ISO/IEC TS 27110:2021

TECHNICAL ISO/IEC TS
SPECIFICATION 27110
First edition
2021-02
Information technology, cybersecurity
and privacy protection —
Cybersecurity framework
development guidelines
Sécurité de l'information, cybersécurité et protection de la vie
privée — Lignes directrices relatives à l'élaboration d'un cadre en
matière de cybersécurité
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2021
© ISO/IEC 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Overview . 1
5 Concepts . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Identify . 3
5.3 Protect . 3
5.4 Detect . 4
5.5 Respond. 4
5.6 Recover . 5
6 Creating a cybersecurity framework . 5
Annex A (informative) Considerations in the creation of a cybersecurity framework .6
Annex B (informative) Considerations in the integration of a cybersecurity framework .23
Bibliography .24
© ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that
are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through
technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of
technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also
take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see patents.iec.ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 27, Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Cybersecurity is a pressing issue due to the use of connected technologies. Cyber threats are continually
evolving, thus protecting users and organizations is a constant challenge. To cope with this challenge,
business groups, government agencies, and other organizations produce documents and tools called
cybersecurity frameworks to help organize and communicate cybersecurity activities of organizations.
These organizations producing the cybersecurity frameworks are referred to as “cybersecurity
framework creators.” Other organizations and individuals then use or reference the cybersecurity
framework in their cybersecurity activities.
Given that there are multiple cybersecurity framework creators, there are a multitude of cybersecurity
frameworks. The current set of cybersecurity frameworks is diverse and varied. Organizations
using cybersecurity frameworks are challenged with harmonizing different lexicons and conceptual
structures to meet their requirements. These cybersecurity frameworks then become competing
interests for finite resources. The additional effort could be better spent implementing cybersecurity
and combating threats.
The goal of this document is to ensure a minimum set of concepts are used to define cybersecurity
frameworks to help ease the burden of cybersecurity framework creators and cybersecurity
framework users.
As this document limits itself with a minimum set of concepts, its length is kept to a minimum on
purpose. This document is not intended to supersede or replace the requirements of an ISMS given in
ISO/IEC 27001.
The principles of this document are as follows:
— flexible — to allow for multiple types of cybersecurity frameworks to exist;
— compatible — to allow for multiple cybersecurity frameworks to align; and
— interoperable — to allow for multiple uses of a cybersecurity framework to be valid.
The audience of this document is cybersecurity framework creators.
© ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved v

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ISO/IEC TS 27110:2021(E)
Information technology, cybersecurity and privacy
protection — Cybersecurity framework development
guidelines
1 Scope
This document specifies guidelines for developing a cybersecurity framework. It is applicable to
cybersecurity framework creators regardless of their organizations’ type, size or nature.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 27000, Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management
systems — Overview and vocabulary
ISO/IEC TS 27100, Information technology — Cybersecurity — Overview and concepts
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 27000, ISO/IEC TS 27100
and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
cybersecurity framework
basic set of concepts used to organize and communicate cybersecurity activities
3.2
cyber persona
digital representation of an individual or organization necessary to interact in cyberspace
[SOURCE: U.S. DoD Joint Publication 3-12 and Caire, J, & Conchon, S:2016]
3.3
asset
anything that has value to an individual, an organization or a government
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 27032:2012, 4.6, modified — The Note has been removed.]
4 Overview
Cybersecurity framework creators face a unique challenge: create a framework which is general enough
to allow for flexibility in use while providing a structure to allow for compatibility and interoperability
across frameworks and uses. Striking a balance between flexibility and compatibility while satisfying
stakeholder requirements can be difficult. Developing multiple cybersecurity frameworks using the
© ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved 1

same structure will help cybersecurity framework users maximize resources, while providing a way
for different uses of a cybersecurity framework to achieve interoperability.
To help ease the challenge of creating a cybersecurity framework, this document provides the minimum
set of concepts a cybersecurity framework should have: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
This document can be used to build a framework of the minimum set of cybersecurity concepts.
While cybersecurity framework creators are subject to their unique stakeholder requirements, as
shown in Figure 1, these concepts can also be used as pillars to help a cybersecurity framework creator
structure and start filling out its lower level concepts. Unique stakeholder requirements can result in
the creation of additional concepts to be contained in the resultant cybersecurity framework. However,
the concepts presented in this document remain foundational.
Structured within these concepts, the resultant cybersecurity framework can consist of standards,
guidelines, and practices to promote cybersecurity risk management. Cybersecurity frameworks
provide prioritized, flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approaches to help cybersecurity framework
users manage cyber risk.
A cybersecurity framework helps persons executing these activities by providing a reference scheme.
Concepts and categories of a cybersecurity framework can be used as a guide, checklist or template
applicable in these activities.
A cybersecurity framework is not required in the implementation of an ISMS (ISO/IEC 27001). While
ISO/IEC 27001 and a cybersecurity framework are independent, the two approaches can be related.
Cybersecurity frameworks can be used in conjunction with ISMSs to organize cybersecurity activities
across multiple layers of an organization, communicate those activities outside of the organization, and
ensure continuous improvement of those activities over time. When a cybersecurity framework user
chooses to implement an ISMS in conjunction with a cybersecurity framework, the two approaches
work together to allow effective implementation of information security and cybersecurity activities,
organization of those activities, and communication of those activities. An example of a cybersecurity
framework and an ISMS working together is presented in Annex A. Considerations on the integration
of a cybersecurity framework into practice are provided in Annex B. Examples of cybersecurity
framework are listed in the Bibliography.
Many cybersecurity frameworks implement the concept of risk management, but not all. Cybersecurity
frameworks should consider the concept of risk management.
Figure 1 — Creating a cybersecurity framework using ISO/IEC TS 27110
2 © ISO/IEC 2021 – All rights reserved

The value of applying the guidelines in this document is that users of different cybersecurity
frameworks can communicate with each other. These concepts are intended to give a cybersecurity
framework creator a starting point, and when used collectively, provide an effective structure in
organizing a cybersecurity framework.
5 Concepts
5.1 General
The purpose of subclauses 5.2 to 5.6
...