October 13, 2025 • 16 mins
The 2022 revision of ISO 27001 and 27002 modernized the framework to reflect today’s digital threat landscape. The control set was condensed from 114 to 93 by merging overlaps and aligning to four themes—Organizational, People, Physical, and Technological. Eleven brand-new controls were introduced, covering areas like threat intelligence, cloud services, ICT readiness for business continuity, and secure coding. The goal was to simplify mapping, reduce redundancy, and improve flexibility for hybrid environments. For certification candidates, grasping these structural updates and terminology shifts is essential, since auditors now expect familiarity with both legacy and current numbering.
During transition, organizations have until 2025 to migrate evidence and documentation to the updated framework. Practically, this means revising Statements of Applicability, re-evaluating risk treatments, and updating policy references. Candidates should understand how the new controls address emerging risks such as cloud supply chains, data leakage prevention, and monitoring. Exam questions may present legacy control identifiers and require mapping them to new equivalents, testing comprehension of continuity across versions. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
The 2022 revision of ISO 27001 and its companion standard, ISO 27002, marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of global information security management. Nearly a decade had passed since the 2013 version, and in that time the digital environment had transformed dramatically. The explosive rise of cloud computing, remote work, Internet of Things devices, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats made the earlier edition feel outdated. Organizations around the world were facing new operational realities, and ISO recognized that the framework needed modernization to remain relevant. The revision was designed not only to respond to emerging risks but also to make the standards more accessible and streamlined. It aimed to preserve the foundational principles of the ISMS while aligning them with a faster, more connected, and more data-driven world.
(00:54):
A major structural change introduced in the 2022 edition was the reduction of control count from 114 to 93. At first glance, this appeared to be a simplification, but the change was more strategic than numerical. Many of the original controls overlapped or addressed similar goals under different headings, which often led to confusion and redundancy during implementation. ISO’s approach was to consolidate overlapping requirements and retire those that no longer reflected modern practices, such as controls referring to outdated technologies. This reduction brought greater clarity and cohesion to the catalog, ensuring that each control served a distinct and purposeful function. The leaner structure also makes implementation and auditing more efficient, helping organizations focus on effectiveness and integration rather than volume.
Alongside the streamlined control count came a completely new way of organizing them. The previous structure—divided into 14 control domains—was replaced with four broad themes (01:44):
people, organizational, technological, and physical. This was one of the most visible and meaningful shifts in the revision. The new thematic model mirrors how security functions actually operate in the real world, grouping controls according to where they are applied rather than by historical categories. The “people” theme captures behavioral and cultural controls; “organizational” focuses on governance and management; “technological” addresses digital safeguards; and “physical” ensures environmental and facility protection. This reorganization makes it easier for teams to communicate and prioritize efforts, aligning technical security concepts with language that resonates across business and leadership levels.
(02:37):
Perhaps the most forward-looking part of the 2022 revision was the addition of eleven new controls. These inclusions represent areas of growing importance in modern cybersecurity, such as threat intelligence, secure coding, data masking, monitoring activities, and information security for cloud services. Their introduction reflects ISO’s recognition that the digital threat landscape has shifted from static defense toward adaptive, intelligence-led security. The addition of a control on ICT readiness for business continuity, for example, formalized the need to ensure technological resilience during disruptions—an essential factor in today’s hybrid and cloud-based environments. By expanding into these domains, ISO not only acknowledged emerging risks but also gave organizations a framework for proactive defense and operational resilience in a rapidly changing world.
(03:28):
A significant conceptual improvement in the 2022 version was the introduction of attributes within ISO 27002. Each control was tagged with descriptive categories—such as control type, information security properties, and operational capabilities—that provide deeper context and flexibility. These attributes enable organizations to tailor their control sets based on priorities like confidentiality, integrity, or availability. They also facilitate cross-referencing with other frameworks such as NIST CSF or CIS Controls, making integration and benchmarking far easier. This innovation turned ISO 27002 from a static list into a dynamic tool, helping practitioners visualize relationships among controls and apply them more strategically. For global organizations managing multiple frameworks, these attributes created an invaluable bridge for mapping and harmonization.
(04:23):
The 2022 revision also had major implications for how organizations manage their Statements of Applicability, or SoAs. Since Annex A was revised and controls were consolidated or renumbered, every certified organization had to reassess its SoA in light of the new structure. This wasn’t a simple renaming exercise—it required revisiting the rationale for why certain controls were included or excluded. ISO’s updated guidance encouraged organizations to make the SoA a truly risk-driven document, linking every decision directly to the results of their risk assessments. The result was a clearer and more defensible alignment between business risks and selected controls. By simplifying justification requirements, the new SoA format reduced administrative burden while improving transparency for auditors and stakeholders alike.
