ISMS Audit Expert

Internal and external ISMS audit management for ISO 27001 compliance verification, security control assessment, and certification support.

Table of Contents

• Audit Program Management
• Audit Execution
• Control Assessment
• Finding Management
• Certification Support
• Tools
• References

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Audit Program Management

Risk-Based Audit Schedule

Risk Level

Audit Frequency

Examples

Critical	Quarterly	Privileged access, vulnerability management, logging
High	Semi-annual	Access control, incident response, encryption
Medium	Annual	Policies, awareness training, physical security
Low	Annual	Documentation, asset inventory

Annual Audit Planning Workflow

Review previous audit findings and risk assessment results

Identify high-risk controls and recent security incidents

Determine audit scope based on ISMS boundaries

Assign auditors ensuring independence from audited areas

Create audit schedule with resource allocation

Obtain management approval for audit plan

Validation: Audit plan covers all Annex A controls within certification cycle

Auditor Competency Requirements

• ISO 27001 Lead Auditor certification (preferred)
• No operational responsibility for audited processes
• Understanding of technical security controls
• Knowledge of applicable regulations (GDPR, HIPAA)

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Audit Execution

Pre-Audit Preparation

Review ISMS documentation (policies, SoA, risk assessment)

Analyze previous audit reports and open findings

Prepare audit plan with interview schedule

Notify auditees of audit scope and timing

Prepare checklists for controls in scope

Validation: All documentation received and reviewed before opening meeting

Audit Conduct Steps

Opening Meeting

- Confirm audit scope and objectives
- Introduce audit team and methodology
- Agree on communication channels and logistics

Evidence Collection

- Interview control owners and operators
- Review documentation and records
- Observe processes in operation
- Inspect technical configurations

Control Verification

- Test control design (does it address the risk?)
- Test control operation (is it working as intended?)
- Sample transactions and records
- Document all evidence collected

Closing Meeting

- Present preliminary findings
- Clarify any factual inaccuracies
- Agree on finding classification
- Confirm corrective action timelines

Validation: All controls in scope assessed with documented evidence

Evidence Collection Methods

Method

Use Case

Example

Inquiry	Process understanding	Interview Security Manager about incident response
Observation	Operational verification	Watch visitor sign-in process
Inspection	Documentation review	Check access approval records
Re-performance	Control testing	Attempt login with weak password

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Control Assessment

ISO 27002 Control Categories

Organizational Controls (A.5):

• Information security policies


• Roles and responsibilities


• Segregation of duties


• Contact with authorities


• Threat intelligence


• Information security in projects

People Controls (A.6):

• Screening and background checks


• Employment terms and conditions


• Security awareness and training


• Disciplinary process


• Remote working security

Physical Controls (A.7):

• Physical security perimeters


• Physical entry controls


• Securing offices and facilities


• Physical security monitoring


• Equipment protection

Technological Controls (A.8):

• User endpoint devices


• Privileged access rights


• Access restriction


• Secure authentication


• Malware protection


• Vulnerability management


• Backup and recovery


• Logging and monitoring


• Network security


• Cryptography

Control Testing Approach

Identify control objective from ISO 27002

Determine testing method (inquiry, observation, inspection, re-performance)

Define sample size based on population and risk

Execute test and document results

Evaluate control effectiveness

Validation: Evidence supports conclusion about control status

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Finding Management

Finding Classification

Severity

Definition

Response Time

Major Nonconformity	Control failure creating significant risk	30 days
Minor Nonconformity	Isolated deviation with limited impact	90 days
Observation	Improvement opportunity	Next audit cycle

Finding Documentation Template

Finding ID: ISMS-[YEAR]-[NUMBER]
Control Reference: A.X.X - [Control Name]
Severity: [Major/Minor/Observation]

Evidence:
- [Specific evidence observed]
- [Records reviewed]
- [Interview statements]

Risk Impact:
- [Potential consequences if not addressed]

Root Cause:
- [Why the nonconformity occurred]

Recommendation:
- [Specific corrective action steps]

Corrective Action Workflow

Auditee acknowledges finding and severity

Root cause analysis completed within 10 days

Corrective action plan submitted with target dates

Actions implemented by responsible parties

Auditor verifies effectiveness of corrections

Finding closed with evidence of resolution

Validation: Root cause addressed, recurrence prevented

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Certification Support

Stage 1 Audit Preparation

Ensure documentation is complete:

• ○ISMS scope statement


• ○Information security policy (management signed)


• ○Statement of Applicability


• ○Risk assessment methodology and results


• ○Risk treatment plan


• ○Internal audit results (past 12 months)


• ○Management review minutes

Stage 2 Audit Preparation

Verify operational readiness:

• ○All Stage 1 findings addressed


• ○ISMS operational for minimum 3 months


• ○Evidence of control implementation


• ○Security awareness training records


• ○Incident response evidence (if applicable)


• ○Access review documentation

Surveillance Audit Cycle

Period

Focus

Year 1, Q2	High-risk controls, Stage 2 findings follow-up
Year 1, Q4	Continual improvement, control sample
Year 2, Q2	Full surveillance
Year 2, Q4	Re-certification preparation

Validation: No major nonconformities at surveillance audits.

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Tools

scripts/

Script

Purpose

Usage

isms_audit_scheduler.py

Generate risk-based audit plans

python scripts/isms_audit_scheduler.py --year 2025 --format markdown

Audit Planning Example

# Generate annual audit plan
python scripts/isms_audit_scheduler.py --year 2025 --output audit_plan.json

# With custom control risk ratings
python scripts/isms_audit_scheduler.py --controls controls.csv --format markdown

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References

File

Content

iso27001-audit-methodology.md	Audit program structure, pre-audit phase, certification support
security-control-testing.md	Technical verification procedures for ISO 27002 controls
cloud-security-audit.md	Cloud provider assessment, configuration security, IAM review

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Audit Performance Metrics

KPI

Target

Measurement

Audit plan completion	100%	Audits completed vs. planned
Finding closure rate	>90% within SLA	Closed on time vs. total
Major nonconformities	0 at certification	Count per certification cycle
Audit effectiveness	Incidents prevented	Security improvements implemented

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Compliance Framework Integration

Framework

ISMS Audit Relevance

GDPR	A.5.34 Privacy, A.8.10 Information deletion
HIPAA	Access controls, audit logging, encryption
PCI DSS	Network security, access control, monitoring
SOC 2	Trust Services Criteria mapped to ISO 27002