Introduction

Imagine your organization as a building. Some rooms are open to everyone like the reception area while others, like the server room or the CEO’s office, need a key.

In the digital world, that key is access control.
ISO 27001 Control 5.15 ensures that only authorized people, systems, and processes can access your information and resources and that they can only use them in ways that are approved.

Summary of Control 5.15: Access Control

🔒 Control Title: Access Control
📘 Source: ISO/IEC 27002:2022, Section 5.15
🧩 Control Category: Organizational
🔍 Attributes:

• Control Type: #Preventive
• Security Properties: #Confidentiality, #Integrity, #Availability
• Cybersecurity Concepts: #Identify, #Protect
• Operational Capabilities: #Identity_and_Access_Management
• Security Domain: #Protection_and_Defense

🎯 Control Objective

To ensure that access to information and systems is restricted to authorized users and processes, based on business needs and security requirements.

🛠 Implementation Guidance

1) Define an Access Control Policy:

• State who gets access, under what conditions, and at what level
• Align with your information classification (Control 5.12)

2) Apply the Principle of Least Privilege:

• Users get only the access they need nothing more

3) Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):

• Assign permissions based on job roles instead of individual requests

4) Authenticate Before Granting Access:

• Use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), or biometrics

5) Review Access Regularly:

• Conduct periodic access reviews to remove unnecessary rights

6) Revoke Access Promptly:

• When an employee leaves or changes roles, access should be updated immediately

Why This Control Matters

Without strong access control:

• Unauthorized users could steal, modify, or delete critical data
• Insider threats become harder to detect
• Compliance violations may occur (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PIPEDA)

With strong access control:

• Data exposure is minimized
• Breaches are harder to execute and easier to detect
• Security responsibilities are clearly defined

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Granting “temporary” elevated access and forgetting to remove it

Sharing user accounts or credentials

Not reviewing access after role changes or department transfers

Using only passwords without MFA for sensitive systems

Canadian Cyber’s Take

At Canadian Cyber, we build tailored access control frameworks that balance security with productivity.
We integrate RBAC, MFA, and automated provisioning/de-provisioning so your organization always knows who has access and why.

Ready to Secure Your Digital Doors?

We can help you implement ISO 27001-aligned access control systems that keep the right people in and the wrong people out.
👉 Click here to get started.

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