(05:13):
The transition period for the 2022 update reflected ISO’s understanding of the practical challenges organizations face in adapting to change. Certified entities were given a three-year window to migrate from the 2013 version, ensuring ample time for planning and implementation. Accreditation bodies provided supporting documentation, training, and migration checklists to guide this process. However, while ISO allowed flexibility, market realities often accelerated the pace. Many client contracts, vendor requirements, and regulatory reviews began demanding early adoption of the 2022 structure. As a result, some organizations treated the transition not as a compliance deadline but as a competitive opportunity to demonstrate leadership and maturity in their security posture. This dynamic created a global wave of modernization across the certification landscape.
(06:07):
For implementers, the update brought a blend of administrative effort and strategic renewal. Transitioning required revisiting the organization’s risk assessment framework to ensure it aligned with the new control set. Policies, procedures, and control mappings had to be updated to reflect the restructured themes and numbering. Awareness and training programs needed refreshment so employees could understand how the revised framework affected their day-to-day responsibilities. Even audit teams had to redesign their checklists and evidence libraries to match the new categorization. While the changes demanded time and attention, they also offered a chance to eliminate redundant controls, modernize documentation, and strengthen links between business processes and security outcomes. The transition, when approached thoughtfully, became a catalyst for broader organizational improvement.
(06:56):
The 2022 revision thus represented a forward-looking recalibration of the ISO 27000 family, balancing simplification with sophistication. It bridged traditional management principles with the realities of contemporary cybersecurity practice, introducing a more integrated and flexible foundation for the decade ahead. Rather than altering the philosophy of the ISMS, it refined its execution—ensuring that organizations could maintain compliance while embracing innovation, intelligence, and adaptability in their approach to information security management.
(07:32):
For more cyber related content and books, please check out cyber author dot me. Also, there are other prepcasts on Cybersecurity and more at Bare Metal Cyber dot com.
Across industries, the reaction to the 2022 revision was generally positive. Many practitioners welcomed the simplification of the control set and the clarity provided by the new thematic structure. For organizations that had struggled to translate the 2013 framework into plain business language, the revised version felt far more intuitive. However, the transition also created short-term challenges. Updating documentation, retraining teams, and revalidating control effectiveness demanded both time and resources. Vendors and consultants saw a surge in demand for migration support, especially among smaller organizations seeking guidance on how to realign their ISMS efficiently. Despite these temporary hurdles, the consensus across sectors—from financial institutions to healthcare and manufacturing—was that the 2022 revision represented a more modern, accessible, and adaptable foundation for global information security governance.
(08:41):
A closer comparison between the old and new structures reveals how significantly ISO modernized its approach. The 2013 standard divided controls into 14 domains, which many found too granular and sometimes redundant. The 2022 edition streamlined these into four higher-level themes, making it easier to group related controls and reduce overlap. This thematic arrangement not only simplified implementation but also made cross-framework integration smoother. The clearer grouping supports better communication across departments—technical, operational, and executive alike—because each theme reflects a functional area of responsibility. It also enhances business relevance, aligning security management with operational realities rather than abstract categories. The shift away from the older domain model signals ISO’s ongoing commitment to making information security more strategic and comprehensible to non-technical decision-makers.
(09:41):
Integration with other frameworks was another major outcome of the 2022 revision. The inclusion of control attributes makes it easier to align ISO 27001 with other widely used standards and guidelines. Organizations mapping to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework can now more directly associate ISO controls with NIST categories like “Protect,” “Detect,” and “Respond.” Similarly, the updated ISO structure complements the latest versions of the CIS Critical Security Controls and aligns naturally with ISO 22301 for business continuity. Privacy-oriented organizations also benefit, as the new framework dovetails smoothly with ISO 27701 for data protection management. This harmonization simplifies multi-framework compliance and helps reduce redundancy in organizations that maintain multiple certifications. The shared structure reinforces a holistic approach—security, privacy, and continuity all working as integrated disciplines rather than siloed efforts.
