A.8.30 ISO 27001

ISO 27001 A.8.30: Outsourced development

What This Control Requires

The organization shall direct, monitor and review the activities related to outsourced system development.

In Plain Language

Outsourcing development does not outsource your security responsibility. When a third party builds software for you, you still own the risk of deploying it. And you have less direct control over how secure their coding practices are, how they protect your source code, and what their development environment looks like. The core expectation is that outsourced development follows the same security standards as your internal work. That means specifying security requirements in contracts, verifying the developer actually follows secure practices, running your own security tests before accepting deliverables, and maintaining oversight throughout the project. How much oversight you need depends on risk. An internet-facing application handling sensitive customer data warrants rigorous security review. An internal utility tool with limited access requires less.

How to Implement

Build a framework for managing outsourced development security that defines requirements, oversight activities, and acceptance criteria for all external projects. Put security requirements in the contract. Cover: compliance with your secure coding standards, use of a secure development lifecycle, security testing obligations (SAST, SCA, DAST, penetration testing), handling and protection of your confidential information, IP ownership and source code protection, vulnerability management and patching after delivery, incident notification requirements, and your right to audit their environment and practices. Vet the security capability of development partners before engaging them. Evaluate their secure development practices, developer training, development environment security, and relevant certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2). Use security questionnaires and reference checks. For high-risk projects, do an on-site assessment. Stay involved during development. Require regular security status updates. Participate in or review security design decisions. Run periodic security reviews of the process. Monitor adherence to agreed practices. Review interim security test results. Before accepting any deliverable, conduct your own security testing. Do not rely solely on the developer's test results. Run SAST, SCA, and DAST scans independently. Commission penetration testing for critical applications. Verify that every security requirement has been met. Reject deliverables that fall short. Manage the handover securely. Verify the integrity of delivered code and artefacts. Receive source code through secure channels. Confirm the development environment has been cleaned of your data. Capture knowledge about security design decisions and known limitations.

Evidence Your Auditor Will Request

Outsourced development security requirements in contracts
Security capability assessment records for development partners
Security oversight records during development including reviews and reports
Independent security testing results for outsourced deliverables
Acceptance testing and sign-off records including security criteria

Common Mistakes

Development contracts do not include specific security requirements
No security assessment of outsourced development partners
No security oversight during the development process
Organization accepts deliverables without independent security testing
Source code is not protected or properly transferred

Related Controls Across Frameworks

Framework	Control ID	Relationship
SOC 2	CC8.1	Related
SOC 2	CC9.2	Related
NIS2	Art.21(2)(e)	Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Should we test code from outsourced developers or trust their testing?

Always run your own independent security tests. The development partner should provide their results too, but you need to validate independently with your own SAST, SCA, and DAST tools. For critical applications, add penetration testing. This is not about distrust - it is about verification. You are the one deploying it, so you are accountable for what goes into production.

What security practices should we require from development partners?

At minimum: secure coding training for their developers, SAST and SCA tools in their pipeline, a code review process, a secure development environment with proper access controls, confidentiality agreements covering your data and code, a vulnerability management process for their toolchain and dependencies, and incident notification for any security event that could affect your project.

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