ISO/IEC 27001 Alignment with ITIL v5
Overview
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 establishes requirements for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). ITIL v5 practices -- particularly Information Security Management -- offer the operational framework to fulfill these requirements.
How ITIL v5 Supports ISO 27001 Implementation
ISO 27001 consists of two components:
- Clauses 4-10: Management system structure and governance
- Annex A controls: 93 specific security measures across 4 themes
ITIL v5 addresses both through governance practices and operational controls.
Management System Clauses Mapping
| ISO 27001 Clause | ITIL v5 Practice(s) | Support Provided |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Context | Strategy Management, Business Analysis | Understanding organization, stakeholders, ISMS scope |
| 5. Leadership | Governance | Commitment, security policy, roles |
| 6. Planning | Risk Management, Strategy Management | Risk assessment, treatment, objectives |
| 7. Support | Knowledge Management, Workforce and Talent Management | Competence, awareness, communication |
| 8. Operation | Information Security Management, Risk Management | Risk treatment, security operations |
| 9. Performance Evaluation | Measurement and Reporting, Monitoring and Event Management | Monitoring, internal audit, review |
| 10. Improvement | Continual Improvement, Problem Management | Non-conformity, continuous improvement |
Annex A Controls Mapping (By Theme)
Theme 1: Organizational Controls (37 Controls)
| Annex A Control | ITIL v5 Practice | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A.5.1 Information security policies | Information Security Management | Published policy, review records |
| A.5.2 Roles and responsibilities | Workforce and Talent Management | Role definitions, RACI matrices |
| A.5.3 Segregation of duties | Workforce and Talent Management | Access control matrices |
| A.5.7 Threat intelligence | Monitoring and Event Management | Threat feeds, analysis reports |
| A.5.8 Security in project management | Project Management | Security requirements in documents |
| A.5.9 Asset inventory | IT Asset Management, Service Configuration Management | CMDB with security classification |
| A.5.15 Access control | Information Security Management | Access policy, periodic reviews |
| A.5.19-5.22 Supplier security | Supplier Management | Security contract clauses, assessments |
| A.5.24-5.28 Incident management | Incident Management, Problem Management | Security incident process, forensics |
| A.5.29-5.30 Business continuity readiness | Service Continuity Management | BCP/DRP, testing records |
| A.5.35 Independent review | Measurement and Reporting | Internal audit reports, assessments |
| A.5.36 Compliance monitoring | Governance | Compliance records, exceptions |
Theme 2: People Controls (8 Controls)
| Annex A Control | ITIL v5 Practice | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A.6.1 Screening | Workforce and Talent Management | Background check records |
| A.6.2 Employment terms | Workforce and Talent Management | Contracts with security clauses |
| A.6.3 Awareness and training | Workforce and Talent Management, Knowledge Management | Training records, awareness materials |
| A.6.4 Disciplinary process | Workforce and Talent Management | Documented procedures |
| A.6.5 Post-termination responsibilities | Workforce and Talent Management | Exit procedures, access revocation |
| A.6.7 Remote working | Information Security Management | Remote work policy, secure access |
Theme 3: Physical Controls (14 Controls)
| Annex A Control | ITIL v5 Practice | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A.7.1-7.4 Physical security | Infrastructure and Platform Management | Security policies, access logs |
| A.7.7 Clear desk/screen | Information Security Management | Policy documentation, compliance checks |
| A.7.9-7.11 Asset protection | IT Asset Management | Asset tracking, disposal records |
| A.7.14 Equipment disposal/reuse | IT Asset Management | Sanitization records, certificates |
Theme 4: Technological Controls (34 Controls)
| Annex A Control | ITIL v5 Practice | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A.8.1-8.4 User/endpoint management | Information Security Management | Provisioning process, MFA implementation |
| A.8.5-8.6 Authentication/capacity | Information Security Management, Capacity and Performance Management | Authentication policies, capacity plans |
| A.8.9 Configuration management | Service Configuration Management | CMDB, baselines, drift detection |
| A.8.15-8.16 Logging/monitoring | Monitoring and Event Management | Log policies, dashboards, procedures |
| A.8.25-8.31 Secure development | Software Development and Management | Code standards, reviews, scanning |
| A.8.32 Change management | Change Enablement | Process with security impact assessment |
| A.8.33 Test information | Service Validation and Testing | Test data management procedures |
| A.8.34 Audit testing protection | Measurement and Reporting | Testing procedures, data protection |
⚠️
Critical Note: ITIL does not replace ISO 27001. ITIL provides operational best practices for many security controls, but ISO 27001 also requires a formal risk assessment methodology, a Statement of Applicability (SoA), and management commitment that goes beyond ITIL's scope.
Practical Integration Approach
1. Start with ITIL Information Security Management
Implement this practice thoroughly first -- it's the largest contributor to ISO 27001 compliance.
2. Leverage Existing ITIL Processes
If Incident Management, Change Enablement, and Configuration Management exist, significant portions of Annex A are already addressed. Document the linkage.
3. Add ISO-Specific Requirements
Some ISO 27001 elements lack direct ITIL equivalents:
- Statement of Applicability (SoA): Document which Annex A controls apply or do not apply
- Risk assessment methodology: Define the approach to identifying, analyzing, and evaluating security risks
- Legal and regulatory register: Maintain applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements
- Management review minutes: Formal evidence of management review
4. Audit Preparation
- Map ITIL processes to ISO 27001 clauses and controls
- Ensure each mapped process produces auditable evidence (records, logs, reports)
- Conduct internal audits against the ISO 27001 standard
- Address all findings before certification audit
Related Pages
- ISO Standards Overview (three-framework ecosystem)
- ISO 20000 Alignment (service management standard)
- Information Security Management (ITIL practice)
- Risk Management (ITIL practice)
- Service Continuity Management (ITIL practice)
Last updated on April 2, 2026
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