ISO 27001 Clause 1 Scope

by Maya G

ISO 27001 is a standard for information security management systems (ISMS). Clause 1 of ISO 27001 sets out the scope of the standard, which is essentially the boundaries of the ISMS.

The scope should be defined and documented by the organization implementing the ISMS, and it should be reviewed and approved by top management. The scope should be consistent with the organization's overall business objectives, legal and regulatory requirements, and other relevant factors.

Some of the key elements that should be included in the scope are:

  1. The boundaries of the ISMS, including the physical locations, systems, and applications that are within scope.
  2. The types of information that are within scope, such as customer data, employee data, financial information, or intellectual property.
  3. The stakeholders who are within scope, such as employees, customers, partners, or regulators.
  4. The applicable laws, regulations, and contractual requirements that are within scope.
  5. The organizational functions, processes, and activities that are within scope.

The scope should be sufficiently detailed and precise to ensure that the organization's ISMS is focused and effective, but it should also be flexible enough to allow for changes as the organization's business environment evolves.

How to define an ISO 27001 ISMS scope step by step:

Defining the scope of an ISO 27001 ISMS is a crucial step in implementing the standard. Here are the steps to follow to define an ISMS scope:

  1. Identify the business objectives: The first step is to identify the business objectives and the scope of the ISMS. This can be done by reviewing the organization's strategic goals and determining which information assets are critical to achieving these goals. The scope should be defined in a way that supports the overall business objectives.
  2. Identify the information assets: The second step is to identify the information assets that are within the scope of the ISMS. This can be done by conducting an information asset inventory and identifying the critical information assets that need to be protected. This may include customer data, intellectual property, financial information, and other sensitive data.
  3. Identify the boundaries of the ISMS: The third step is to identify the boundaries of the ISMS. This includes defining the physical locations, systems, and applications that are within the scope of the ISMS. The scope should be defined in a way that includes all relevant locations, systems, and applications that are critical to protecting the information assets.
  4. Identify the stakeholders: The fourth step is to identify the stakeholders who are within the scope of the ISMS. This includes employees, customers, partners, and regulators. The scope should be defined in a way that ensures that all relevant stakeholders are included.
  5. Identify the legal and regulatory requirements: The fifth step is to identify the applicable legal and regulatory requirements that are within the scope of the ISMS. This includes identifying any laws, regulations, and contractual requirements that the organization must comply with. The scope should be defined in a way that ensures that all relevant legal and regulatory requirements are addressed.
  6. Document the scope: The final step is to document the scope of the ISMS. This includes documenting the boundaries of the ISMS, the information assets that are within scope, the stakeholders who are within scope, and the legal and regulatory requirements that are within scope. The scope statement should be reviewed and approved by top management and should be communicated to all relevant stakeholders. It should also be reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains relevant and up to date.
ISO 27001 Documentation toolkit, ISO 27001