ISO 27001 Control 5.33: Protection of Records
Records are the lifeblood of your organization—and their protection is a non-negotiable compliance requirement. ISO 27001 Control 5.33 demands that you safeguard records from loss, destruction, falsification, and unauthorized access according to legal, regulatory, and business requirements. Without a structured approach, even one compromised record can expose your organization to breaches, fines, and reputational damage.
What this means
Control 5.33 requires organizations to establish and maintain protection mechanisms for all records—whether physical or digital—throughout their lifecycle. This includes preventing loss through disaster, protecting against intentional or accidental destruction, guarding against falsification or tampering, and controlling unauthorized access or disclosure. Protection measures must align with applicable legal obligations, regulatory frameworks, contractual commitments, and internal business needs.
How to comply
- 1.Classify records by sensitivity level and retention period based on regulatory, contractual, and business requirements
- 2.Implement access controls limiting record retrieval to authorized personnel only
- 3.Deploy encryption for sensitive records in transit and at rest
- 4.Establish backup and disaster recovery procedures to prevent loss or destruction
- 5.Define and enforce record retention schedules with secure disposal processes
- 6.Monitor and audit record access through logging and change tracking
- 7.Provide staff training on handling, storing, and protecting records
- 8.Document protection procedures in a records management policy
Evidence auditors look for
- Records classification policy with sensitivity levels and retention periods
- Access control logs showing authorized users and access timestamps
- Backup and disaster recovery procedure documentation with test results
- Encryption configuration records for sensitive data storage and transmission
- Secure record disposal procedures and certification of destruction
- Staff training records and acknowledgment of records protection policies
- Third-party vendor agreements guaranteeing record protection standards
- Audit reports documenting unauthorized access attempts and remediation
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
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