# BSI C5:2020 OPS-04 — Protection Against Malware - Concept - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-04-protection-against-malware-concept - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [BSI C5:2020 (Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020) › Operations Security (OPS) - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **BSI C5:2020**·Criterion `OPS-04`·high·Component: **Operations Security** ## What this control requires > Documents malware protection policies per SP-01, specifying system-specific mechanisms and protection programs for CSP and employee devices. Ensures robust defenses against viruses and malware, safeguarding cloud customer data integrity and availability. > > — BSI C5:2020, Criterion OPS-04 ### In plain English Documents malware protection policies per SP-01, specifying system-specific mechanisms and protection programs for CSP and employee devices. In practice, this means you can prove you risk protection-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters BSI C5 is the default cloud-security baseline German public-sector buyers and many DAX-listed enterprises expect; gaps here directly block procurement in the DACH region and frequently appear as must-have items in EU public-tender documents. This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation. ## What an auditor looks for A C5 attesting auditor (under ISAE 3000 / IDW PS 860) tests both the design and — for a Type 2 — the operating effectiveness over the attestation period. For each criterion they look for both the Basic and any in-scope Additional objectives. Within **Operations Security**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Criterion OPS-04) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Cloud Posture **CSPM.** Run Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center over every account; auto-ticket findings above your accepted-risk threshold. #### Policy Management **Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA. ### Operational checklist - **Risk.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Protection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** protection, against malware - concept, cloud customer data, mechanisms, management. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. - **Infra Scan.** Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Protection Against Malware - Concept. ## Common pitfalls - Treating CSPM findings as a backlog instead of a hot queue: findings older than the policy SLA accumulate until the auditor asks why. - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.13.15** — Session Authenticity](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-15-session-authenticity) - [**GDPR Article 72** — Procedure](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-72-procedure) - [**NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 AC-4(5)** — Embedded Data Types](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ac-4-5-embedded-data-types) ## Related controls in BSI C5:2020 - [**Criterion OPS-05** — Protection Against Malware - Implementation](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-05-protection-against-malware-implementation) - [**Criterion OPS-18** — Managing Vulnerabilities, Malfunctions and Errors - Concept](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-18-managing-vulnerabilities-malfunctions-and-errors-concept) - [**Criterion OPS-22** — Testing and Documentation of known Vulnerabilities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-22-testing-and-documentation-of-known-vulnerabilities) - [**Criterion OPS-10** — Logging and Monitoring - Concept](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-10-logging-and-monitoring-concept) - [**Criterion AM-06** — Asset Classification and Labelling](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/am-06-asset-classification-and-labelling) - [**Criterion HR-02** — Employment terms and conditions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/hr-02-employment-terms-and-conditions) ## References - [Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI) — BSI C5:2020](https://www.bsi.bund.de/EN/Topics/CloudComputing/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue_node.html) - Catalogue identifier: `Criterion OPS-04` Topics: governance riskcloud posturepolicy management ## Related compliance guidance - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.