ISO 27001 Secure Authentication
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 is about secure authentication which means you need to restrict access to information using technology and proccesses.
Table of Contents
What is ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5?
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 Secure Authentication is an ISO 27001 control that looks to make sure you have controls in place to ensure people who are access information are who they say they are.
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 Purpose
The purpose of ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 Secure Authentication is to ensure a user or an entity is securely authenticated, when access to systems, applications and services is granted.
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 Definition
The ISO 27001 standard defines ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 as:
Secure authentication technologies and procedures should be implemented based on information access restrictions and the topic-specific policy on access control.
ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 8.5 Secure Authentication
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Watch the ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 Tutorial
In the video ISO 27001 Secure Authentication Explained – ISO27001:2022 Annex A 8.5 I show you how to implement it and how to pass the audit.
How to implement ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5
Authentication is about someone proving who they say they are. Our ability to be sure that the person requesting access is the actual person.
the act or process of establishing identity and verifying permission to access an electronic device or computer network (often used attributively):
Dictionary.Com
password authentication;
biometric authentication;
authentication credentials.
So we are going to work out who needs access to what, put in place our access restrictions and then provide them with a means to let us know they are who they say they are so we can grant them the access.
The way we prove it is based on there concepts. You prove who you are by either
- Something you know
- Something you have
- Something you are
Something you know
This is the most common type of authentication and the easiest to implement. The main example of this is the use of the password or passphrase. People need to know the password to be able to gain access. The downside to this is that passwords are easy to get or guess and easy for people to lose, share or write down.
Something you have
You will have seen this in the way that banks issue you with key pad devices. They may be physical or virtual but you need to device to be able to access the random fast changing code. This is a strong form of authentication and often used with something you know, ie a password.
Something you are
Something you are relies on a specific characteristic that is unique to you. This could be your finger print or a scan of your eye ball. This type of authentication is called bio metric and is the most secure yet the most costly and complicated to implement. Think about the Apple touch authentication that uses you finger print or your iPhone that can unlock by scanning your face.
Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is the most secure method where a combination of two or more authentication methods are used.
Authentication Based on Risk
You are going to implement your information classification scheme, do your risk assessment and work out the level of authentication that is appropriate to you based on that. Usually the most stringent form of authentication is applied to the highest level classification of data.
Authentication Process
There is general guidance that applies to the authentication processes. Things that are worth considering.
A no brainer is we don’t allow access to information until authentication completes.
We put in place measures to prevent brute force attacks and to report on unsuccesful logon attempts. We set thresholds that would trigger alerts and notifications and raise information security events that we manage when those thresholds are breached.
If we rely on passwords we do not show them as clear text when being entered and we do not transmit them or store them in clear text.
We also consider auto logging out after a set time of inactivity.
ISO 27001 Access Control Policy Template
Your starting point for this control is to implement a topic specific policy on access control and include in that policy your approach to 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. There is a lot more information on the Access Control Policy including how to write your own is covered in ISO 27001 Access Control Policy.
How to pass the audit
Time needed: 1 day, 2 hours and 15 minutes
How to comply with ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5
- Have policies and procedures in place
Write, approve, implement and communicate the documentation required for secure authentication.
- Assess your access requirements and perform a risk assessment
Have an asset management process that includes an asset register. For each asset type perform a risk assessment.
- Implement controls proportionate to the risk posed
Based on the risk assessment implement the appropriate access controls to mitigate the risk
- Keep records
For audit purposes you will keep records. Examples of the records to keep include changes, updates, monitoring, review and audits.
- Test the controls that you have to make sure they are working
Perform internal audits that include the testing of the controls to ensure that they are working.
Top 3 Mistakes People Make
The top 3 mistakes people make for ISO 27001 Annex A 8.5 are
1. Password management is flaky
This usual things here that go wrong are when people always use the same default passwords for users. They set it and then the user doesn’t change it. Ideally set a new ‘starting’ password for each users. We see these then being shared over email or text in clear text. If you simply must do this then consider sending user names and passwords over different channels. If email gets compromised having the user name and passwords in emails means people have an easy hop then to breach your other systems.
2. Authentication is weak
Having weak authentication, like little to no requirements on the type of password people use, means life is easy for everyone but these are also easy to compromise, breach, hack, guess. There has to be a balance. Having no passwords or easy default passwords that never expire is one approach but try to find a middle ground. If you are not NASA then bio metrics maybe overkill, I get it. Be sure to have something.
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
Relevant Annex A controls here include:
ISO 27001 Annex A 5.17 Authentication Information
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.21 Security of Network Services
ISO 27001 Annex A 5.18 Access Rights
ISO 27001 Annex A 5.15 Access Control
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.1 User Endpoint Devices
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.2 Privilege Access
ISO 27001 Annex A 8.3 Information Access Restriction
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.