Aligning with ISO 27001 compliance

ISO 27001 certification demonstrates that an organization has implemented robust security controls to protect its sensitive data, minimizing the risk of security incidents and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

However, as work environments evolve, with employees using a variety of devices and working from different locations, maintaining compliance has become increasingly complex.

Challenges with meeting ISO 27001 compliance

Achieving ISO 27001 compliance requires organizations to implement rigorous security controls and maintain an Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) that ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. However, as work environments become increasingly complex – characterized by remote work, cloud services, and a growing number of personal devices accessing corporate networks – maintaining these standards becomes a daunting task. Companies face challenges in consistently applying access controls, monitoring user activity, and securing data across diverse and rapidly evolving IT environments.

Organizations that handle sensitive data or operate in highly regulated industries cannot afford to neglect ISO 27001 compliance. It is a crucial aspect of building customer trust and protecting your business’ reputation. A security incident can have financial and legal risks, making it essential to implement strong compliance measures that reduce risks. And demonstrating adherence to ISO 27001 can enhance the organizations market position, as customers and partners increasingly demand proof of secure data practices.

The importance of ISO 27001 compliance

ISO 27001 provides a framework for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It includes specific requirements for managing risk, protecting information assets, and ensuring that appropriate access controls are in place. This framework is crucial for organizations that handle sensitive information, as it demonstrates their commitment to maintaining data security.

The ISO 27001 controls references noted in Annex A control set outline minimum requirements on how to secure information systems. One of the most critical areas of focus in ISO 27001 is access control, which ensures that only authorized personnel can access certain information. In addition, ISO 27001 emphasizes auditing, monitoring, and incident response, all of which rely on having a comprehensive access management solution.

The role of 1Password® Extended Access Management in supporting ISO 27001 compliance

Addressing ISO 27001 compliance requires security solutions that go beyond traditional access management approaches. Organizations need flexible and adaptive measures that can dynamically enforce access controls on identities and devices, monitor access events, and simplify the auditing process.

1Password Extended Access Management extends traditional identity and access management (IAM) solutions by providing enhanced visibility, control, and security across applications, devices, and users. This holistic approach to access management enables organizations to better manage their access controls and meet the rigorous requirements of ISO 27001.

By extending beyond traditional access management solutions, 1Password Extended Access Management helps organizations meet ISO 27001 standards through enhanced visibility, control, and auditability of access to sensitive information.

Here’s how 1Password helps organizations achieve and maintain ISO 27001 certification:

1. Access Control

A fundamental principle of ISO 27001 is ensuring that access to information is granted only to authorized individuals. This is critical for protecting sensitive data and preventing unauthorized access. ISO 27001’s access control requirements focus on role-based access, advanced authentication mechanisms, and the principle of least privilege, where users are only given access to the data they need for their job.

1Password Extended Access Management excels in supporting these access control requirements:

• Granular access control: With 1Password Extended Access Management, administrators can define custom groups based on department roles or functions and apply permissions based on those job functions for vaults within 1Password. This ensures that access is granted on a need-to-know basis, limiting exposure to sensitive credentials and data.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): One of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access is by implementing MFA. 1Password Extended Access Management acts as a possession-based MFA across sign-ins when using device trust capabilities. In addition, the platform can identify MFA opportunities for sign-ins not covered by your SSO provider, adding an extra layer of security so that users must verify their identity.
• Contextual access management: 1Password Extended Access Management enhances traditional MFA by adding a dynamic layer of protection based on the context in which access is requested. This involves assessing multiple factors beyond just identity verification to determine whether access to applications or credentials in vaults should be granted, including:
  • Device health: Runs checks at the time of login to determine if hardware and software meets your security and compliance policies. Checks are used to determine if access should be granted based on whether the device is updated with the latest configurations and patches, using device encryption, and more.
  • Location: When connected to your chosen identity provider (IdP), determining whether the access request to credentials and applications originates from a trusted or suspicious location.

ISO 27001 alignment: 1Password Extended Access Management provides the tools needed to implement robust access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information, in alignment with Annex A.9 of ISO 27001.

2. Protecting information assets

ISO 27001 places significant emphasis on protecting information assets, including the identification and classification of assets based on their value and sensitivity. Organizations must implement appropriate security controls to protect these assets from unauthorized access and misuse.

1Password Extended Access Management supports asset protection in the following ways:

• Visibility into devices: One of the key challenges for organizations is gaining visibility into all the devices (work-issued and personal) being used by employees. 1Password Extended Access Management offers a unified view of both trusted (ones you know) and untrusted (the unknown) devices, ensuring that all assets are identified and classified.
• Device health monitoring: ISO 27001 requires that organizations ensure the security of devices accessing sensitive data. 1Password Extended Access Management monitors the health of devices and prevents untrusted, misconfigured, or compromised devices from accessing critical credentials and applications, verifying that only compliant devices are allowed access.

