Management Review
A formal, periodic evaluation by top management of the organization's information security management system to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, effectiveness, and alignment with strategic direction. Required by ISO 27001 Clause 9.3.
Management review is a governance mechanism required by ISO 27001 Clause 9.3 that ensures top management remains actively engaged in overseeing and directing the information security management system. The review must consider specific inputs defined by the standard: the status of actions from previous reviews, changes in external and internal issues relevant to the ISMS, feedback on information security performance (including trends in nonconformities, monitoring results, audit results, and fulfillment of objectives), feedback from interested parties, results of risk assessment and status of the risk treatment plan, and opportunities for continual improvement.
The management review produces documented outputs including decisions and actions related to continual improvement opportunities, any needs for changes to the ISMS, and resource requirements. This creates a formal feedback loop from operational activities back to strategic direction — management can reallocate resources, adjust risk appetite, approve policy changes, or redirect security investments based on the evidence presented. The review should be conducted at planned intervals, typically at least annually, though many organizations hold quarterly management reviews to maintain closer oversight. SOC 2 engagements evaluate whether management has appropriate oversight of the control environment, and management review provides evidence of this oversight.
For management reviews to be effective rather than perfunctory, they require proper preparation and genuine executive engagement. The information security team should prepare a comprehensive management review package that presents data clearly, highlights trends and emerging issues, and proposes specific decisions for management consideration. The review should be attended by relevant top management, not delegated to junior staff. Minutes must be documented and retained as audit evidence, including specific decisions made and actions assigned. NIS2 explicitly requires management bodies of essential entities to approve cybersecurity risk-management measures and oversee their implementation, making management review a natural mechanism for fulfilling this obligation. Follow-up on management review actions should be tracked and reported at subsequent reviews to close the improvement loop.
Related terms
Corrective Action
A documented action taken to eliminate the root cause of a detected nonconformity or other undesirable situation, preventing its recurrence. Corrective actions go beyond simply fixing the immediate problem to address the underlying systemic issue.
Internal Audit
A systematic, independent evaluation conducted by an organization's own personnel or contracted auditors to assess the effectiveness of its management system, controls, and processes against defined criteria such as ISO 27001 requirements or internal policies.
Information Security Management System
A systematic framework of policies, processes, and controls that an organization establishes to manage and protect its information assets. An ISMS addresses people, processes, and technology to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
Nonconformity
A failure to fulfill a requirement of a standard, policy, procedure, regulation, or contractual obligation. In the context of management systems like ISO 27001, nonconformities are categorized as major (systemic failure or significant gap) or minor (isolated or partial failure).
Risk Assessment
A structured process for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating information security risks. Risk assessments determine the likelihood and potential impact of threats to an organization's information assets, guiding decisions about which controls to implement.
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