What is the primary objective of Annex A 5.32?

The objective is to protect intellectual property rights and ensure compliance with legal obligations. Organisations must identify all IP assets. They must protect proprietary information and manage software licences effectively. Evidence should reside in internal document management systems.

How should software licences be managed for ISO 27001?

Software licences must be tracked in a central register. This register should match licences to specific hardware or users. Regular manual audits prove compliance. Store all purchase records and licence keys in a restricted internal repository like SharePoint.

Can we use automated tools for IP compliance?

Automation can assist in discovery. However, auditors require evidence of management oversight and decision-making. You must document your IP protection procedures manually. Use existing tools like SharePoint to show that humans control the IP lifecycle.

ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.32 Guide

What is ISO 27001 Annex A 5.32 Intellectual Property Rights?

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.32 is a control governing the protection of proprietary assets. It requires a documented process to identify IP. It mandates compliance with legal and contractual IP obligations. Organisations must integrate these rules into business-as-usual tools like SharePoint. This ensures protection for both internal and third-party intellectual property.

Auditor’s Eye: The Shortcut Trap

Many organisations rely on automated SaaS licence managers to meet this requirement. This often results in a significant compliance gap. These tools track software but ignore proprietary data and patents. Auditors prefer seeing a manual IP register in SharePoint. This proves management understands their unique IP risks. Relying on a “Black Box” platform leads to surface-level compliance. We look for human oversight within your native document repositories. If your IP management lacks manual verification, you risk a non-conformity.

2013 Control Reference	2022 Control Reference	Nature of Change
A.18.1.2 Intellectual property rights	5.32 Intellectual property rights	The 2022 version maintains the core requirement. It emphasises the need for a comprehensive register of all IP assets.

How to Implement ISO 27001 Annex A 5.32 (Step-by-Step)

Implementation requires identifying all proprietary assets and software licences. You must integrate protection measures into your existing workflows. Use SharePoint and Jira to manage the IP lifecycle. This approach creates a culture of IP awareness. Answer-first: Lead with the creation of a central IP register in your organizational document management system.

Define IP Scope: Identify software, code, branding, and proprietary processes. Document these in a SharePoint list.
Update Contracts: Ensure employment and vendor contracts have clear IP ownership clauses. Store these in your internal legal repository.
Implement Software Controls: Use Jira to track software requests. Verify licences before installation.
Conduct Manual Audits: Perform quarterly reconciliations of software licences. Record findings and corrective actions in internal meeting minutes.
Restrict Access: Use folder permissions in SharePoint to protect proprietary data. Document these access rules in your security policy.

ISO 27001 Annex A 5.32 Audit Evidence Checklist

IP Asset Register with version control in SharePoint.
Manual licence reconciliation logs showing human verification.
Standard employment agreements with IP protection clauses.
Third-party vendor contracts detailing IP rights.
Training records demonstrating staff awareness of IP protection.

Relational Mapping

Annex A 5.10: Acceptable use of information and other associated assets.
Annex A 5.31: Legal, statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements.
Annex A 8.3: Information labelling.

Auditor Interview

Auditor: How do you track your proprietary source code ownership?

Manager: We manage code in internal repositories. Our IP register in SharePoint links specific projects to our ownership clauses.

Auditor: How do you ensure you are not over-using software licences?

Manager: We perform manual reconciliations every quarter. We log these results in our internal compliance folder.

Common Non-Conformities

Failure Mode	Description	Remediation Action
Automated Complacency	Relying on a SaaS licence dashboard without verifying propriety data ownership.	Build a comprehensive IP register in SharePoint covering all asset types.
Missing IP Clauses	Contracts with freelancers do not specify who owns the produced work.	Revise contract templates and store them in the internal wiki.
Unauthorised Software	Staff installing software without checking licence availability.	Implement a software approval workflow within Jira.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies as an IP asset in ISO 27001?

IP assets include software licences and proprietary source code. They also cover trademarks, patents, and unique business processes. You should list these in a SharePoint register. This ensures all assets are identified and protected according to the standard. Documentation must be clear and accessible to the security team.

How do we handle open-source software IP?

Open-source software still has IP requirements. You must comply with specific licence types like MIT or GPL. Document all open-source components in your internal wiki. Ensure you follow the attribution and distribution rules. This prevents legal risks and demonstrates technical due diligence.

Who should own the IP management process?

The Information Security Manager usually owns the process. They work with the legal and IT departments. All activities should be tracked in internal tools like Jira. This ensures accountability across the organisation. Management must provide oversight during periodic reviews.

LA CASA DE CERTIFICACIÓN