What is the primary requirement of Annex A 5.31?

The primary requirement is to identify and document all legal, statutory, and contractual security obligations. Organisations must maintain an updated register. This ensures all security controls align with the law and client agreements. Management must formally review this list regularly.

How should legal requirements be documented?

Document requirements in a centralised register within SharePoint or a similar document management system. Avoid standalone spreadsheets. The register must list the requirement, its source, and the internal control addressing it. This provides a clear audit trail for regulators.

Who is responsible for Annex A 5.31 compliance?

The Information Security Manager usually coordinates compliance. However, the legal department or senior management must validate the legal register. Contractual obligations often require input from account managers. All roles should use integrated tools like Jira for task tracking.

ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.31 Guide

What is ISO 27001 Annex A 5.31 in ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.31 requires the identification of legal and contractual obligations. You must document these requirements in a formal register. This process integrates into your business-as-usual tools like SharePoint. It ensures your security management system meets all external mandates. This prevents legal breaches and contract penalties.

Auditor’s Eye: The Shortcut Trap

Many organisations rely on automated SaaS compliance platforms to populate legal requirements. These platforms often provide generic lists that ignore specific local laws or niche contracts. I prefer seeing a bespoke Legal Register in SharePoint. This shows that management has actually read and understood their specific obligations. Relying on a “black box” platform leads to surface-level compliance. Auditors look for human oversight within your native document repositories. Automated green ticks are not evidence of legal understanding.

2013 Control Reference	2022 Control Reference	Key Requirement Changes
A.18.1.1 Identification of legislation	5.31 Legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements	The 2022 version consolidates requirements for clarity. It emphasises the need for a documented register.

How to Implement ISO 27001 Annex A 5.31 (Step-by-Step)

Organisations must identify all security-related laws and contracts. Use existing tools like SharePoint and Jira to manage this process. This approach keeps compliance within your daily operations. It ensures that security is not a separate software task. Follow these steps to achieve clinical compliance.

Build the Register: Create a SharePoint list for all laws and contracts.
Assign Owners: Use Jira to task specific staff with monitoring legal changes.
Map Controls: Link each law in your register to a procedure in Confluence.
Audit regularly: Schedule internal audits to verify each requirement is met.
Update Management: Include the legal register in your annual management review.

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.31 Audit Evidence Checklist

Auditors require proof of manual oversight. We look for version-controlled documents that show active management. Ensure your records are stored in your organisational repositories.

Legal and Regulatory Register with defined review dates.
Internal wiki pages mapping GDPR or local laws to controls.
Management review minutes discussing new contractual security demands.
Evidence of staff training on specific regulatory requirements.
Jira audit logs for legal compliance tasks.

Relational Mapping

Clause 4.2: Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties.
Annex A 5.36: Compliance with policies and standards.
Annex A 8.3: Information labelling and handling.

Auditor Interview

Auditor: How do you identify new legal requirements?

Manager: We use a Jira workflow. Our legal team reviews updates monthly and logs changes in SharePoint.

Auditor: Where do you track specific client security clauses?

Manager: We store a summary of all contracts in our internal Confluence wiki. We link these to our control framework.

Common Non-Conformities

Non-Conformity	Cause	Remediation
Automated Complacency	Relying on a SaaS platform to manage the legal register.	Move the register to SharePoint for internal ownership.
Outdated Register	Failing to review the legal list after a law changes.	Set recurring Jira tasks for legal reviews.
Missing Contracts	Ignoring security obligations within client service level agreements.	Include contract review in the procurement process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Legal and Regulatory Register?

A Legal Register is a documented list of all security laws. It includes data protection acts and industry regulations. You should host this in SharePoint. It must link each law to your internal security policies. This proves to auditors that your system is legally sound.

How often should we update our compliance register?

Update the register at least every quarter. Significant changes in law or new contracts should trigger an immediate review. Use Jira to track these updates. This creates a timestamped audit trail. It shows that your organisation is proactive, not reactive.

Can we use an external compliance tool for 5.31?

External tools can provide information. However, you must document the actual compliance within your own systems. Auditors prefer SharePoint or Confluence registers. These show that your internal teams own the compliance process. Avoid relying on third-party green ticks as your only evidence.

LA CASA DE CERTIFICACIÓN