ISO 27001:2022 Requirements: Clause 9.3 Management Review

Management reviews are one of the key elements of the information security management system (ISMS), due to the involvement of top management. If information security needs more budget urgently due to an unplanned risk, top management can make this possible.

The purpose of the management review is to ensure that the ISMS is suitable, effective and adequate to support information security.

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Clause 9.3 at a glance

• Management review puts senior leadership in charge of confirming the ISMS is suitable, adequate and effective.
• Reviews are carried out at planned intervals, usually at least once a year.
• The clause breaks into 9.3.1 (general), 9.3.2 (inputs) and 9.3.3 (results).
• It is one of the performance-evaluation duties in the wider ISO 27001 requirements; browse the full ISO 27001 hub for the related clauses.

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Clause 9.3.1

Clause 9.3.1 is a general clause that requires senior management to review the organisation’s ISMS at planned intervals. The purpose of the review is to ensure the ISMS’s ongoing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.

Clause 9.3.2

This clause covers management review inputs, stating that the management review should consist of the following:

• The status of actions from the previous management reviews;
• Any changes in the internal or external issues relevant to the ISMS, which have been identified in previous clauses;
• Any changes in needs and expectations of interested parties that are relevant to the ISMS, again which have been identified in previous clauses;
• Feedback on the information security performance.

Feedback on information security performance includes trends in:

• Nonconformities and corrective actions;
• Monitoring and measurement results;
• Audit results, which are covered in clause 9.2;
• Fulfilment of information security objectives;
• Feedback from interested parties;
• Results of risk assessments and status of the risk treatment plan;
• Opportunities for continual improvement.

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What feeds a management review

• Status of actions from previous reviews and any changes in internal or external issues.
• Trends in nonconformities, corrective actions and monitoring and measurement results.
• Audit results from clause 9.2 and progress against information security objectives.
• Results of risk assessments and the status of the risk treatment plan, plus opportunities for continual improvement.

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Clause 9.3.3

Clause 9.3.3 covers management review results, and states that the results of the management review shall include decisions related to continual improvement opportunities and any needs for changes to the information security management system.

Documented information should also be available as evidence of the results of management reviews.

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Hicomply's take

Treat the management review as a standing rhythm rather than a once-a-year scramble. When your evidence, risks and audit findings sit in one place, senior leadership can walk into the review with a live view of the ISMS instead of a stale slide pack, and every meeting drives real decisions. See how a continuous approach works on our platform tour, or explore more guidance in our resources.

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