ISO 27001 alignment: By providing visibility into all devices, as well as ensuring that only secure devices can access sensitive data, 1Password Extended Access Management supports ISO 27001’s requirements for protecting information assets.

3. Auditability and Reporting

A critical component of ISO 27001 is the ability to demonstrate that security controls are being enforced effectively. Organizations must maintain comprehensive access logs to information, as well as generate reports that can be used to demonstrate compliance during audits.

1Password Extended Access Management simplifies the auditing process through:

• Comprehensive audit trails: Every access event to credentials is logged in 1Password Extended Access Management, providing a complete record of who accessed what, when, and from which device. This enables organizations to track and verify user activity, ensuring that no unauthorized access goes unnoticed. In addition, when using 1Password Device Trust, administrators can track important actions that have occurred from trusted and untrusted devices.
• Real-time Monitoring: Administrators can monitor access attempts from devices and to credentials in real time, identifying suspicious behavior and taking immediate action to prevent security incidents.
• Compliance reporting: One of the challenges of ISO 27001 compliance is the ability to generate audit-ready reports. 1Password Extended Access Management delivers audit-ready reports that demonstrate compliance with access control policies.

ISO 27001 alignment: Activity logging, monitoring, and reporting features ensure that organizations can easily demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001’s auditability requirements.

4. Managing third-party access

ISO 27001 places a significant focus on managing third-party access to sensitive data. Organizations must ensure that third parties, such as vendors or contractors, follow the same security policies and controls as internal employees.

With 1Password Extended Access Management, organizations can securely manage third-party access:

• Controlled third-party access: Organizations can define specific access permissions for third-party users, ensuring they only have access to the credentials and data they need within 1Password. This access can be time-limited and easily revoked when no longer needed.
• Deprovisioning access: When a third-party engagement ends, 1Password Extended Access Management can be designed to support revoking access when connected to SCIM, preventing unauthorized access after a contractor is no longer with the organization.

ISO 27001 alignment: 1Password Extended Access Management ensures that third-party access is tightly controlled and aligned with the organization’s security policies, meeting ISO 27001’s requirements for managing third-party relationships.

5. Encryption and cryptographic controls

ISO 27001 mandates that sensitive data be protected through encryption, both while at rest and in transit. Encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be accessed or altered by unauthorized parties.

1Password Extended Access Management provides robust encryption and secrets management:

• End-to-end encryption in vaults: All credentials and data stored in 1Password Extended Access Management are encrypted both at rest and in transit, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected, even in the event of a breach. This makes it impossible for someone to learn anything by intercepting your data while it’s in transit or even obtaining it from 1Password.
• Secrets management: 1Password Extended Access Management provides secure vaults for storing sensitive information such as passwords, passkeys, API keys and other sensitive data. These vaults are encrypted and only accessible to authorized users.

ISO 27001 alignment: The use of encryption in 1Password Extended Access Management aligns with ISO 27001’s requirements for protecting sensitive data through cryptographic controls.

Key statistics to support the case for 1Password Extended Access Management

1Password’s annual report, Balancing Act: Security and Productivity in the Age of AI, highlights the growing challenges that organizations face in managing access and security. These statistics underscore the importance of solutions supporting organization’s adherence to ISO 27001 compliance:

• 80% of employees use non-IT sanctioned apps for work, highlighting the prevalence of shadow IT and the need for robust controls to ensure ISO 27001 compliance.
• 74% of security professionals report being overwhelmed by the number of tools they must manage, making it essential to streamline access control through a centralized solution.
• 77% of organizations acknowledge that security measures often get in the way of productivity, emphasizing the importance of solutions that balance security with ease of use.

Maintaining compliance with 1Password

ISO 27001 compliance is a critical step for organizations that want to ensure the security of their information assets and protect against security incidents. However, maintaining compliance requires a robust and flexible access management solution that can adapt to the challenges of a modern, distributed workforce.

1Password Extended Access Management is designed to simplify compliance with ISO 27001 by providing comprehensive access controls, real-time monitoring, and detailed audit logs. By extending access management beyond traditional IAM solutions, 1Password Extended Access helps organizations protect sensitive information, manage internal and third-party access to credentials and business applications, and demonstrate compliance during audits—all while maintaining a user-friendly experience that enhances productivity.

With features like granular access controls, multi-factor authentication, contextual access management, and encryption, 1Password Extended Access Management is the ideal solution for organizations looking to align with ISO 27001 compliance mandates in today’s rapidly evolving security landscape.

Marc von Mandel

Director, Solutions & Channel Product Marketing