ISO 27001 Statement of Applicability Excel Template

Introduction

The Statement of Applicability outlines which controls from Annex A of ISO 27001 are applicable to your organization, how they’re implemented, and why some may be excluded. While this may sound simple, getting it right is key to achieving and maintaining compliance. To simplify this process, many organizations turn to a Statement of Applicability ISO 27001 Template XLS. A structured Excel template not only saves time but also ensures consistency, transparency, and alignment with the ISO standard.

What’s the Real Role of a SoA Document in ISO 27001?

In the case of ISO 27001, the Statement of Applicability is not just an administrative document, rather it indicates how your organization is dealing with information security risks. Consider the soa document as a link connecting your risk assessment and your security controls. It’s your statement saying, “Here are the ISO controls we’ve chosen to implement, here’s the rationale, and here’s the methodology.”

The SoA assists you in identifying which of the 93 Annex A controls are relevant to your environment, and just as important, the rationale for excluding other controls (if applicable). It adds clarity to your rationale and is a primary source of reference for your internal teams, auditors, or regulators.

Using a statement of applicability ISO 27001 template XLS means you are seeking to streamline the information, which ESL format documents make easier to organize. With the appropriate structure, you may display control IDs, applicability status, justification, implementation status, and evidence location all without having to sift through countless documents. At its core, the SOA builds trust—among your leadership, your auditors, and your team. When people see the “why” behind each control, it becomes less about red tape and more about real protection.

Making the Most of Your Statement of Applicability Template

When working with Excel-based Statements of Applicability (SoA), it's crucial to ensure that they are effective and easy to maintain. In this post, we will share some tips with you concerning the Statement of Applicability template XLS for ISO 27001.

• Always Keep an Updated List of Controls

From 200 to 93 in ISO 27001:2022-the Annex A controls. Start with the reliable reference-you can find the new version of the Annex A Excel listing on the internet-and then fill your columns right! Use dropdown controls for Control Ids and Control names to eliminate the typing risks and ensure control name consistency. 

• Enrich Your Fields Professionally

Your SoA should have important columns like: "Applicable (Y/N)", "Implementation Status, e.g. fully implemented, in progress", "Reviewed Date", and "Evidence Link."

• • Evidence Links-Consider including rows or columns that refer directly to your risk treatment plans, policy documents, audit logs, implementation guides, etc. This will help to create a full audit trail.
    
    
  • Good to Have-An indicative column for "Evidence reference" pointing to precise documents or intranet IDs. This is auditor-friendly when checking proofs. 
    
    
• Treat It as a Live Document

Your SoA is more than a checklist; it is a live document subject to modification with your changing environment.

• • Update the SoA whenever there are changes in vendors, systems rolled out for use, or significant changes in processes.
    
    
  • Keep a changelog or a dedicated "Version Control" sheet that captures who modified it, when, why, and mark-up notes from reviewers.
    
    
  • This managing process will illustrate to the auditors that you are not just compliant but evolving. 
    
    
• Appearance: Color Coding

Think traffic light colors:

• • Green = fully implemented
    
    
  • Yellow = in implementation or partially implemented
    
    
  • Red = serious concerns

Maintaining that will give easy insight to stakeholders. No detailed analysis is necessary to bring into light the areas of concern. 

• Facilitate Risk-Based Decision Making

Document why each control has been drawn as either "Yes" or "No." This should be linked to your risk assessment or treatment documentation. This shows internal compliance with Clause 6.1.3 requirements and the deliberate risk-based thought being applied. 

• Automation Should Be Considered

If SoA updates are heavy on the data side for your organization, you should think about making them automated. Systems can grab control statuses from your ticketing system, GRC, or audit-the less human error and manual effort, the more the better. Even basic Microsoft Excel formulas or dropdown logic could auto-highlight stale evidence. 

• Periodic Review and Validation

The SoA must appear in the ISMS review calendar. Ensure that during the management reviews, decisions such as control exclusions still hold; use those sessions to validate reasoning, monitor progress, and reassess control priorities.

