ISO/IEC 27021:2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 27021
First edition
2017-10
Information technology — Security
techniques — Competence
requirements for information security
management systems professionals
Technologies de l'information — Tecniques de sécurité — Exigences
de compétence pour les professionnels de la gestion des systèmes de
management de la sécurité
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2017
© ISO/IEC 2017, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Concept and structure . 1
4.1 General . 1
4.2 Concept of ISMS competence . 2
4.3 Structure of ISMS competence . 2
4.4 Demonstration of competence . 3
4.5 Structure of this document . 3
5 Business management competence for ISMS Professionals . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Competence: Leadership . 3
5.3 Competence: Communication . 4
5.4 Competence: Business Strategy and ISMS . 4
5.5 Competence: Organization design, culture, behaviour and stakeholder management . 5
5.6 Competence: Process design and organizational change management . 5
5.7 Competence: Human Resource, team and individual management. 6
5.8 Competence: Risk management . 6
5.9 Competence: Resource management . 7
5.10 Competence: Information systems architecture . 7
5.11 Competence: Project and portfolio management . 8
5.12 Competence: Supplier management . 8
5.13 Competence: Problem management . 8
6 Information security competence for ISMS professionals . 9
6.1 ISMS Competence: Information Security . 9
6.1.1 General. 9
6.1.2 Competence: Information security governance . 9
6.1.3 Competence: Context of the organization . 9
6.2 ISMS Competence: Information Security Planning .10
6.2.1 General.10
6.2.2 Competence: Scope of ISMS .10
6.2.3 Competence: Information security risk assessment and treatment .11
6.3 ISMS Competence: Information Security Operation .11
6.3.1 General.11
6.3.2 Competence: Information security operations .12
6.4 ISMS Competence: Information Security Support .12
6.4.1 General.12
6.4.2 Competence: Information security awareness, education and training .13
6.4.3 Competence: Documentation .13
6.5 ISMS Competence: Information Security Performance evaluation.13
6.5.1 General.13
6.5.2 Competence: ISMS monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation .14
6.5.3 Competence: ISMS auditing .14
6.5.4 Competence: Management review .15
6.6 ISMS Competence: Information Security Improvement.15
6.6.1 General.15
6.6.2 Competence: Continual improvement.15
6.6.3 Competence: Technological trends and developments .16
Annex A (informative) Including knowledge for ISMS professionals as part of a body
of knowledge .17
© ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved iii

Bibliography .21
iv © ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the
work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee,
ISO/IEC JTC 1.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 27, IT Security techniques.
© ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved v

Introduction
This document is intended for use by:
a) individuals who would like to demonstrate their competence as information security management
system (ISMS) professionals, or who wish to understand and accomplish the competence required
for working in this area, as well as wishing to broaden their knowledge,
b) organizations seeking potential ISMS professional candidates to define the competence required
for positions in ISMS related roles,
c) bodies to develop certification for ISMS professionals which need a body of knowledge (BOK) for
examination sources, and
d) organizations for education and training, such as universities and vocational institutions, to align
their syllabuses and courses to the competence requirements for ISMS professionals.
This document should be read and used in conjunction with ISO/IEC 27001.
vi © ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 27021:2017(E)
Information technology — Security techniques —
Competence requirements for information security
management systems professionals
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements of competence for ISMS professionals leading or involved in
establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving one or more information security
management system processes that conforms to ISO/IEC 27001.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 27000, Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management
systems — Overview and vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 27000 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
competence
ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17024:2012, 3.6]
3.2
information security management system prof
...