Download ISO 27001 Internal Audit Policy Template
Don't wait for a certification audit to find your security gaps. The internal audit is your organization’s best defense against non-compliance and hidden risks. Our Control of Internal Audits Policy template provides a structured, risk-based roadmap to evaluate your ISMS, verify control effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement, ensuring you are 100% audit-ready, every time.
What is this Template For?
This template provides the standardized procedures for planning, executing, and reporting on internal audits. It acts as a "playbook" for your internal audit team, ensuring that every assessment is objective, thorough, and consistent across all departments.
It covers the essential lifecycle of an audit:
- Audit Planning: Creating a risk-based schedule.
- Auditor Competency: Defining who is qualified to audit (and ensuring they don't audit their own work).
- Audit Procedures: Methods for gathering evidence (interviews, document reviews, and testing).
- CAPA Integration: Linking audit findings to Corrective and Preventive Actions.
Why Use This Template? (The Purpose)
The goal of an internal audit is to find gaps before a certification body does. This template serves three critical purposes:
- Ensures Objectivity: It defines the "Auditor Independence" rule, preventing conflicts of interest and ensuring the results are trustworthy.
- Standardizes Evidence: By outlining specific procedures (Interviews, Observation, Testing), it ensures that audit findings are based on facts, not opinions.
- Facilitates Continuous Improvement: It focuses on Clause 10 (Improvement), turning negative findings into opportunities to strengthen your security posture.
- Satisfies Clause 9.2: It provides the documented evidence that auditors look for to prove you have a functioning audit program.
How to Use the Internal Audit Policy Template
To turn this template into a successful audit program, follow these four steps:
Step 1: Build Your Risk-Based Audit Plan
Use Section 3 to develop your annual plan. Don't audit every department with the same frequency. Focus more heavily on "high-risk" areas—like DevOps or Data Processing—and less on "low-risk" administrative functions.
Step 2: Select Independent Auditors
The most important rule in Section 3.2 is independence. If you are a small team, you may need to "swap" managers (the IT manager audits HR, the HR manager audits IT) or hire a third-party consultant to ensure objectivity.
Step 3: Use the "Reporting" Standard
Follow the reporting guidelines in Section 3.4. Ensure your reports don't just list "what is wrong," but provide clear evidence and actionable recommendations. This makes it easier for Management to approve the necessary resources for fixes.
Step 4: Close the Loop with CAPA
An audit is only successful if the findings are fixed. Use Section 3.5 to track Corrective and Preventive Actions. An auditor will always look at your previous internal audit to see if you actually fixed the issues you found.