ISO 27001:2013 vs ISO 27001:2022 | Differences & Transitioning

The transition deadline for ISO/IEC 27001:2013 has passed. As of October 31, 2025, all ISO 27001:2013 certificates are no longer valid and if your organization has not yet completed the transition to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, you are now operating without a recognized certification. That means real exposure: audit failures, contractual breaches with customers who require valid ISO 27001 certification, and reputational risk with prospects who ask for it during due diligence.

The shift to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 isn’t just a routine update. It’s a direct response to today’s real-world threats cloud breaches, remote work risks, and supply chain attacks. The control structure has been streamlined, 11 new controls introduced, and a more risk-adaptive approach is now the standard expectation for certification bodies and auditors alike.

This guide gives you a tactical breakdown of ISO 27001:2013 vs ISO 27001:2022, with clear side-by-side comparisons, mapping tables, and a practical recovery plan if you’re behind. Whether you’re mid-transition or haven’t started yet, this is your playbook for getting back on track.

What is ISO 27001:2013?

ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the earlier version of the global standard for information security management systems (ISMS), featuring 114 controls grouped into 14 domains to help businesses manage and protect sensitive information.

What is ISO 27001:2022?

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is the latest update to the ISMS standard, introducing 93 streamlined controls across 4 themes. It reflects modern cybersecurity threats and promotes a more risk-adaptive, scalable, and efficient compliance framework.

Why was ISO 27001 updated in 2022?

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 was introduced to keep pace with modern cybersecurity risks and evolving business models. The 2013 version, although robust, didn’t reflect newer threats, such as cloud misconfigurations, supply chain attacks, or remote workforce challenges.

Here are the primary reasons why the update was necessary:

• To tackle new threats and technologies: The 2022 version addresses evolving risks like supply chain vulnerabilities, data masking, and secure coding practices. The 2013 framework doesn’t exactly cover these.
• To restructure and simplify controls: Annex A now lists 93 controls, down from 114. Redundant controls were merged or rewritten. The updated format is easier to apply across teams, especially for small businesses.
• To introduce control themes and attributes: The original 14 control domains are replaced by four themes: Organizational, People, Physical, and Technological. Each control now includes attributes, such as control type or security objective. This makes them easier to sort and implement based on risk.
• To enable risk-based implementation: The framework now supports tailored control selection based on business context, not a checklist approach. This gives your business more flexibility while staying audit-ready.

ISO 27001:2013 vs ISO 27001:2022: What’s changed?

To make it easier for you to understand the key differences, here’s a simple table to quickly grasp them:

Component	ISO 27001:2013	ISO 27001:2022	What Changed
Publication Date	October 2013	October 2022	Latest update after 9 years
Clauses 4–10	Unchanged since 2013	Minor language updates for clarity	Intent stays the same, better phrasing
Annex A Controls	114 controls across 14 domains	93 controls grouped under 4 themes	Controls consolidated and renamed
New Controls	Not present	11 new controls added	Includes threat intelligence, physical monitoring, and others
Control Grouping	14 control domains (e.g., HR security, communications)	4 control themes: Organizational, People, Physical, Technological	Simplified structure improves usability
Control Attributes	Not defined	Introduced five attributes (e.g., control type, security property)	Enables control filtering and mapping
Mapping Table	Informal mapping in some guides	Formal mapping is available in ISO/IEC 27002:2022	Aids smoother transition
Risk Treatment Approach	Prescriptive focus on selecting controls	More contextual and risk-based	Supports tailored implementations
Certification Impact	Organizations are certified to the 2013 version	2013 certification won’t be valid after 31st October, 2025, and businesses must transition to the 2022 version before then	Deadline defined by IAF (MD 26:2023)

Mapping controls of ISO 27001:2013 with the 2022 version

Why is this mapping important for you?

Mapping between ISO 27001:2013 and 2022 versions is important because it helps you understand the changes in requirements, align existing Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) with the updated standard, and ensure ongoing compliance.

To make the transition easier for your business, ISO/IEC 27002:2022 provides a detailed mapping table that links each control in Annex A of ISO 27001:2013 to its counterpart (or merged equivalent) in ISO 27001:2022.

Most controls do retain their core intent, so it’s not like you need to completely revise them. A majority of them were simply renamed, merged, or restructured to reflect a modern security context.

2013 Control (ISO/IEC 27001:2013)	2022 Equivalent (ISO/IEC 27001:2022)	Change Type
A.12.6.1: Management of technical vulnerabilities	8.8: Management of technical vulnerabilities	Retained (renumbered)
A.18.2.3: Technical compliance review	5.36: Compliance with policies and standards for information security	Consolidated
A.10.1.1: Policy on use of cryptographic controls	8.24: Use of cryptography	Retained (renamed)
A.13.2.3: Electronic messaging	8.23: Information transfer	Merged under broader control
A.14.2.1: Secure development policy	8.25: Secure development lifecycle	Reworded to fit secure coding lifecycle
New	5.7: Threat intelligence	New control
New	5.23: Information security for use of cloud services	New control
New	7.4: Physical security monitoring	New control

You can purchase the entire official mapping here.

