Which four of the following constitute ‘internal’ issues in the context of a management system to ISO 27001:2022?

During a third-party certification audit, you are presented with a list of issues by an auditee.

Which four of the following constitute ‘internal’ issues in the context of a management system to ISO 27001:2022?
A . Higher labour costs as a result of an aging population
B . A rise in interest rates in response to high inflation
C . Poor levels of staff competence as a result of cuts in training expenditure
D . Poor morale as a result of staff holidays being reduced
E . Increased absenteeism as a result of poor management
F . A reduction in grants as a result of a change in government policy
G . A fall in productivity linked to outdated production equipment
H . Inability to source raw materials due to government sanctions

View Answer

Answer: C, D, E, G

Explanation:

According to ISO 27001:2022 clause 4.1, the organisation shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcome(s) of its information security management system (ISMS)12

External issues are factors outside the organisation that it cannot control, but can influence or adapt to. They include political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that may affect the organisation’s information security objectives, risks, and opportunities12

Internal issues are factors within the organisation that it can control or change. They include the organisation’s structure, culture, values, policies, objectives, strategies, capabilities, resources, processes, activities, relationships, and performance that may affect the organisation’s information security management system12

Therefore, the following issues are considered ‘internal’ in the context of a management system to ISO 27001:2022:

Poor levels of staff competence as a result of cuts in training expenditure: This is an internal issue because it relates to the organisation’s capability, resource, and process of developing and maintaining the competence of its personnel involved in the ISMS. The organisation can control or change its training expenditure and its impact on staff competence12

Poor morale as a result of staff holidays being reduced: This is an internal issue because it relates to the organisation’s culture, value, and relationship with its employees. The organisation can control or change its staff holiday policy and its impact on staff morale12

Increased absenteeism as a result of poor management: This is an internal issue because it relates to the organisation’s performance, structure, and accountability of its management. The organisation can control or change its management practices and its impact on staff absenteeism12

A fall in productivity linked to outdated production equipment: This is an internal issue because it relates to the organisation’s capability, resource, and process of ensuring the availability and suitability of its production equipment. The organisation can control or change its equipment maintenance and upgrade and its impact on productivity12

The following issues are considered ‘external’ in the context of a management system to ISO 27001:2022:

Higher labour costs as a result of an aging population: This is an external issue because it relates to the social and demographic factor that affects the availability and cost of labour in the market. The organisation cannot control or change the aging population, but can influence or adapt to its impact on labour costs12

A rise in interest rates in response to high inflation: This is an external issue because it relates to the economic and monetary factor that affects the cost and availability of capital in the market. The organisation cannot control or change the interest rates or inflation, but can influence or adapt to its impact on capital costs12

A reduction in grants as a result of a change in government policy: This is an external issue because it relates to the political and legal factor that affects the availability and conditions of public funding for the organisation. The organisation cannot control or change the government policy, but can influence or adapt to its impact on grants12

Inability to source raw materials due to government sanctions: This is an external issue because it relates to the political and legal factor that affects the availability and cost of raw materials in the market. The organisation cannot control or change the government sanctions, but can influence or adapt to its impact on raw materials12

Reference: 1: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Auditor (Information Security Management Systems) Course by CQI and IRCA Certified Training 1 2: ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor Training Course by PECB 2