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ISO/IEC 27013:2021 for Risk Managers

What does ISO/IEC 27013:2021 require of a Risk Manager?

ISO/IEC's guidance on running ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 20000-1 as one integrated management system, updated by Amendment 1 to ISO/IEC 27001:2022: aligning scopes, choosing the implementation path, keeping traceability to both standards, resolving where the two diverge on controls, assets, risk, incidents and change, and using service reporting, suppliers, capacity, continuity and release management to strengthen security. Under ISO/IEC 27013:2021, which defines 23 controls, a Risk Manager's work is deciding which controls you own outright, which you share and which belong to another team, then holding the evidence for the first group.

Which ISO/IEC 27013:2021 controls land on the Risk Manager

Risk Managers identify, assess, and prioritise organisational risks. They build risk registers, conduct risk assessments, define risk appetite, and ensure that compliance frameworks address the most material threats to the organisation.

ISO/IEC 27013:2021 defines 23 controls across 3 domains that directly affect the Risk Manager role. Understanding which controls fall within your ownership, which are shared, and which are owned by other teams is the foundation of effective compliance management.

What a Risk Manager is accountable for under ISO/IEC 27013:2021

1

Conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register

2

Defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership

3

Mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis

4

Monitoring key risk indicators (KRIs) and escalating emerging threats

5

Integrating compliance, operational, and strategic risk management

Where Risk Managers lose time on ISO/IEC 27013:2021

These are the most common obstacles Risk Managers face when managing ISO/IEC 27013:2021 compliance, and how to address them:

Challenge 1

Quantifying cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executives

Challenge 2

Identifying gaps between compliance control coverage and actual risk exposure

Challenge 3

Integrating risk data from siloed tools and departments

Challenge 4

Keeping risk assessments current as the threat landscape evolves

Challenge 5

Prioritising remediation when resources are limited

A working order for a Risk Manager starting on ISO/IEC 27013:2021

1. Readiness Assessment

Take a 5-minute readiness assessment to identify your organisation's current gap profile against ISO/IEC 27013:2021. Get a prioritised action plan tailored to your specific situation.

2. Cross-Framework Mapping

Use our platform to map ISO/IEC 27013:2021 controls against other frameworks you already comply with. Identify overlapping controls to reduce duplicate effort.

3. Build Your Toolkit

Equip yourself with ISO/IEC 27013:2021 toolkits, self-assessments, and implementation guides from our store. Resources designed specifically for Risk Managers managing compliance programmes.

4. Continuous Monitoring

Establish ongoing compliance monitoring using our platform's gap analysis tools. Track your maturity over time and demonstrate progress to stakeholders.

ISO/IEC 27013:2021 in your sector

Who else owns part of ISO/IEC 27013:2021

Questions Risk Managers ask about ISO/IEC 27013:2021

What does a Risk Manager need to know about ISO/IEC 27013:2021?
As a Risk Manager, your key responsibilities under ISO/IEC 27013:2021 include conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register and defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership. The framework contains 23 controls that fall within your area of responsibility. Understanding which controls you own versus which are shared with other teams is critical for effective implementation.
How does ISO/IEC 27013:2021 affect the Risk Manager role?
ISO/IEC 27013:2021 directly impacts Risk Managers through conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register, defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership, mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis. The framework provides structure that helps Risk Managers demonstrate due diligence and report compliance status to stakeholders.
What are the biggest ISO/IEC 27013:2021 challenges for Risk Managers?
Common challenges include quantifying cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executives; identifying gaps between compliance control coverage and actual risk exposure; integrating risk data from siloed tools and departments. Using cross-framework mapping tools and automated evidence collection can significantly reduce these pain points.
How should a Risk Manager prepare for a ISO/IEC 27013:2021 audit?
Start by conducting a readiness assessment to identify gaps. Then focus on mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis and monitoring key risk indicators (kris) and escalating emerging threats. Maintain a current evidence repository and ensure all control owners have documented their processes. Our readiness reports provide a prioritised action plan specific to your gap profile.
What tools help Risk Managers manage ISO/IEC 27013:2021 compliance?
Effective ISO/IEC 27013:2021 compliance management requires tools for gap analysis, control mapping, evidence collection, and reporting. Our compliance platform provides AI-powered gap analysis across 1,248 frameworks with 315K+ verified control-to-control mappings, helping Risk Managers identify overlapping requirements and reduce duplicate compliance effort.

Risk Manager: How ready is your organisation for ISO/IEC 27013:2021?

Answer 25 questions and get a professional readiness report with gap analysis, maturity scores, and prioritised action items. Results in 5 minutes.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.Last updated .