Introduction

Data tells the story of your organization but that story is only trustworthy if it’s protected.

Whether it’s customer contracts, system logs, or compliance reports, records must stay intact, confidential, and accessible only to the right people.

That’s the mission behind ISO 27001 Control 5.40 Protection of Records from Unauthorized Access, Modification, or Loss.
It ensures your information assets remain reliable and protected no matter who’s watching or what goes wrong.

Why This Control Matters

Think of records as your organization’s “evidence vault.”
If someone changes, deletes, or steals what’s inside your credibility and compliance take a direct hit.

Breaches and data loss don’t just violate trust; they can derail audits, legal cases, or even business continuity.

Control 5.40, from ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Section 5.40, is an Organizational control that’s preventive, detective, and corrective in nature.
It safeguards Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability through the Protect and Detect cybersecurity concepts.

What This Control Involves

1. Access Controls

Limit record access based on roles and responsibilities.

Enforce strong authentication and least privilege principles.

2. Integrity Protection

Use version control, cryptographic hashes, or audit trails to detect tampering.

3. Backup and Recovery

Implement regular backups and verify restoration processes.

4. Secure Storage and Transmission

Encrypt records both in storage and in transit.

5. Retention and Disposal

Keep records for defined periods then securely delete or destroy them.

6. Monitoring and Alerts

Detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts in real time.

Common Mistakes

🚫 Shared file folders with no access restrictions
🚫 Backups without encryption
🚫 Missing audit trails for data changes
🚫 Poor recovery testing or missing retention policies

Canadian Cyber’s Take

At Canadian Cyber, we often find that record protection isn’t just a technical challenge it’s an organizational discipline.

We help clients establish secure, policy-driven data management systems using Microsoft 365, Azure, and hybrid storage environments ensuring your critical records remain accurate, traceable, and recoverable.

Because in today’s world, records aren’t just documentation they’re evidence of trust.

Takeaway

Losing control of your records means losing control of your truth.
ISO 27001 Control 5.40 ensures every document, log, and report remains safe from unauthorized eyes or accidental loss.

It’s not about keeping data it’s about keeping it right.

How Canadian Cyber Can Help

At Canadian Cyber, we provide:

ISO 27001 and ISO 27001 Implementation Support

Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)

ISO 27018 Cloud Privacy Guidance

Internal Audit and Readiness Reviews

👉 Ready to strengthen privacy within your ISMS? Book a free consultation here.

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