) accounts, super user accounts, global admin accounts and even service accounts.

ISO 27001 Privileged Access Rights is the control of those accounts. This ISO 27001 annex a control sets out the requirement to restrict access to those accounts and to properly manage them.

In ISO 27001 this is known as ISO27001:2022 Clause 8.2 Privileged Access Rights. 

It is important because these accounts have the ability to gain unlimited access and make unlimited changes and they need to be carefully considered and controlled to protect against misuse and compromise.

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Purpose

The purpose of ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights is to ensure only authorised users, software components and services are provided with privileged access rights.

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Definition

The ISO 27001 standard defines ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights as:

The allocation and use of privileged access rights should be restricted and managed.

ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Free Training Video

In the video ISO 27001 Privileged Access Rights Explained – ISO27001:2022 Annex A 8.2 I show you how to implement it and how to pass the audit.

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Explainer Video

In this beginner’s guide to ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor Stuart Barker and his team talk you through what it is, how to implement in and how to pass the audit.

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Podcast

In this episode: Lead Auditor Stuart Barker and team do a deep dive into the ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights. The podcast explores what it is, why it is important and the path to compliance.

How to implement ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2

Now let me share with you some best practice when it comes to implementation.

General Guidance

Privileged access is the access that people, software or services have that allows them to do things that normal users cannot do and that could cause the most harm. This level of access is used to manage and configure systems and to allow people to perform administrative tasks. We need people to have this level of access but we do not want everyone to have it. The risk of granting this level of access to someone that doesn’t know what to do with it or should not have it is that they could break something, stop something working or carry out activities that are, shall we say, bad.

Implement a Topic Specific Policy

Your starting point for this control is to implement a topic specific policy on access control and include in that policy your approach to privilege access. The ISO 27001 Access Control Policy Template is already written for you and ready to go and includes a great free Access Control Policy Example PDF.

Implement an authorisation process

An authorisation process is required for all requests for access to organisational assets. Implement a process of authorisation that separates those requiring access from those that grant it. Keep a record of all accounts with privilege access. Consider placing time limits on their use or allocating expiry dates.

Implement Role Based Access

I find the use of role based access as a technique is a great tool here. Understanding what roles you need, defining them and then allocating people to roles based on need.

Ensure there is segregation of duty

When implementing this control use common sense and be practicable. We are working here on the principle of segregation of duty. We do not want the person with the access to authorise the access and where possible the person with access should not have conflicting access. Rather, separate out your privilege accounts logically where it makes sense and you are able to do so. An example would be to separate out those with the access to the databases from those with access to the logging and monitoring. This prevents things like that ability to do something then change the logs to cover it up.

Adopt the principle of Least Privilege

Access should be granted based on the principle of least privilege, meaning users only get the minimum access necessary for their role.

Adopt the principle of Need-to-Know

Users should only have access to information they need to perform their duties.

Enforce Access Control

Learning from previous tutorials and in particular ISO 27001 Annex A 5.18 Access Rights you will ensure proper access control proportionate to the risk posed by the access that is required.

Review access requirements

Regular reviews of people’s access should form part of your normal operating rhythm. This also applies to privilege accounts. A process to check who has what and if they still need it. Ideally this will be performed at least monthly.

Restrict the use of privilege accounts

Ideally we want a situation where privilege accounts are only used when needed to perform privileged actions and normal accounts are used in normal day to day operations for the user. It doesn’t have to be this, as this is best practice, but the ideal is some way to distinguish when the user is in privilege mode. It will reduce the likelihood of an information security incident.

This level of account really should be logged and monitored for audit purposes.

Remove generic privileged accounts

You should really discourage the use of generic administrative accounts. We want to be able to tie actions back to an individual. If you simple have to have a generic account then my recommendation is to manage it as an exception and record it in the risk register. Mange it via risk management, even if that is accepting the risk.

Account Separation Table

Activity	Standard User Account	Privileged (Admin) Account
Email / Web Browsing	✅ Allowed	❌ FORBIDDEN
Editing Documents	✅ Allowed	❌ FORBIDDEN
Installing Software	❌ Blocked	✅ Allowed
Changing System Time	❌ Blocked	✅ Allowed

ISO 27001 Access Control Policy Template

The ISO 27001 Access Control Policy template is pre written and ready to go. It is one of the required ISO 27001 policies that sets out the organisations approach to access control.

How to pass an audit of ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2

Based on my experience this is the best practice approach to passing the audit of ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privileged Access Rights.

Top 3 ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 mistakes and how to avoid them

The top 3 mistakes people make for ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 are

1. Having generic accounts

Having generic accounts is not always a bad thing but having them because you are lazy is. Try to eliminate them and where you do require them manage via risk management. This means recording them on the risk register and managing the risk, even if managing the risk is accepting the risk and recording the decision.

