ISO 27001:2022 Controls Explained: A Practical Guide

In today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, organizations must prioritize audit

readiness to ensure compliance, maintain financial transparency, and strengthen internal controls. Audit readiness is more than just preparing for periodic inspections—it’s an ongoing process of tracking risks, maintaining accurate records, and improving security measures.

This blog explores the updated ISO 27001:2022 security controls, their categories, key

changes, and how Compass by CyRAACS ensures continuous audit preparedness.

Understanding ISO 27001:2022 Controls

ISO 27001:2022 defines 93 security controls, categorized into four domains to streamline information security management.

1. Organizational Controls

These controls cover policies, procedures, and governance structures that ensure

information security. Key aspects include:

• Incident Management: Frameworks for responding to security breaches.
• Risk Management: Assessing and mitigating potential threats.
• Asset Management: Ensuring proper classification and protection of data assets.

2. People Controls

Security awareness and personnel management are at the heart of this category.

• Employee & Contractor Training: Enhancing cybersecurity awareness.
• Role-Based Access Control: Restricting access based on responsibilities.

3. Physical Controls

Organizations must secure their infrastructure against unauthorized access and environmental threats.

• Access Controls: Restricting entry to critical areas.
• Security Monitoring: Implementing surveillance and alarms.
• Environmental Protection: Safeguarding data centers from physical hazards like fire and water damage.

4. Technological Controls

Technical Defenses ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data.

• Encryption & Cryptography: Securing sensitive information.
• Access Control Mechanisms: Implementing authentication and authorization measures.
• Data Loss Prevention: Protecting against unauthorized data access and leaks.

Key Changes in ISO 27001:2022

ISO 27001:2022 introduces several important updates to enhance cybersecurity measures.

1. Introduction of 11 New Controls

New controls address emerging cybersecurity concerns, including:

• Threat Intelligence: Utilizing cybersecurity insights to proactively manage risks.
• Cloud Security: Securing cloud-based systems and services.
• ICT Readiness for Business Continuity: Ensuring IT infrastructure resilience during disruptions.
• Data Masking: Replacing sensitive data with anonymized versions to prevent unauthorized access.

2. Merged Controls for Simplicity

The previous version (ISO 27001:2013) included 114 controls, but ISO 27001:2022

reduces the number to 93, consolidating 56 controls into 24 to improve usability.

3. Five Attribute Classification System

Controls are now categorized using five key attributes, helping organizations assess

their cybersecurity strategies more effectively:

• Control Type: Preventive, Detective, or Corrective measures.
• Information Security Properties: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability.
• Cybersecurity Concepts: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover.
• Operational Capabilities: Practical security implementation.
• Security Domains: Classification based on the nature of the threat.

How COMPASS by CyRAACS Ensures Continuous Audit Readiness

COMPASS by CyRAACS is a compliance and risk management platform designed to help

organizations stay audit-ready at all times. It simplifies compliance tracking, risk assessments, and documentation management, ensuring businesses meet regulatory requirements efficiently.

Key Benefits of COMPASS by CyRAACS:

1. Unified Compliance Management

• Supports global standards including ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2, NIST, GDPR, RBI, IRDAI, SEBI, UIDAI, and PDPL.
• Provides an integrated compliance framework, ensuring businesses always stay audit-ready.

2. Automated Audit Tracking & Reporting

• Offers real-time visibility into compliance status across departments.
• Automates audit workflows, reducing manual efforts.
• Generates high-quality audit reports, simplifying regulatory reviews.

3. Integrated Risk Assessment & Management

• Identifies and prioritizes risks efficiently.
• Provides pre-designed control libraries based on 30+ global standards.
• Enables continuous monitoring and security validation.

4. Issue & Exception Tracking

• Tracks compliance gaps and ensures timely resolution before an audit.
• Improves accountability across teams.

5.Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM)

• Assesses vendor risks, ensuring third-party compliance.
• Automates due diligence and reporting.

6.Efficiency & Cost Savings

• Reduces manual compliance efforts by up to 50%.
• Cuts compliance costs by 30%, enhancing operational efficiency.
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Conclusion

With cyber threats evolving rapidly, organizations must strengthen their security posture

using ISO 27001:2022’s enhanced controls. The latest revisions streamline risk management, ensuring businesses effectively protect their assets, comply with regulations, and stay ahead of cyber adversaries.

By leveraging COMPASS by CyRAACS, businesses can automate compliance, track risks

efficiently, and ensure they are always audit-ready, no matter the regulatory

landscape.

Would you like insights on how your organization can implement these controls effectively? Let’s explore further