Transition timeline for ISO 27001:2022

While we have already mentioned this in brief, here’s a detailed table that goes over the timeline for the important events in the context of the transition:

Key dates

Milestone	Date	What It Means
Standard Published	October 25, 2022	ISO/IEC 27001:2022 was officially released by ISO
Transition Period Begins	October 31, 2022	Certification bodies begin offering audits for the 2022 version
Transition Deadline	October 31, 2025	All ISO 27001:2013 certificates expire. No exceptions after this date

To maintain a valid certification status, organizations needed to complete their transition audit before the October 31, 2025, deadline. If you have already transitioned, your certification body will have handled this during a surveillance audit, recertification cycle, or as a standalone transition audit, depending on where you were in your audit schedule. If you missed the deadline, you will need to undergo a full certification audit under the 2022 version to requalify.

Note for SMBs: If you are a small business with a one or two-man compliance team, it can be detrimental to delay the transition. Transitioning too close to the deadline may create scheduling bottlenecks with auditors and will result in significant non-conformities. 

How to prepare for the ISO 27001:2022 transition

Don’t look at this transition as a simple control update that’s an additional hassle for your compliance team, it is also an opportunity to strengthen your management system and clean up audit inefficiencies. Here are the practical steps to approach it effectively:

1. Perform a gap assessment

The first step to facilitating a transition is to look at how your current ISMS stacks up against ISO 27001:2022. This involves reviewing your existing controls, documentation, and processes against the new Annex A structure and revised clauses. 

The goal is to pinpoint what’s missing, outdated, or needs realignment, so you can create a clear action plan for a smooth transition.

• Use a mapping tool or checklist to track what’s missing.
  
• Focus on the 11 new controls and the ones that have been merged.
  
• Review control ownership, automation gaps, and documentation maturity.

2. Update your risk assessment

To comply with ISO 27001:2022, you must reassess your risks in light of new threats and technologies. This step ensures your controls are relevant and your SoA reflects the updated framework.

• Identify new threats like supply chain risk, threat intelligence needs, and cloud misconfigurations
  
• Update your Statement of Applicability (SoA) to align with the new control structure
  

3. Revise your policies and procedures

Policy documents must evolve with your controls. The new framework brings additions like data masking and cloud service governance, which must reflect in SOPs, policies, and training material.

• Review which policies need version control updates
  
• Update training materials for affected teams
  
• Record change logs and version histories for audit traceability
  

4. Train your internal teams

The success of your transition hinges on cross-functional alignment. Teams must know not just what’s changed, but how it affects their workflows and responsibilities. Furthermore, use this training phase to reinforce a compliance-first culture and clarify audit expectations

• Schedule short, focused training sessions
  
• Highlight what’s different in day-to-day operations
  
• Make new control owners accountable
  

5. Make a solid transition plan

Coordinate early with your certification body. Most of them will offer you transition audits bundled with scheduled surveillance or recertification cycles. A few things you need to do apart from getting that plan include:

• Deciding on whether you want a standalone or integrated audit
  
• Allocating a budget for remediation in case any gaps are discovered

6. Conduct an internal audit against the 2022 standard

Before your transition audit with the certification body, you must conduct an internal audit to verify that your updated ISMS conforms to ISO 27001:2022 requirements. This is not just a documentation check; it involves testing whether controls are implemented and operating as intended under the new structure. Findings from the internal audit should be documented, assigned for remediation, and closed before the external audit begins. Skipping this step is one of the most common reasons organizations encounter unexpected nonconformities during certification.

7. Complete a management review

ISO 27001 Clause 9.3 requires senior management to formally review the ISMS before the transition audit. This review should assess ISMS performance against the updated 2022 requirements, address any nonconformities surfaced during the internal audit, confirm resource allocation, and document decisions and actions. A management review is not a formality; auditors will look for evidence that leadership has actively reviewed and taken ownership of the updated ISMS. Without it, your transition audit readiness is not credible, regardless of how well your controls are documented.

8. Document everything, no exceptions

Auditors will expect a clear trail of transition activities. Keep records of training sessions, policy revisions, updated risk assessments, and SoA changes. Try maintaining these in a separate folder that you can use internally and share with the auditors. 

Downloadable resources to start your ISO 27001 2022 process

Now that we have the theory out of the way, here are some practical resources to help your team accelerate the ISO 27001:2022 transition. You can use these to assess gaps and documentation and prepare for your next audit.

ISO 27001:2022 mapping table

What it is: Official control mapping between ISO 27001:2013 and 2022 versions (Annex B of ISO/IEC 27002:2022).

Where to find it:

• Purchase via ISO

Gap assessment checklist (ISO 27001:2022)

What it is: A downloadable worksheet to identify compliance gaps against the new 2022 control structure.

Download from:

• IT Governance Toolkit

ISO 27001:2022 transition guide

What it is: A step-by-step transition roadmap tailored for compliance managers.

Available at:

• British Standards Institution (BSI) Guide

Plug and play ISO 27001:2022 with Sprinto

Sprinto is an Autonomous Trust Platform that supports the full ISO 27001:2022 transition from gap assessment and control mapping through to evidence collection, internal audit preparation, and ongoing surveillance monitoring. 

If you are already certified to ISO 27001:2013, Sprinto can help you efficiently align your existing ISMS with the 2022 requirements, without draining leadership time or creating compliance chaos. 

After certification, the platform helps you maintain audit readiness, operate the ISMS more efficiently over time, and expand scope as your business grows.

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