# ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.12 — Classification of information - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-12-classification-of-information - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022) › Organizational controls - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **ISO/IEC 27001:2022**·Annex A `A.5.12`·medium·Component: **Organizational controls** ## What this control requires > Information shall be classified according to the information security needs of the organization based on confidentiality, integrity, availability and relevant interested party requirements. > > — ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Annex A A.5.12 ### In plain English Information shall be classified according to the information security needs of the organization based on confidentiality, integrity, availability and relevant interested party requirements. In practice, this means you can prove you policy information security-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters ISO 27001 certification depends on showing each Annex A control is either implemented or explicitly justified for exclusion in the Statement of Applicability (SoA). Certification bodies sample controls during surveillance audits, and a missing SoA entry — or implementation that doesn't match the SoA wording — is a finding. ## What an auditor looks for An ISO 27001 lead auditor looks for: (1) an SoA entry covering the control with justification, (2) a documented procedure or policy implementing it, (3) records that prove the procedure runs (logs, tickets, training records) and (4) management-review evidence that effectiveness is monitored. Within **Organizational controls**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Annex A A.5.12) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### 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 - **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Information.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Management.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Classification.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Confidentiality.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** information security, management. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Classification of information. ## Common pitfalls - 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. - [**HIPAA (45 CFR Part 164) 164.308(a)(5)(i)** — Security Awareness and Training](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/hipaa/164-308-a-5-i-security-awareness-and-training) - [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.3.3** — Information security policies](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-3-3-information-security-policies) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) C1.2** — Confidential Information Disposal](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/c1-2-confidential-information-disposal) - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.12.1** — Security Assessment](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-12-1-security-assessment) - [**BSI C5:2020 SP-01** — Documentation, communication and provision of policies and instructions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/sp-01-documentation-communication-and-provision-of-policies-and-instructions) ## Related controls in ISO/IEC 27001:2022 - [**Annex A A.5.1** — Policies for information security](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-1-policies-for-information-security) - [**Annex A A.5.4** — Management responsibilities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-4-management-responsibilities) - [**Annex A A.5.29** — Information security during disruption](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-29-information-security-during-disruption) - [**Annex A A.5.31** — Legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-31-legal-statutory-regulatory-and-contractual-requirements) - [**Annex A A.5.36** — Compliance with policies, rules and standards for information security](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-36-compliance-with-policies-rules-and-standards-for-information-security) - [**Annex A A.5.26** — Response to information security incidents](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-26-response-to-information-security-incidents) ## References - [ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 — ISO/IEC 27001:2022](https://www.iso.org/standard/27001) - Catalogue identifier: `Annex A A.5.12` Topics: governance riskpolicy management ## Related compliance guidance - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): Start with the full ISO 27001 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Most companies that hold ISO 27001 also need a SOC 2 report for North American customers, and the two share most of their technical controls.