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IEC 27002 for cloud services (first edition)

Abstract

“ISO/IEC 27017:2015 gives guidelines for information security controls applicable to the provision and use of cloud services by providing: additional implementation guidance for relevant controls specified in ISO/IEC 27002; additional controls with implementation guidance that specifically relate to cloud services. This Recommendation | International Standard provides controls and implementation guidance for both cloud service providers and cloud service customers.”

[Source: ISO/IEC 27017:2015/ITU-T X.1631]

Introduction

This standard provides guidance on the information security aspects of cloud computing, recommending and assisting with the implementation of cloud-specific information security controls supplementing the guidance in ISO/IEC 27002:2013 and other ISO27k standards.

Scope and purpose

The code of practice provides additional information security controls implementation advice beyond that provided in ISO/IEC 27002:2013, in the cloud computing context.

The standard advises both cloud service customers and cloud service providers, with the primary guidance laid out side-by-side in each section. For instance, section 6.1.1 on information security roles and responsibilities says, in addition to section 6.1.1 of ISO/IEC 27002:2013:

Cloud service customer

Cloud service provider

The cloud service customer should agree with the cloud service provider on an appropriate allocation of information security roles and responsibilities, and confirm that it can fulfil its allocated roles and responsibilities. The information security roles and responsibilities of both parties should be stated in an agreement. The cloud service customer should identify and manage its relationship with the customer support and care function of the cloud service provider.

The cloud service provider should agree and document an appropriate allocation of information security roles and responsibilities with its cloud service customers, its cloud service providers, and its suppliers.

Other information for cloud computing

Even when responsibilities are determined within and between the parties, the cloud service customer is accountable for the decision to use the service. That decision should be made according to the roles and responsibilities determined within the cloud service customer’s organisation. The cloud service provider is accountable for the information security stated as part of the cloud service agreement. The information security implementation and provisioning ... [read the standard for the full text!]

Normative standards

The standard cites ISO/IEC 27000 and ISO/IEC 27002:2013, of course, plus ISO/IEC 17788 (Cloud computing - Overview and vocabulary) and ISO/IEC 17789 (Cloud computing - Reference architecture). Curiously, although ISO/IEC 27001 is noted in the bibliography, it is not considered ‘normative’ i.e. essential reading: although unusual, it is possible to adopt the information security controls recommended by ISO/IEC 27002 without also having an ISMS.

Status of the standard

The current first edition was published in 2015. Having been developed jointly by ISO/IEC and ITU-T, the standard is dual-numbered as both ISO/IEC 27017 and ITU-T X.1631 with identical content.

Work on a second edition started in 2022. It will be updated to “capture a full set of guidance for information security controls applicable to cloud services, both from the third [2022] edition of ISO/IEC 27002 and any additional controls specific related specifically to cloud services.”

ISO/IEC SC 27 and SC 38, ITU-T SG17 and the Cloud Security Alliance are collaborating on the revision, requiring careful scheduling to coordinate several parallel activities.

Substantial changes are coming in the second edition of this standard, due in 2025.

The title will become “Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection - Information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002 for cloud services”. It is at Draft International Standard stage, and will hopefully receive comments from ITU-T SG17 before completion and publication in 2025 or 2026.

Personal comments

In my opinion, ISO/IEC 27017:2015 takes an unrealistically simplistic view of cloud service provider and customer relationships as individual one-to-one interactions. In reality, cloud services are often provided by multiple suppliers to multiple clients in different organisations, and nothing remains static for long. In practice, inter-organisational business relationships often extend through complex cloud supply chains or supply networks, with multiple parties involved in collaborating to assemble, deliver and manage cloud services (e.g. network, data centre, physical servers, virtual servers, operating systems, DBMSs and other layered software, applications, and all the associated services). Consequently, there are numerous supplier-customer relationship risks to manage, such as organisational interdependence, contracting and subcontracting, complexity, dynamics and compliance. There are risk visibility and trust issues, resourcing challenges, commercial angles, technological challenges and more to contend with. Cloud-related information risks are cloudy!

Risk treatments for cloud and other information risks may include risk sharing, avoidance and acceptance - not just risk mitigation using security controls. Neither ISO/IEC 27017:2015 nor ISO/IEC 27002 pay sufficient attention to risk treatments other than mitigation using security controls. Having missed the change to update ‘27002, updating this standard is, I feel, an opportunity to redress the balance in the cloud domain.

Particularly for small or immature organizations, cloud services providing email, file storage and office apps etc. may be treated as mere commodities, procured without adequate consideration of information risk, security, privacy etc. However, some cloud services may be critical for core business, and cloud generally increases the organisation’s attack surface. [This issue may be more relevant to ISO/IEC 27005 and ISO/IEC 27036.]

Cloud services have widely proven their value for resilience and flexible working through COVID. Whereas the COVID crisis is nearly over, there are general principles and lessons here that can help organisations be better prepared to cope with future widespread/global challenges such as further pandemics, wars, Internet connectivity issues etc. Our challenge now is to draw them out, consider and embed them where appropriate - possibly in this standard.

The standard has widespread support from ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27, ITU-T SG17, national standards bodies and CSA among others. However, aligning disparate perspectives and objectives while remaining within the defined scope of the current update project is tricky.

SC 27 decided not to progress a separate cloud information security management system specification standard, judging that ISO/IEC 27001 is sufficient and given pressure from ISO not to proliferate Management Systems Standards ‘unnecessarily’. Therefore, SC 27 does not intend to develop a formal requirements specification standard against which to certify the security of cloud service providers specifically. Providers can however be certified against ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27701 and other standards in the usual way, while there are non-ISO cloud security assessment and certification, classification, benchmarking or assurance schemes such as CSA STAR.

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