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Download ISO 27001 Change Management Procedure Template

One "minor" unauthorized change is often the root cause of major security breaches. To protect your organization, change must be managed, not just implemented. Our Change Management Procedure template provides a robust framework for requests, approvals, and testing, helping you maintain system integrity and achieve ISO 27001 compliance with ease.

Why Use This Template? (The Purpose)

The goal of a formal Change Management procedure is controlled evolution. This template serves four critical objectives:

  1. Risk Mitigation: By requiring a formal "Risk Assessment" for every change, you identify potential security gaps before they are live in production.
  2. Operational Continuity: Thorough testing and implementation planning (Section 3.4) prevent "unforeseen consequences" that lead to business downtime.
  3. Traceability and Accountability: The Change Register (Section 5) creates a permanent audit trail. If a breach occurs, you can trace exactly what changed, who approved it, and when.
  4. Regulatory Compliance: ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS all require proof that changes are authorized and tested. This template provides the documentation auditors demand.

How to Use the Change Management Procedure Template

To implement a successful change culture, follow these four operational steps:

Step 1: Standardize the Change Request (CR)

Use Section 3.1 to create a standard form. Every request must answer: What are we changing? Why? What happens if it goes wrong? If a request lacks a "Back-out Plan" (a way to undo the change), it should be sent back for revision.

Step 2: Empower your Change Advisory Board (CAB)

In Section 3.2, define your stakeholders. For small organizations, this might just be the ISO and a System Admin. For larger firms, it’s a "Change Management Committee." Their job is to look at the change from a high-level perspective—specifically checking for compliance and security impacts.

Step 3: Enforce "Separation of Duties"

A key security principle in change management is that the person requesting the change should not be the only person approving it. Use the Roles and Responsibilities in Section 4 to ensure clear oversight and prevent unauthorized "shadow IT" changes.

Step 4: Conduct Post-Implementation Reviews (PIR)

Don't just celebrate a successful deployment. Follow Section 3.5 to review the change a week later. Did it actually solve the problem? Did it cause a slow-down in another system? This feedback loop is essential for continuous improvement.