ISO 27001 Annex : A.9.4 System and Application Access Control

ISO 27001 Annex : A.9.4 System and Application Access Control Its objective is to put a stop to unauthorized access to systems and applications.

A.9.4.1 Information Access Restriction

Control- Access to information and application system functions should be limited in compliance with the policy on access control.

Implementation Guidance- Access controls should be based on individual requirements for business applications and in compliance with a specified access control policy.

In order to meet access restriction criteria, the following should be considered:-

1. Provide menus for controlling access to application system functions;
2. Controlling which data a particular user can access;
3. Control user access permission, e.g. read, write, delete, and execute;
4. Control of the access permission to other applications;
5. Restrict the information contained in the outputs;
6. Physical or logical access controls for sensitive applications, application data, or systems isolation.

Related Product : ISO 27001 Lead Auditor Training And Certification ISMS

A.9.4.2 Secure Log-on Procedures

Control- Access to systems and applications should be controlled by a secure log-on procedure when required by the Access Control Policy.

Implementation Guidance- To validate the user’s claimed identity, an effective authentication technique should be used Authentication alternative to passwords, like cryptographic means, smart cards, tokens, or bio-metric methods, should be used where good authentication and identity verification is called for.

The process for logging into a system or application should be configured to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Accordingly, the login process should reveal a minimum information about the system or the application in order to avoid giving any unnecessary assistance to an unauthorized person. The following will provide a strong log-on procedure:

1. Do not display system or application identifiers until the log-in phase has been successfully completed;
2. Show a general alert warning that only approved users should have access to the computer;
3. Do not provide support messages during the login process that would benefit an unauthorized user;
4. Validate log-on information only after completion of all input data. When an error occurs, the system should not indicate which part of the data is right or simply wrong;
5. Protect from brute force log-in attempts;
6. Record the successful and unsuccessful attempts;
7. Raise a security event when potential log-on control violation or active infringement is detected;
8. Display the following information when a successful login is completed:
   – Date and time of the previous successful login;
   – Details of any failed log-in attempts after the last successful log-in;
9. Do not display a password that is entered;
10. Stop inactive sessions after a given period of inactivity, especially in high-risk locations such as public or external areas outside security management of the organization or on mobile devices;
11. Restrict connection times for high-risk applications to provide enhanced protection and reduce the opportunity window for unauthorized access.

Other Information- Passwords are a simple way to recognize and authenticate based on a secret only known by the user. Cryptographic means and authentication protocols are also possible to accomplish the same. The strength of authentication of the user should be appropriate for the classification of the information to be accessed.

If the passwords are transmitted in clear text during the login session over the network, the network “sniffer” program can be used to capture them.

Also Read : ISO 27001 Annex : A.9.3 User Responsibilities

A.9.4.3 Password Management System

Control- Password management systems should be cooperative to ensure the quality of the passwords.

Implementation Guidance- The following points should be taken into account in a password management system:

1. Impose the use of individual user IDs and passwords in order to ensure accountability;
2. Enable users to select and update their own passwords and provide a validation process to enable input errors;
3. Enforce the selection of quality passwords;
4. Force users to update their passwords at the first login;
5. Enforce regular and, if necessary, make changes to your password;
6. Keep a list of previously used passwords and avoid re-use;
7. Do not display the passwords on the screen when you enter them;
8. Store password files separately from data on the application system;
9. Protected storing and transmission of passwords.

At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security.

– Jodi Rell

Similarly, the Organization also aims of keeping its confidential information safe and in proper security. There are various roles in the organization and every user has its access rights, after the segregation of roles and access rights, now it’s the duty of the users to keep their credentials, information and assets of the organization safe, where we see, keeping password is most common way for securing any information, those passwords should be of better quality. Annex 9.4 talks about putting a stop to unauthorized access to systems and applications it states about the quality of the password used while login into application or system. All the annexures of information security are being covered in this famous certification of Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer. Infosavvy, an institute in Mumbai, provides certification and training for multiple domain-like information security management, cybersecurity, and many others in which one of them is IRCA CQI ISO 27001:2013 Lead Auditor (LA) and ISO 27001 Lead Implementer (LI) (TÜV SÜD Certification). This certification covers various controls that should be implemented in an organization to keep it away from destructors also trainers in Infosavy are well-skilled and experienced in providing proper guidance and knowledge for keeping the Information security management system secure. This will help the applicant to develop the expertise necessary to carry out the ISMS audit by applying broadly recognized audit principles, procedures, and techniques.

Other Information- Many systems allow an independent authority to grant user passwords. Points (2), (4 ), and ( 5) in these circumstances are not applicable in these guidelines .. Users must select and maintain the passwords in most situations.

Questions related to this topic

1. What is ISO 27001 Annex : A.9.4 System and Application Access Control?
2. What is A.9.4.2 Secure Log-on Procedures Explain?
3. What is A.9.4.3 Password Management System?
4. What are the factors of A.9.4 System and Application Access Control?
5. Which control used ISO 27001 Annex : A.9.4 System and Application Access Control?

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