Defining the scope and context of your Information Security Management System (ISMS) is the essential first step in ISO 27001 implementation. Clauses 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 require organisations to understand their context, identify interested parties and their requirements, and formally determine the boundaries and applicability of the ISMS. Without a well-defined scope, it is impossible to implement meaningful controls, conduct effective risk assessments, or achieve certification.
Why Scope Matters
The ISMS scope determines the entire boundary of your information security programme. Every subsequent activity — risk assessment, control selection, internal audits, management reviews — is performed within the scope you define.
- Too broad: The effort to implement and maintain the ISMS becomes unmanageable. Risk assessments become unwieldy and control implementation takes too long.
- Too narrow: Auditors may question whether the ISMS meaningfully addresses information security risks. Interfaces with out-of-scope areas become complex.
- Just right: An effective scope covers a coherent set of activities, locations, and assets where information security risks are most significant.
The Three Clauses
Clause 4.1 — Understanding the Organisation and Its Context
Clause 4.1 requires you to determine the external and internal issues that are relevant to your purpose and that affect your ability to achieve the intended outcomes of the ISMS. Understanding your context means genuinely analysing the factors that shape your information security risk landscape. The term "issues" is broad — it encompasses anything that could influence the ISMS, positively or negatively.
Clause 4.2 — Understanding the Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties
Clause 4.2 requires you to identify parties with an interest in your ISMS and determine their relevant requirements. These may come from legal or regulatory obligations, contractual commitments, or stakeholder expectations. Typical interested parties include regulators, customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, and partners.
Clause 4.3 — Determining the Scope of the ISMS
Clause 4.3 brings together the outputs of 4.1 and 4.2, along with interfaces and dependencies between your activities and those performed by other organisations. The result is the ISMS scope statement — a documented description of the boundaries and applicability of the ISMS.
Scope & Context Page in Venvera
The Scope & Context page (ISO 27001 > Scope & Context) provides a single, structured form to document all Clause 4.1–4.3 requirements. The page is divided into sections for each element of scope definition, with a save button that persists all data as a single scope record for your organisation.
Page Layout
The page displays the heading ISMS Scope & Context with the subtitle "Clauses 4.1–4.3 — Define and maintain your ISMS scope". A Save button in the top-right corner persists all changes.
The form consists of seven text area sections and one dynamic table for interested parties:
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISMS Scope Statement (Clause 4.3) | Text area (4 rows) | Required | The formal scope statement defining organisational units, locations, assets, and technology covered by the ISMS |
| Boundaries (Physical, Logical, Organizational) | Text area (3 rows) | Required | Physical locations, network boundaries, and organisational units included within scope |
| Exclusions and Justification | Text area (2 rows) | Optional | Any areas, systems, or processes excluded from scope along with the rationale for each exclusion |
| Interfaces and Dependencies | Text area (2 rows) | Optional | Dependencies on external services, shared infrastructure, cloud providers, and other organisations |
| Internal Issues (Clause 4.1) | Text area (3 rows) | Required | Internal factors: organisational culture, governance structure, resources, existing systems, staff competency |
| External Issues (Clause 4.1) | Text area (3 rows) | Required | External factors: regulatory environment, threat landscape, industry trends, economic conditions, geopolitical factors |
| Applicable Legislation & Regulations | Text area (2 rows) | Optional | Specific legislation and regulations applicable to the organisation (e.g., GDPR, NIS2, DORA, sector-specific rules) |
| Interested Parties (Clause 4.2) | Dynamic table | Required | List of interested parties with their requirements and relevance to the ISMS (see below) |
Interested Parties Table
The Interested Parties section allows you to add, edit, and remove parties dynamically. Click Add Party to add a new row. Each row has three fields:
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party name | Text input | Required | The name or category of the interested party (e.g., "Financial Regulator", "Enterprise Customers") |
| Their requirements | Text input | Required | What this party requires from your ISMS (e.g., "GDPR compliance", "ISO 27001 certification", "SLA commitments") |
| Relevance to ISMS | Text input | Optional | How this party and their requirements influence the ISMS scope and design |
Use the trash icon next to each row to remove a party from the list.
