ISO/IEC 27001:2022 · Organizational control
ISO 27001 Annex A 5.16: Identity management
Quick answer
ISO 27001 Annex A 5.16 (Identity management) is an organizational control. Manage the full life cycle of identities so every account is unique, owned and removed when no longer needed.
What auditors look for
Auditors check that 5.16 is either justified as not applicable in your Statement of Applicability or implemented and working. Typical evidence includes:
- Joiner, mover and leaver process
- Account inventory with owners
- Records of disabled leaver accounts
How to implement 5.16 in practice
- Connect HR events to the identity provider
- Prohibit shared accounts or document owners for unavoidable ones
- Review service accounts regularly
- Name an owner for 5.16, decide how often it runs and file evidence each time, so the control is audit-ready all year.
Recording 5.16 in the Statement of Applicability
List 5.16 with whether it applies, the reason (usually the risks it treats or a legal or contractual requirement), its implementation status and where the evidence lives. If you exclude it, explain why none of your risks or obligations require it.