Introduction

In today’s complex world of cybersecurity, simply knowing who looks at your company’s data, when they do it, and why, isn’t just a good idea—it’s absolutely crucial for any sound information security system. For organizations aiming to get or keep their ISO/IEC 27001 certification, keeping a close eye on data access is a fundamental step.

ISO 27001 and Data Access Tracking

ISO/IEC 27001 is a globally recognized standard for managing how information is kept secure. Among its many requirements, it really stresses careful control and monitoring of who can get to your data. These points are mainly covered under:

Access Control (Clause A.9)

• A.9.2.3 – Management of Privileged Access Rights: Organizations need to manage and watch how privileged accounts are used—think administrator accounts that have special access to sensitive information.

• A.9.4.4 – Use of Secret Authentication Information: All access activities, like when someone logs in, how long they stay logged in, and when they log out, must be recorded. This helps you reliably track who accessed what and when.

Logging & Monitoring (Clause A.12)

• A.12.4.1 – Event Logging: This asks for records of user actions, including:

• The user’s identity (who got to the data)
• What exactly they looked at or used
• When it happened (with timestamps)
• What they did (like reading, changing, or deleting something)
• A.12.4.3 – Administrator and Operator Logs: This calls for detailed records of what administrators do, such as changing system settings or giving someone more permissions.
• A.12.7.1 – Information Systems Audit Controls: These records must be protected so no one can mess with them, and they need to be easily available for audits.

Why It Matters

Meeting Regulations: Many laws and rules, like GDPR and HIPAA, require you to show proof that you’re protecting data. Keeping good logs is a big part of meeting those requirements.

Accountability: Data access logs are like a digital trail. They make it clear who did what with which data, which helps everyone in the organization handle information responsibly.

Security Investigations: If something goes wrong—a security incident, for example—having detailed logs means you can quickly figure out what happened, find the root cause, and limit any damage.

Practical Steps to Meet These Requirements

To truly meet these ISO 27001 requirements, organizations should think about putting these good practices into action:

• Manage permissions carefully: Set up a system where access to data and systems is only given based on what someone truly needs for their job. This helps make sure no one has more access than they should.
• Bring information together: It’s helpful to gather security-related information from all your systems and applications into one clear, central place. This makes it much easier to keep an eye on things, look for patterns, and pull up details for audits.
• Spot unusual activity early: Set up ways to automatically process the information you collect. This means you can get alerts about anything unusual or suspicious happening as quickly as possible.
• Understand normal behavior: Try to establish what “normal” looks like for how people and systems usually act. When something deviates from that, it could signal a security concern or someone using access they shouldn’t.
• Review and check regularly: Have your security teams routinely go over access records to find potential issues. It’s also important to make sure these records are easy to get to when you have internal or external audits.
• Keep records safe: Make sure your important records are stored in a way that prevents anyone from changing or deleting them without permission. This keeps them trustworthy for investigations and when you need to prove compliance.

Final Thoughts

Not keeping thorough records of data access doesn’t just risk non-compliance with ISO 27001; it also leaves your organization more vulnerable to insider threats, data breaches, and potential legal problems. Weaving strong access logging into your information security system isn’t just about checking off boxes—it’s about making sure your data security is tough, clear, and ready for any audit.

Stay informed. Stay compliant. Stay secure. Keep following our blog for more insights and the latest in cybersecurity news.

References: 

References

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 — Information security management systems. International Organization for Standardization. Published October 25, 2022. Available at: https://www.iso.org/standard/27001