ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Information Security Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them – Ultimate Certification Guide

ISO 27001 Information Security Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them

In this article we lay bare ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Information Security Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them.

Using over two decades of experience on hundreds of ISO 27001 audits and ISO 27001 certifications I am going to show you what’s new, give you templates, show you examples and do a walkthrough.

In this ISO 27001 certification guide I show you exactly what changed in the ISO 27001:2022 update.

I am Stuart Barker the ISO 27001 Ninja and this is ISO 27001 Clause 6.2

What is ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Information Security Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them?

The ISO 27001 standard requires an organisation to establish information security objectives at relevant functions and levels.

This clause is all about information security objectives and planning to meet those objectives.

The ISO 27001 standard for ISO 27001 certification wants you define and achieve information security objectives.

ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Definition

The ISO 27001 standard defines clause 6.2 as:

The organisation shall establish information security objectives at relevant functions and levels. The information security objectives shall:
a) be consistent with the information security policy;

b) be measurable (if practicable);

c) take into account applicable information security requirements, and risk assessment and risk treatment results;

d) be monitored

e) be communicated

f) be updated as appropriate.

g) be available as documented information

The organization shall retain documented information on the information security objectives. When planning how to achieve its information security objectives, the organisation shall determine;

h ) what will be done;

i) what resources will be required;

j) who will be responsible;

k) when it will be completed; and

l) how the results will be evaluated.

ISO 27001:2022 Clause 6.2

What are the ISO 27001:2022 Changes to Clause 6.2?

ISO 27001 clause 6.2 had minor changes in the 2022 update with the changes being focussed on clarity.

It introduced that information security objectives should be monitored and be available as documented information. This was always implied but is made explicit.

As a result the numbering of the sub parts shifted but this is not material.

ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Implementation Guide

Consistent with the Information Security Policy

Objectives that you write for the information security management system have to be consistent with the information security policy. Making sure that they are documented in the information security policy so that everyone knows what they are. We do not want a conflict between what the information security policy sets out and what the objectives actually are. They must align.

Measurable Objectives

Information Security Objectives have to be measurable. A great way to think about how to measure an objective is to write it in a way that follows the SMART structure. Objectives should be

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

There is no point in having an objective if you cannot measure it.

Risk Based Information Security Objectives

ISO 27001 is a risk based information security management system. We take into account he the applicable information security requirements, and risk assessment and risk treatment results.

We covered ISO 27001 Clause 6.1.2 Information Security Risk Assessment and ISO 27001 Clause 6.1.3 Information Security Risk Treatment.

The risks that form part of this will inform our information security objectives.

Communicated Information Security Objectives

We communicate our information security objectives in a number of ways. We include them in our information security policy. We include them and track them in our Management Review Team Meeting. We may send out additional communications as part of our ISO 27001 Communication Plan.

Information Security Objectives are Updated

The information security objectives are not static. Objectives change over time. We continually assess ourselves and our information security management system for relevance. If things change then we update our objectives. At least annually we will take a look at our objectives and review if they are still relevant and make the appropriate changes.

ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 Templates

ISO 27001 templates are a great way to implement your information security management system. Whilst an ISO 27001 Toolkit can save you up to 30x in consulting fees and allow you to deliver up to 10x faster these individual templates help meet the specific requirements of ISO 27001 clause 6.2

ISO 27001 Clause 6.2 FAQ

Reference

ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management