ISO 27001 Change Management Policy Beginner’s Guide

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ISO 27001 Change Management Policy

In this article we’ll explore the ISO 27001 Change Management Policy and exactly what you need to do to satisfy it to gain ISO 27001 certification.

You will learn:

  • what change management is
  • understand why organisations need a Change Management Policy
  • how to write an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy

and I let you in on a trade secret that’ll save you hours of time and effort, simply by using this change management policy template.

What is change management?

Change management is a structured approach to managing transitions and transformations within organisations. In the context of information security, change management is the process of making changes to a company’s IT systems, with the objective of minimising errors and disruptions.

What is an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy?

A Change Management Policy is a set of guidelines organisations employ to manage changes in a controlled and safe way.

It is one of the ISO 27001 policies required by the ISO 27001 standard for ISO 27001 certification.

What is the purpose of an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy?

ISO 27001 lays out change management as planning, organising, leading, and carrying out organisational changes. An ISO 27001 change management policy is a document containing a set of procedures that help businesses manage changes effectively.

An ISO 27001 change management policy should adapt to an organisation’s specific needs and should be updated regularly.

A well-written ISO 27001 change management policy will outline how to successfully organise and lead a business through a process of transformation.

Why does an organisation need an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy?

Change is an unavoidable part of any organisation’s journey towards growth. But, when it comes to information security, change can present vulnerabilities and risks if not managed correctly.

When issues occur, businesses are affected negatively, which is why it’s important to implement a robust Change Management policy.

How to write an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy

If you want to make life easier and save yourself up to 8 hours of work, this pre-populated template will give you a complete, ready to rock ISO 27001 Change Management Policy, with everything you require to meet the ISO 27001 standard – in under 20 minutes. Or, if you like a challenge, you’ll need to consider the following:

Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes

How to write an ISO 27001 Change Management Policy

  1. Understand ISO 27001 requirements

    Understand the requirements of ISO 27001 Annex A 8.32 Change Management

  2. Define the ISO 27001 Change Management Policy purpose and objectives

    Clearly state the policy’s role in securing information assets. Set specific objectives, like mitigating risks, complying with regulations, and ensuring business continuity. An example:

    The purpose of this policy is to manage the risk posed by changes in the company.

  3. Define the ISO 27001 Change Management Policy scope

    Specify the systems, processes, and assets covered by the policy, including technical and non-technical aspects affected by changes.

  4. Assign change roles and responsibilities

    Outline the responsibilities of change managers, advisory board members, IT teams, and stakeholders, defining their roles, authority, and accountability.

  5. Establish change request procedures

    Define submission procedures, required documentation, and channels for change requests.

  6. Evaluate and assess changes

    Establish criteria and processes to assess the impact and risks of proposed changes based on their nature and significance.

  7. Approve and authorise changes

    Define criteria and procedures for approving changes, specifying roles and required documentation.

  8. Document changes

    A register of changes is maintained.

  9. Plan and implement changes

    Provide guidelines for planning, testing, and implementing approved changes, ensuring effective communication.

  10. Change Prioritisation / Classification

    All change requests are prioritised in terms of benefit, urgency, effort required and potential impact on company operations.

  11. Change Risk Assessment

    Changes are assessed for risk following the Risk Management Policy and Risk Management process.

  12. Change Impact Assessment

    Changes are assessed for positive and negative impact to the customer and the company.

  13. Change Testing

    Changes are tested in an isolated, controlled, and representative environment where feasible prior to implementation to minimise the risks to company processes, operations, security, and clients.

  14. Version Control

    Software changes and updates are controlled with version control. Older versions are retained in accordance with retention and storage processes.

  15. Communicating Change

    All users or user representatives impacted by a change are notified of the change.

  16. Roll Back

    Procedures to roll back / recover from an unsuccessful change are in place where appropriate.

  17. Change Freeze

    At certain critical times of the year, it may be necessary to impose a non-essential change freeze period.
    A change freeze may be approved by senior management during which time only the highest priority changes will be approved and implemented.

  18. Emergency Change

    Emergency changes may operate outside the normal change process but must be approved by senior management. In some cases, events are critical enough that they must be rushed though, thereby creating an Emergency/Unscheduled Change. Each situation is different and as much consideration as possible should be given to the possible consequences of attempting this type of change. It is still necessary to obtain sufficient approval for the change, but this may be in the form of discussing the matter with a relevant service manager or section head and logging who it was discussed with and how it was approved.

  19. Unauthorised Changes

    Unauthorised changes are tracked and reported to the Management Review Team meeting and escalated to senior management as required.
    Unauthorised changes are subjective to the Continual Improvement process.

  20. Document and track changes

    Specify required documentation, such as change logs and records, capturing details, approvals, and implementation dates.

  21. Monitor and review

    Set up processes for monitoring, auditing, and evaluating changes to ensure compliance, effectiveness, and continuous improvement.

  22. Communicate and educate

    Clearly communicate the policy to employees and stakeholders, providing training on change management principles and best practices.

  23. Review and update

    Regularly review and update the policy to adapt to technological advancements, regulatory changes, and organisational requirements.

If all of this sounds like a lot of effort just to write one ISO 27001 policy, save hours of your time by following this ISO 27001 Change Management Policy template.

ISO 27001 Change Management Policy Template

It can be confusing to work out what to include in a change management policy or where to start. An ISO 27001 Policy Template that is pre written and ready to go can save you a lot of heart ache so that is why we have done the heavy lifting with the ISO 27001 Change Management Policy Template.

ISO 27001 Change Management Policy Template

Why is change management important in the context of ISO 27001?

Creating a comprehensive change management policy is crucial for successful implementation of corporate changes. Different types of changes, such as those aimed at improving performance or complying with regulations, may require specific procedures.

When developing change management guidelines, it’s important to consider the company’s size and setup. Foe example, bigger companies could have more complicated change management processes than smaller ones, which means that more people may need to be involved in the transformation process.

When putting the policy together, it’s important that it is flexible enough to adapt to future company changes. Changes happen – and as a result – different procedures may be required, so it’s important that the policy can accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

About the author

I am Stuart Barker the ISO 27001 Ninja.

You can connect with me on Linked In, stalk me, check me out and join my network.

I am an information security practitioner of over 30 years. I hold a Software Engineering degree and started my career in software development. In 2010 I started my first cyber security consulting business that I sold in 2018. I worked for over a decade for GE, leading a data governance team across Europe and since then have gone on to deliver hundreds of client engagements and audits.

I regularly mentor and train professionals on information security and run a successful ISO 27001 YouTube channel where I show people how they can do it themselves. I am passionate that knowledge should not be hoarded and brought to market the first of its kind online ISO 27001 store for all the tools and templates people need when they want to do it themselves.

In my personal life I am active and a hobbyist kickboxer.

My specialisms are ISO 27001 and SOC 2 and my niche is start up and early stage business.

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