2. Laptop Administrator Accounts

This common mistake actually relates to end points and the default position of providing all users administrative control over those devices by default. Again, this is usually lazy management and again, as above, if required manage it via risk management. Auditors check and will want a justification and don’t just do it because it is easy or you have always done it. This level of access really does negate a lot of the end point controls that you are going to rely on.

3. Your document and version control is wrong

Keeping your document version control up to date, making sure that version numbers match where used, having a review evidenced in the last 12 months, having documents that have no comments in are all good practices.

Related ISO 27001 Controls

ISO 27001 Annex A 8.18 Use of Privileged Utility Programs

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.18 Access Rights

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.16 Identity Management

Fast Track Compliance with the ISO 27001 Toolkit

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For ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 (Privileged access rights), the requirement is to restrict and manage the allocation and use of privileged access, such as administrator, super user, or global admin accounts. These accounts hold the “keys to the kingdom,” and their mismanagement is a top cause of major security breaches.

While SaaS compliance platforms often try to sell you “automated identity monitoring” or complex PAM (Privileged Access Management) integrations, the auditor is primarily interested in your governance framework: your access control policy, authorization processes, and evidence of regular access reviews. The High Table ISO 27001 Toolkit is the logical choice because it provides the policy layer that defines these rules, allowing you to use your existing technology without a recurring subscription fee.

1. Ownership: You Own Your Privileged Access Policy Forever

SaaS platforms act as a middleman for your compliance evidence. If you define your admin access rules and store your authorization logs inside their proprietary system, you are essentially renting your own security standards.

• The Toolkit Advantage: You receive the Access Control Policy and Privileged Access Review templates in standard Word/Excel formats. These are yours forever. You maintain permanent ownership of your standards (such as account separation and least privilege), ensuring you are always ready for an audit without an ongoing “rental” fee.

2. Simplicity: Governance for the Tools You Already Use

Annex A 8.2 is about the management of privileged access. You don’t need a complex new software interface to manage what your existing directory services (like Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or Google Workspace) already do.

• The Toolkit Advantage: Your IT team already knows how to assign admin roles. What they need is the governance layer to prove to an auditor that these roles are assigned based on a formal request/approval process and are reviewed regularly. The Toolkit provides the pre-written policies and checklists (like the Account Separation Table) that formalize your existing technical work into an auditor-ready framework, without forcing your team to learn a new software platform.

3. Cost: A One-Off Fee vs. Per-Admin Subscriptions

Many PAM and compliance SaaS tools charge per “privileged user” or “admin seat.” For a control that applies to the most critical accounts in your organization, these monthly costs can become a significant financial drain.

• The Toolkit Advantage: You pay a single, one-off fee for the entire toolkit. Whether you have 2 admins or 20, the cost of your Privileged Access Documentation remains the same. You save your budget for the actual security infrastructure rather than an expensive compliance dashboard.

4. Freedom: No Vendor Lock-In for Your IAM Strategy

SaaS compliance tools often only integrate with specific cloud providers. If you use a hybrid setup, local servers, or switch providers, the SaaS tool can become a barrier to technical flexibility.

• The Toolkit Advantage: The High Table Toolkit is 100% technology-agnostic. You can edit the Privileged Access Procedures to match any technical environment, cloud, on-premise, or hybrid. You maintain total freedom to evolve your identity and access management (IAM) infrastructure without being constrained by the technical limitations of a rented SaaS platform.

Summary: For Annex A 8.2, an auditor wants to see that you have a formal policy for privileged access and proof that you follow it (e.g., authorization records and access reviews). The High Table ISO 27001 Toolkit provides the governance framework to satisfy this requirement immediately. It is the most direct, cost-effective way to achieve compliance using permanent documentation that you own and control.

Further Reading

ISO 27001 Access Control Policy Beginner’s Guide

ISO 27001 Controls and Attribute Values

Control type	Information security properties	Cybersecurity concepts	Operational capabilities	Security domains
Preventive	Confidentiality	Protect	Identity and access management	Protection
	Integrity
	Availability

About the author

Stuart Barker is a veteran practitioner with over 30 years of experience in systems security and risk management.

Holding an MSc in Software and Systems Security, Stuart combines academic rigor with extensive operational experience. His background includes over a decade leading Data Governance for General Electric (GE) across Europe, as well as founding and exiting a successful cyber security consultancy.

As a qualified ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer, Stuart possesses distinct insight into the specific evidence standards required by certification bodies. He has successfully guided hundreds of organizations – from high-growth technology startups to enterprise financial institutions – through the audit lifecycle.

His toolkits represents the distillation of that field experience into a standardised framework. They move beyond theoretical compliance, providing a pragmatic, auditor-verified methodology designed to satisfy ISO/IEC 27001:2022 while minimising operational friction.