NIST 800-53 vs. ISO 27002

What is ISO 27002?

ISO 27002 is a security standard developed by the International Organisations for Standardisation. ISO 27002 is designed to work with ISO 27001. While ISO 27001 provides the framework and requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an information security management system (ISMS), ISO 27002 provides the guidelines, best practices, and controls for implementing, maintaining and improving ISMS in an organisation.

NIST 800-53 Overview

NIST 800-53 is an information security standard that provides a catalogue of security and privacy controls for federal information systems, agencies, and contractors that want to work with the US government. It provides the framework and best practices for these entities, which are required to adhere to the standard. Other organisations that are not required to meet this standard can choose to implement NIST 800-53 controls to protect their information systems.

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NIST 800-53 vs ISO 27002 at a glance

• Both info-security standards: each helps organisations manage information security policies and procedures.
• ISO 27002 = ISMS guidance: it provides the guidelines, best practices and controls for implementing an ISMS, and is designed to work with ISO 27001.
• NIST 800-53 = controls catalogue: a catalogue of security and privacy controls for federal systems, agencies and contractors.
• Either can apply: any organisation can adhere to either standard to bolster its information security management.

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ISO 27002 vs. NIST 800-53: Similarities

Both ISO 27002 and NIST 800-53 have similarities, which include:

• Both standards take a risk management approach to information security.
• Both provide security controls and best practices for implementation.
• Both provide guidelines for the implementation of security measures.
• Both provide guidelines for identifying, responding to, and assessing cybersecurity incidents.
• Both provide guidelines for auditing security controls.
• Any organisation can adhere to either standard to bolster its information security management.

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Where they overlap

• Risk-based: both take a risk management approach to information security.
• Controls and best practices: both provide security controls, implementation guidelines and guidance on responding to cybersecurity incidents.
• Auditable: both provide guidelines for auditing security controls.

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ISO 27002 vs. NIST 800-53: Differences

The key differences between ISO 27002 and NIST 800-53 are:

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What Hicomply recommends

Because ISO 27002 is really the control guidance behind an ISO 27001 ISMS, the practical decision is usually NIST 800-53 — if you work with the US government — versus building a certifiable ISO 27001 management system. The control sets overlap heavily, so map them once and reuse the evidence rather than running two separate projects.

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Learn more about NIST 800-53 and ISO standards

If your organisation is required to implement either NIST 800-53 or ISO standards, you can learn more about each in our information hubs.

• NIST 800-53
• ISO 27001

Learn more about these commonly used standards and how Hicomply can help you meet compliance with each.