How the SoA Fits Into the Bigger ISO 27001 Picture

You might be wondering how the SoA connects with the rest of your ISO 27001 framework. The answer? It’s completely intertwined.

The soa document is directly linked to your risk treatment plan (Clause 6.1.3), risk assessment results (Clause 6.1.2), and of course, the detailed Annex A controls. The goal is simple: for every risk you’ve identified, you need to decide how to handle it—and your SoA is where you list those choices.

A well-structured statement of applicability ISO 27001 template XLS often includes columns like:

• Control name and description

• Whether the control is applicable

• A short reason why it is or isn’t

• Implementation status

• Links to evidence or documents that support your decision.

Why the Statement of Applicability Template Matters

At its essence, the SoA is the bridge between “what we know” (our risks) and “what we do” (our controls). A robust, templated approach brings multiple benefits:

• Complete Visibility into Annex A controls
   Listing all 114 controls side‑by‑side allows you to quickly flag “Yes/No” for applicability, note your implementation approach, and link to evidence—ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
  

• Evidence‑Driven Decision Making
   By including columns for justification, implementation status, and document links, your SoA becomes a living audit trail. Auditors and stakeholders can instantly trace each control back to policies, procedures, or technical configurations.
  

• Scalability and Adaptability
   As your technology, processes, or partnerships evolve, you simply update your Excel rows. No need to rebuild from scratch—your template grows with you.
  

• Efficiency and Error Reduction
   Built‑in dropdowns, status indicators, and conditional formatting help prevent typos or omissions. Automation (e.g., color‑coding controls pending review) accelerates team workflows.
  

• Continuous Improvement
  Tracking implementation dates and maturity levels over time highlights gaps and improvement opportunities—fueling quarterly or annual ISMS reviews.

Steps to Create an Effective Statement of Applicability

Creating a strong SoA may feel daunting at first, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes the process smoother and more rewarding.

Step 1: Define Your Scope

Start by identifying what parts of your business are included in your ISO 27001 certification. Is it the entire organization or just a specific business unit? Your scope influences which controls are relevant and how they’re documented.

Step 2: Perform a Risk Assessment

Use tools or interviews to assess risks across departments. This step informs which Annex A controls should be implemented or excluded in your soa document. Focus on identifying key information assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and the impact of potential incidents.

Step 3: Use a Structured Template

This is where the statement of applicability ISO 27001 template XLS comes in. The best templates include:

• Annex A control numbers and descriptions

• Applicability status (Yes/No)

• Justification for inclusion or exclusion

• Implementation status (Planned/In Progress/Implemented)

• Linked evidence (e.g., policies or system logs)

The structure helps you organize decisions and provides a single source of truth for auditors and teams.

Step 4: Collaborate Across Teams

Security isn’t one person’s job. Involve stakeholders from various departments. Get input from IT, HR, legal, operations, and even marketing. Cross-functional collaboration ensures accuracy and completeness, especially when controls span business units.

Step 5: Keep It Alive

Treat your SoA as a living document. Update it whenever you:

• Deploy new software

• Enter a new market

• Change vendors or hosting environments

Incorporate version control and schedule periodic reviews (e.g., quarterly or annually) to reflect changes in the environment or compliance requirements.

Step 6: Maintain Clarity and Consistency

Ensure that terminology is consistent across the document. Avoid jargon, and use plain language where possible so everyone can understand what each control is about and how it applies.

 

Why Your Organization Needs a Well-Defined SOA

You might ask: Is a basic SoA good enough? Technically, yes. But in practice, a well-structured statement of applicability ISO 27001 template xls can unlock far more value than you’d expect.

Here’s how:

• Strengthens Internal Communication
  • A detailed SoA ensures departments aren’t working in silos. It communicates which controls are in place, who’s responsible, and how they tie into your broader risk strategy.
    
    
• Helps With Vendor and Client Trust
  • When prospects or partners request evidence of security controls, a well-organized soa document provides clear and immediate insight. It shows maturity in your approach to data protection.
    