One of the most widely discussed additions in 2022 was the introduction of the “Threat Intelligence” control. This inclusion formally recognized the importance of intelligence-led defense in modern cybersecurity. The control encourages organizations to actively monitor the external environment for emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and patterns of attack. Rather than relying solely on reactive defenses, organizations are expected to integrate threat intelligence into their incident response, risk assessments, and strategic planning. This forward-looking approach reflects a shift in mindset (10:44):
information security is no longer only about protecting assets within known boundaries but also about anticipating risks before they materialize. The control’s presence in ISO 27002 aligns with industry best practices that prioritize proactive awareness, such as continuous threat monitoring and intelligence sharing with trusted partners.
(11:39):
Another new control that drew attention was “ICT Readiness for Business Continuity.” This concept expands on the traditional focus of business continuity planning by emphasizing technological resilience. It ensures that information and communication systems can recover quickly during cyber incidents or physical disruptions. The control encourages organizations to test system recovery, maintain redundancy, and validate cloud service resilience in line with continuity objectives. This addition highlights the growing interdependence between IT infrastructure and business operations—especially in hybrid, remote, and cloud-based environments. By connecting ICT readiness to overall continuity planning, ISO bridged a long-standing gap between security management and operational resilience, reinforcing that cybersecurity and business continuity must function as two sides of the same coin.
(12:31):
Equally transformative was the new control addressing secure coding and development practices. In response to widespread incidents involving software vulnerabilities and supply chain attacks, ISO elevated secure development from a technical best practice to a formal management expectation. The control promotes integration of security requirements throughout the software lifecycle, from design and coding to deployment and maintenance. It also acknowledges the realities of modern development environments, including DevOps and agile methodologies, where speed must coexist with assurance. Organizations are encouraged to establish secure coding standards, perform regular code reviews, and monitor dependencies within third-party libraries. This marks a major step toward embedding security earlier in the lifecycle—treating resilience as a design principle rather than a post-release fix.
(13:23):
The strategic implications of the 2022 revision reach beyond technical control updates. For many organizations, the revision created an opportunity to modernize legacy documentation, clarify responsibilities, and refocus their ISMS on business outcomes. The new structure supports clearer communication between security professionals and senior management, making it easier to connect controls with organizational goals. It also encourages closer collaboration across functions such as compliance, privacy, risk, and IT. By simplifying the structure and emphasizing attributes, the standard allows faster adaptation to future changes—whether in technology, regulation, or threat landscape. For forward-thinking organizations, this evolution transforms ISO 27001 from a compliance exercise into a strategic governance tool capable of guiding long-term resilience and trust.
(14:19):
The 2022 revision of ISO 27001 and 27002 thus reshaped how information security is organized, communicated, and executed. It introduced fewer but more meaningful controls, streamlined structure, and clarified linkages across frameworks. New inclusions like threat intelligence, ICT readiness, and secure development reflect the realities of today’s interconnected world. Together, these updates form a refreshed baseline for the next generation of ISMS—one designed not just to manage compliance, but to anticipate and adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape.
The 2022 revision of ISO 27001 and its companion standard, ISO 27002, marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of global information security management. Nearly a decade had passed since the 2013 version, and in that time the digital environment had transformed dramatically. The explosive rise of cloud computing, remote work, Internet of Things devices, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats made the earlier edition feel outdated. Organizations around the world were facing new operational realities, and ISO recognized that the framework needed modernization to remain relevant. The revision was designed not only to respond to emerging risks but also to make the standards more accessible and streamlined. It aimed to preserve the foundational principles of the ISMS while aligning them with a faster, more connected, and more data-driven world.
(00:54):
A major structural change introduced in the 2022 edition was the reduction of control count from 114 to 93. At first glance, this appeared to be a simplification, but the change was more strategic than numerical. Many of the original controls overlapped or addressed similar goals under different headings, which often led to confusion and redundancy during implementation. ISO’s approach was to consolidate overlapping requirements and retire those that no longer reflected modern practices, such as controls referring to outdated technologies. This reduction brought greater clarity and cohesion to the catalog, ensuring that each control served a distinct and purposeful function. The leaner structure also makes implementation and auditing more efficient, helping organizations focus on effectiveness and integration rather than volume.
Alongside the streamlined control count came a completely new way of organizing them. The previous structure—divided into 14 control domains—was replaced with four broad themes (01:44):
people, organizational, technological, and physical. This was one of the most visible and meaningful shifts in the revision. The new thematic model mirrors how security functions actually operate in the real world, grouping controls according to where they are applied rather than by historical categories. The “people” theme captures behavioral and cultural controls; “organizational” focuses on governance and management; “technological” addresses digital safeguards; and “physical” ensures environmental and facility protection. This reorganization makes it easier for teams to communicate and prioritize efforts, aligning technical security concepts with language that resonates across business and leadership levels.
