These three options represent valid audit trails for control 5.7, as they are aligned with the control’s requirements and objectives. According to the web search results from my predefined tool, control 5.7 requires organisations to collect and analyse information relating to information security threats and use that information to take mitigation actions12. The control also specifies that threat intelligence should be relevant, perceptive, contextual, and actionable, and that it should be used to prevent, detect, or respond to threats34. Therefore, the auditor should verify how the organisation collects, analyses, and produces threat intelligence, how it uses threat intelligence to protect its information assets, and how it monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of its threat intelligence arrangements. The other options are not valid audit trails, as they are either irrelevant, incorrect, or incomplete. For example:
•The task of producing threat intelligence is not assigned to the organisation’s internal audit team, but to the person or team responsible for the ISMS, such as the information security manager or the information security committee5 .
•The organisation’s risk assessment process does not begin with effective threat intelligence, but with the identification of the context, scope, and objectives of the ISMS . Threat intelligence is an input for the risk identification and analysis, but not the starting point of the risk assessment process.
•Speaking to top management to make sure all staff are aware of the importance of reporting threats is not sufficient to audit the control, as it does not address how the organisation collects, analyses, and produces threat intelligence, nor how it uses it to take mitigation actions. The auditor should also speak to the staff involved in the threat intelligence process, and review the relevant documents and records.
•Checking that the organisation has a fully documented threat intelligence process is not enough to audit the control, as it does not verify the implementation and effectiveness of the process. The auditor should also observe the process in action, and examine the outputs and outcomes of the process.
•Determining whether internal and external sources of information are used in the production of threat intelligence is a partial audit trail, as it only covers one aspect of the control. The auditor should also assess the quality, reliability, and relevance of the sources, and how the information is analysed and used.
[References: = 1: ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.7 – Threat Intelligence - ISMS.online12: ISO 27001 Annex A 5.7 Threat Intelligence - High Table23: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements, clause A.5.74: ISO 27002 Emphasizes Need For Threat Intelligence - Rapid745: ISO/IEC 27007:2011 Information technology — Security techniques — Guidelines for information security management systems auditing, clause 6.3.2. : ISO 27001 Statement of Applicability [Updated 2024] - Sprinto3 : ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements, clause 6.1.1. : ISO 27001 Requirement 6.1.1 – Actions to address risks and opportunities | ISMS.online1, , , ]