    
• Prepares You for the Unexpected
  • Business disruptions, cyber incidents, and audits can happen unexpectedly. An up-to-date SoA helps you stay prepared by offering a real-time snapshot of your control landscape.
    
    
• Demonstrates Ongoing Commitment
  • Unlike a policy that sits untouched for years, a living SoA reflects your commitment to maintaining and improving your ISMS. It shows regulators and partners that security is a priority—not a checkbox.
    
    
• Aligns Security With Business Strategy
  • A well-defined SoA supports strategic decision-making. By tying each control to a specific risk or objective, it helps leadership see the business value of security investments.

In short, your SoA isn’t just about ISO 27001—it’s about building a more resilient, transparent, and security-conscious organization.

Best Practices for Filling Out Your SoA

Even with a great template, organizations stumble in populating it. These pro tips will keep you on track:

• Establish a Dedicated SoA Working Group: Bring together security, risk, IT ops, HR, and compliance. Assign each domain’s controls to the relevant SME. That way, you have subject experts providing accurate applicability and justification.
  
  
• Kick off with a Workshop: Rather than emailing spreadsheets back and forth, run a half‑day workshop. Walk through each Annex A domain, debate applicability, and live‑edit the spreadsheet. That collaborative approach surfaces hidden nuances—like a deprecated system you forgot about.
  
  
• Use Consistent Language: Draft a glossary for justification reasons (“No technical encryption used” vs. “Not applicable: no crypto required”). A shared vocabulary avoids confusion during future reviews.
  
  
• Link to a Central Risk Register: If possible, maintain a master risk register in your GRC tool, and reference risk IDs rather than re‑describing them. That single source of truth speeds updates.
  
  
• Set Review Cadence: Treat the SoA like any core ISMS record: review it whenever you update your risk assessment, but at least annually. Put “SoA review” on your ISMS calendar so it doesn’t fall through the cracks.
  
  
• Document Version Changes: Whenever you change applicability or treatments, add a row in a “Change Log” tab noting who, what, and why. Auditors like seeing transparent change histories.
  
  
• Keep Evidence Handy: When you link to evidence, store documents with descriptive names so it’s obvious which control they support.
  

Train Control Owners: A quick 30‑minute “SoA 101” session shows your SMEs how to update rows, add comments, and use filters. Empowering them reduces your workload.

Monitoring and Managing SoA Effectiveness

Maintaining your SoA effectiveness requires frequent updates, not stagnation. Ad hoc SoA checks lead to outdated risks and obsolete controls festering unattended and buried away in shared folders.

• Establish Key Metrics

Key metrics must be measurable and actionable:

• • Control Coverage Ratio: Percentage of “Applicable” controls that are marked “Implemented” or “In Progress.”

  • Timeliness: Average days a control’s target date minus actual completion date.

  • Evidence Completeness: Controls with valid evidence links versus total ‘Yes’ entries.

• Set a Full Reporting Cadence

  • Your SoA should accompany every quarterly ISMS dashboard and bolster it with a health snapshot.

  • Emphasize overdue controls and those lacking evidence.

  • Track ratio changes over time; are you improving, plateauing, or declining?
    

• Visual Analytics

  • Excell charts or pivot reports are ideal to visualize the quantity of over “Planned” as well as “In Progress” controls for each Annex A subset using Power BI.

  • Use traffic light coloring; green, yellow, and red for immediate risk indication to highlight needing attention zones for heightened focus.

• Interdepartmental Relations

  • Craft a single-page brief for your managerial review.

  • Discuss continue to treat risks and resource bottleneck, highlighting the top three bottleneck areas.

Conclusion

In a world where cyber risks evolve by the day, documentation isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about telling your security story clearly and confidently. The ISO 27001 Statement of Applicability Excel Template helps you do exactly that. Whether you're preparing for certification or maintaining an existing ISMS, investing time in your soa document pays off. It aligns teams, supports risk-based decisions, and helps you build a culture of security across your organization.