(02:37):
Perhaps the most forward-looking part of the 2022 revision was the addition of eleven new controls. These inclusions represent areas of growing importance in modern cybersecurity, such as threat intelligence, secure coding, data masking, monitoring activities, and information security for cloud services. Their introduction reflects ISO’s recognition that the digital threat landscape has shifted from static defense toward adaptive, intelligence-led security. The addition of a control on ICT readiness for business continuity, for example, formalized the need to ensure technological resilience during disruptions—an essential factor in today’s hybrid and cloud-based environments. By expanding into these domains, ISO not only acknowledged emerging risks but also gave organizations a framework for proactive defense and operational resilience in a rapidly changing world.
(03:28):
A significant conceptual improvement in the 2022 version was the introduction of attributes within ISO 27002. Each control was tagged with descriptive categories—such as control type, information security properties, and operational capabilities—that provide deeper context and flexibility. These attributes enable organizations to tailor their control sets based on priorities like confidentiality, integrity, or availability. They also facilitate cross-referencing with other frameworks such as NIST CSF or CIS Controls, making integration and benchmarking far easier. This innovation turned ISO 27002 from a static list into a dynamic tool, helping practitioners visualize relationships among controls and apply them more strategically. For global organizations managing multiple frameworks, these attributes created an invaluable bridge for mapping and harmonization.
(04:23):
The 2022 revision also had major implications for how organizations manage their Statements of Applicability, or SoAs. Since Annex A was revised and controls were consolidated or renumbered, every certified organization had to reassess its SoA in light of the new structure. This wasn’t a simple renaming exercise—it required revisiting the rationale for why certain controls were included or excluded. ISO’s updated guidance encouraged organizations to make the SoA a truly risk-driven document, linking every decision directly to the results of their risk assessments. The result was a clearer and more defensible alignment between business risks and selected controls. By simplifying justification requirements, the new SoA format reduced administrative burden while improving transparency for auditors and stakeholders alike.
(05:13):
The transition period for the 2022 update reflected ISO’s understanding of the practical challenges organizations face in adapting to change. Certified entities were given a three-year window to migrate from the 2013 version, ensuring ample time for planning and implementation. Accreditation bodies provided supporting documentation, training, and migration checklists to guide this process. However, while ISO allowed flexibility, market realities often accelerated the pace. Many client contracts, vendor requirements, and regulatory reviews began demanding early adoption of the 2022 structure. As a result, some organizations treated the transition not as a compliance deadline but as a competitive opportunity to demonstrate leadership and maturity in their security posture. This dynamic created a global wave of modernization across the certification landscape.
(06:07):
For implementers, the update brought a blend of administrative effort and strategic renewal. Transitioning required revisiting the organization’s risk assessment framework to ensure it aligned with the new control set. Policies, procedures, and control mappings had to be updated to reflect the restructured themes and numbering. Awareness and training programs needed refreshment so employees could understand how the revised framework affected their day-to-day responsibilities. Even audit teams had to redesign their checklists and evidence libraries to match the new categorization. While the changes demanded time and attention, they also offered a chance to eliminate redundant controls, modernize documentation, and strengthen links between business processes and security outcomes. The transition, when approached thoughtfully, became a catalyst for broader organizational improvement.
(06:56):
The 2022 revision thus represented a forward-looking recalibration of the ISO 27000 family, balancing simplification with sophistication. It bridged traditional management principles with the realities of contemporary cybersecurity practice, introducing a more integrated and flexible foundation for the decade ahead. Rather than altering the philosophy of the ISMS, it refined its execution—ensuring that organizations could maintain compliance while embracing innovation, intelligence, and adaptability in their approach to information security management.
(07:32):
For more cyber related content and books, please check out cyber author dot me. Also, there are other prepcasts on Cybersecurity and more at Bare Metal Cyber dot com.
Across industries, the reaction to the 2022 revision was generally positive. Many practitioners welcomed the simplification of the control set and the clarity provided by the new thematic structure. For organizations that had struggled to translate the 2013 framework into plain business language, the revised version felt far more intuitive. However, the transition also created short-term challenges. Updating documentation, retraining teams, and revalidating control effectiveness demanded both time and resources. Vendors and consultants saw a surge in demand for migration support, especially among smaller organizations seeking guidance on how to realign their ISMS efficiently. Despite these temporary hurdles, the consensus across sectors—from financial institutions to healthcare and manufacturing—was that the 2022 revision represented a more modern, accessible, and adaptable foundation for global information security governance.