Step-by-Step: Defining Your ISMS Scope
In the Internal Issues field, document internal factors affecting your ISMS: organisational structure, governance model, resources and budget, existing systems, staff competency, and security culture. Be specific — for example, "Hybrid working model with 60% remote staff, creating challenges for physical security controls."
In the External Issues field, document external factors: regulatory environment, threat landscape, market conditions, supply chain dependencies, and geopolitical factors. For example: "Subject to DORA and ECB supervisory expectations. Rising ransomware threat targeting the financial sector."
In the Applicable Legislation & Regulations field, list applicable laws: GDPR, NIS2, DORA, sector-specific regulations, and national implementing legislation.
Click Add Party to add each interested party with their name, requirements, and relevance to the ISMS.
In the Boundaries field, describe physical boundaries (offices, data centres), logical boundaries (network segments, cloud environments), and organisational boundaries (departments, business units).
In the Exclusions and Justification field, list anything excluded from scope with justification. Exclusions are only permitted where they do not affect the ability to ensure information security conformity.
In the Interfaces and Dependencies field, document connections between in-scope and out-of-scope areas: shared infrastructure, cloud providers, outsourced processes.
In the ISMS Scope Statement field, write a concise statement identifying the organisation, business activities, locations, information assets, and regulatory drivers covered by the ISMS.
Click Save to persist all data. Review with senior management and formally approve as documented information per Clause 7.5.
Internal Issues — Examples
The following examples illustrate the types of internal issues organisations in different sectors might document:
| Category | Example Internal Issues |
|---|---|
| Governance | Board has limited cybersecurity expertise; CISO reports to CTO rather than directly to the board; risk appetite not formally defined |
| Resources | Security team of 3 supporting 500 employees; limited budget for security tooling; reliance on consultants for specialist skills |
| Technology | Legacy systems running unsupported operating systems; hybrid cloud environment across AWS and Azure; recently migrated ERP to SaaS |
| Culture | Strong engineering culture but security awareness varies; shadow IT practices in marketing; no formal security champion programme |
| Operations | 24/7 operations across three time zones; hybrid working policy with BYOD allowances; shared office space with other tenants |
External Issues — Examples
| Category | Example External Issues |
|---|---|
| Regulatory | GDPR enforcement increasing with higher fines; DORA compliance deadline approaching; NIS2 transposition into national law pending |
| Threat Landscape | Ransomware attacks on the sector increased 40% year-on-year; supply chain attacks (e.g., SolarWinds-style) creating new risk vectors |
| Market | Customers increasingly requiring ISO 27001 certification in procurement; competitors have achieved certification creating competitive pressure |
| Technology | Rapid adoption of AI/ML creating new data processing risks; increasing reliance on cloud services concentrating risk with major providers |
| Geopolitical | Data sovereignty requirements from international clients; sanctions affecting technology procurement; state-sponsored threat actors targeting the sector |
Interested Parties — Common Examples
| Interested Party | Typical Requirements | Relevance to ISMS |
|---|---|---|
| Regulators (e.g., ICO, BaFin) | Compliance with data protection laws, incident notification | Drives control selection and incident management procedures |
| Customers | Data protection, ISO 27001 certification, contractual SLAs, right to audit | Defines asset categories in scope; drives certification timeline |
| Employees | Protection of personal data, clear security policies, adequate training | Shapes awareness programme and acceptable use policies |
| Board / Shareholders | Effective risk management, legal compliance, reputation protection | Influences risk appetite and management review frequency |
| Suppliers and Partners | Secure data exchange, contractual security requirements | Drives supplier security programme (A.5.19–A.5.22) |
| Insurance Providers | Evidence of security controls, incident reporting | May influence minimum control requirements |
Writing an Effective Scope Statement
The scope statement is the single most important output of this page. It should be clear (anyone can understand what is covered), complete (references units, locations, activities, assets), bounded (explicit boundaries prevent scope creep), and justified (exclusions have documented rationale).
Example Scope Statement
"The ISMS scope covers the design, development, and delivery of [product/service] operated by [Company] from [locations]. This includes all information assets, personnel, processes, and technology supporting these activities across the following departments: [list]. The boundary encompasses the corporate network at [address], cloud infrastructure in [provider/region], and remote working environments. Excluded: [exclusions with justification]. The ISMS addresses requirements of interested parties (Clause 4.2) and applicable legal obligations."