A.5.2ISO 27001Last reviewed 19 February 2026

ISO 27001 A.5.2: Information security roles and responsibilities

If nobody knows who is responsible for what, things fall through the cracks. An auditor's first question when something goes wrong is "who was accountable for this?" - and you need a clear answer.

Work through the ISO 27001 assessment, record supporting evidence and review the gaps in your answers.

Start my free ISO 27001 assessmentNo account · No credit card · Save when useful

Requirement summary

Information security roles and responsibilities shall be defined and allocated.

Check the source wording and scope in ISO/IEC 27001:2022. The guidance below explains how to approach a review.

In Plain Language

Security responsibilities extend well beyond the IT team. Business process owners, data owners, system administrators, and every employee all have a part to play. From the CISO setting strategic direction down to individual staff protecting the data they handle daily, each person needs to know exactly what is expected of them.

Documenting this properly prevents gaps in coverage and removes ambiguity when incidents happen. It also supports segregation of duties by making it explicit which roles should not be combined. These responsibilities should show up in job descriptions, role profiles, and your organisational chart.

How to Implement

Map out every information security function in your organisation. Work out who currently does what and where the gaps are. A RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for key security processes is the most efficient way to do this.

Define the key roles: CISO or equivalent, Information Security Manager, risk owners, asset owners, data owners, system administrators with security duties, incident response team members, and security awareness coordinators. For each role, write down the specific responsibilities, authority level, and reporting lines.

Build security responsibilities into existing job descriptions and contracts. When someone changes roles or leaves, formally transfer their security responsibilities - do not let them just evaporate. Create role-specific procedure documents covering daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks.

Set up a governance structure with a security steering committee that includes representatives from key business areas. Document its terms of reference, membership, and meeting frequency. This committee oversees the ISMS and makes strategic security decisions.

Review role assignments regularly, especially after organisational changes. Make sure everyone understands their responsibilities through training and awareness programmes. Keep records of all assignments and changes.

Evidence to review

Documented information security roles and responsibilities matrix or RACI chart
Job descriptions that include information security responsibilities
Organizational chart showing security governance structure
Terms of reference for information security steering committee or equivalent
Records of communication and acceptance of security responsibilities by role holders

Common Mistakes

Security responsibilities are informally understood but not formally documented
Job descriptions do not include information security responsibilities
No clear accountability for specific security processes or assets
Security roles are concentrated in one person with no backup or succession plan
Responsibilities are not updated when organizational changes occur

Related Controls Across Frameworks

Framework	Control ID	Relationship
SOC 2	SOC 2 CC1.3: COSO Principle 3: Management Establishes Structures, Reporting Lines, and Authorities	Related
GDPR	GDPR Art.37: Designation of the Data Protection Officer	Partial overlap
NIS2	NIS2 Art.20	Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every employee need formally defined security responsibilities?

Yes, every single one. For most staff, this will be fairly general - comply with security policies, report incidents, protect the information you access. But it still needs to be written down. For roles like system administrators, data owners, and managers, you will need much more detailed responsibilities. The easiest approach is to add a security responsibilities section to every job description.

Can one person hold multiple security roles?

Absolutely, especially in smaller organisations - it is the norm rather than the exception. The catch is segregation of duties: the person who approves access should not be the same person who implements it, for example. Document which roles are combined and what compensating controls you have in place. Auditors understand resource constraints, but they want to see you have thought about the risks.

Track ISO 27001 compliance in one place

Work through the ISO 27001 assessment, record supporting evidence and review the gaps in your answers.

Start Free Assessment

Start without an account · Sign up only to save

Start my free ISO 27001 assessment