Consideration of Climate Change in ISMS

What should be considered in an ISMS under ISO 27001?

There is no standardized approach in the consideration of climate change in an information security management system under ISO 27001. For reference, the following is from a whitepaper issued by IQNet.

• Physical Security and Infrastructure:
  Climate change can lead to more frequent and severe weather events like floods, storms, or wildfires, which can physically threaten IT infrastructure, thus additional considerations for protecting physical assets against these environmental threats may be required.

• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity:
  Risks related to environmental disasters may require a more robust disaster recovery and business continuity planning. If certified organizations consider this as a significant aspect, the ISMS should incorporate strategies for maintaining information security in the event of disruptions caused by climate-related disasters.

• Supply Chain Security:
  Climate change can disrupt supply chains, including those for IT hardware and services. If relevant, the ISMS should account for these risks, ensuring that information security is not compromised by supply chain vulnerabilities.

• Energy Management and Efficiency:
  As a response to climate change, there is a growing emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability in IT operations. This may include the use of green data centers, energy-efficient hardware, and sustainable IT practices.

• Regulatory Compliance and Reporting:
  With an increasing focus on sustainability and environmental impact, new regulations and reporting requirements related to climate change can emerge. Certified organizations must ensure compliance with these regulations, particularly those that have implications for data management and security.

• Data Center Location and Design:
  The choice of location and design of data centers can be influenced by climate change considerations, such as areas less prone to natural disasters or designs that minimize environmental impact while ensuring security and availability.

About IQNet

• IQNet Association, The International Certification Network, is an association of sizable certification bodies in a large number of countries.
• IQNET Partners worldwide certification activities include more than 360,000 valid management system certificates issued in the world.
• Around 1/5 of all management systems certificates were collectively issued by IQNET Partners.
• DQS was one of the founders of IQNet.

Provided by DQS

• DQS provides accredited ISO 27001 Certification and ISO 27701 Certification services
• DQS Academy provides ISO 27001:2022 Internal Auditor Training
• DQS Academy provides ISO 27701:2019 PIMS Understanding Training