(08:41):
A closer comparison between the old and new structures reveals how significantly ISO modernized its approach. The 2013 standard divided controls into 14 domains, which many found too granular and sometimes redundant. The 2022 edition streamlined these into four higher-level themes, making it easier to group related controls and reduce overlap. This thematic arrangement not only simplified implementation but also made cross-framework integration smoother. The clearer grouping supports better communication across departments—technical, operational, and executive alike—because each theme reflects a functional area of responsibility. It also enhances business relevance, aligning security management with operational realities rather than abstract categories. The shift away from the older domain model signals ISO’s ongoing commitment to making information security more strategic and comprehensible to non-technical decision-makers.
(09:41):
Integration with other frameworks was another major outcome of the 2022 revision. The inclusion of control attributes makes it easier to align ISO 27001 with other widely used standards and guidelines. Organizations mapping to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework can now more directly associate ISO controls with NIST categories like “Protect,” “Detect,” and “Respond.” Similarly, the updated ISO structure complements the latest versions of the CIS Critical Security Controls and aligns naturally with ISO 22301 for business continuity. Privacy-oriented organizations also benefit, as the new framework dovetails smoothly with ISO 27701 for data protection management. This harmonization simplifies multi-framework compliance and helps reduce redundancy in organizations that maintain multiple certifications. The shared structure reinforces a holistic approach—security, privacy, and continuity all working as integrated disciplines rather than siloed efforts.
One of the most widely discussed additions in 2022 was the introduction of the “Threat Intelligence” control. This inclusion formally recognized the importance of intelligence-led defense in modern cybersecurity. The control encourages organizations to actively monitor the external environment for emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and patterns of attack. Rather than relying solely on reactive defenses, organizations are expected to integrate threat intelligence into their incident response, risk assessments, and strategic planning. This forward-looking approach reflects a shift in mindset (10:44):
information security is no longer only about protecting assets within known boundaries but also about anticipating risks before they materialize. The control’s presence in ISO 27002 aligns with industry best practices that prioritize proactive awareness, such as continuous threat monitoring and intelligence sharing with trusted partners.
(11:39):
Another new control that drew attention was “ICT Readiness for Business Continuity.” This concept expands on the traditional focus of business continuity planning by emphasizing technological resilience. It ensures that information and communication systems can recover quickly during cyber incidents or physical disruptions. The control encourages organizations to test system recovery, maintain redundancy, and validate cloud service resilience in line with continuity objectives. This addition highlights the growing interdependence between IT infrastructure and business operations—especially in hybrid, remote, and cloud-based environments. By connecting ICT readiness to overall continuity planning, ISO bridged a long-standing gap between security management and operational resilience, reinforcing that cybersecurity and business continuity must function as two sides of the same coin.
(12:31):
Equally transformative was the new control addressing secure coding and development practices. In response to widespread incidents involving software vulnerabilities and supply chain attacks, ISO elevated secure development from a technical best practice to a formal management expectation. The control promotes integration of security requirements throughout the software lifecycle, from design and coding to deployment and maintenance. It also acknowledges the realities of modern development environments, including DevOps and agile methodologies, where speed must coexist with assurance. Organizations are encouraged to establish secure coding standards, perform regular code reviews, and monitor dependencies within third-party libraries. This marks a major step toward embedding security earlier in the lifecycle—treating resilience as a design principle rather than a post-release fix.
(13:23):
The strategic implications of the 2022 revision reach beyond technical control updates. For many organizations, the revision created an opportunity to modernize legacy documentation, clarify responsibilities, and refocus their ISMS on business outcomes. The new structure supports clearer communication between security professionals and senior management, making it easier to connect controls with organizational goals. It also encourages closer collaboration across functions such as compliance, privacy, risk, and IT. By simplifying the structure and emphasizing attributes, the standard allows faster adaptation to future changes—whether in technology, regulation, or threat landscape. For forward-thinking organizations, this evolution transforms ISO 27001 from a compliance exercise into a strategic governance tool capable of guiding long-term resilience and trust.
(14:19):
The 2022 revision of ISO 27001 and 27002 thus reshaped how information security is organized, communicated, and executed. It introduced fewer but more meaningful controls, streamlined structure, and clarified linkages across frameworks. New inclusions like threat intelligence, ICT readiness, and secure development reflect the realities of today’s interconnected world. Together, these updates form a refreshed baseline for the next generation of ISMS—one designed not just to manage compliance, but to anticipate and adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape.
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