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Control mapping of the ISO 27001 Shared Services blueprint sample

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Important

On July 11, 2026, Blueprints (Preview) will be deprecated. Migrate your existing blueprint definitions and assignments to Template Specs and Deployment Stacks. Blueprint artifacts are to be converted to ARM JSON templates or Bicep files used to define deployment stacks. To learn how to author an artifact as an ARM resource, see:

The following article details how the Azure Blueprints ISO 27001 Shared Services blueprint sample maps to the ISO 27001 controls.

The following mappings are to the ISO 27001:2013 controls. Use the navigation on the right to jump directly to a specific control mapping. Many of the mapped controls are implemented with an Azure Policy initiative. To review the complete initiative, open Policy in the Azure portal and select the Definitions page. Then, find and select the [Preview] Audit ISO 27001:2013 controls and deploy specific VM Extensions to support audit requirements built-in policy initiative.

Important

Each control below is associated with one or more Azure Policy definitions. These policies may help you assess compliance with the control; however, there often is not a one-to-one or complete match between a control and one or more policies. As such, Compliant in Azure Policy refers only to the policies themselves; this doesn't ensure you're fully compliant with all requirements of a control. In addition, the compliance standard includes controls that aren't addressed by any Azure Policy definitions at this time. Therefore, compliance in Azure Policy is only a partial view of your overall compliance status. The associations between controls and Azure Policy definitions for this compliance blueprint sample may change over time. To view the change history, see the GitHub Commit History.

A.6.1.2 Segregation of duties

Having only one Azure subscription owner doesn't allow for administrative redundancy. Conversely, having too many Azure subscription owners can increase the potential for a breach via a compromised owner account. This blueprint helps you maintain an appropriate number of Azure subscription owners by assigning two Azure Policy definitions that audit the number of owners for Azure subscriptions. Managing subscription owner permissions can help you implement appropriate separation of duties.

  • A maximum of 3 owners should be designated for your subscription
  • There should be more than one owner assigned to your subscription

A.8.2.1 Classification of information

Azure's SQL Vulnerability Assessment service can help you discover sensitive data stored in your databases and includes recommendations to classify that data. This blueprint assigns an Azure Policy definition to audit that vulnerabilities identified during SQL Vulnerability Assessment scan are remediated.

  • Vulnerabilities on your SQL databases should be remediated

A.9.1.2 Access to networks and network services

Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) helps to manage who has access to Azure resources. This blueprint helps you control access to Azure resources by assigning seven Azure Policy definitions. These policies audit use of resource types and configurations that may allow more permissive access to resources. Understanding resources that are in violation of these policies can help you take corrective actions to ensure access Azure resources is restricted to authorized users.

  • Show audit results from Linux VMs that have accounts without passwords
  • Show audit results from Linux VMs that allow remote connections from accounts without passwords
  • Storage accounts should be migrated to new Azure Resource Manager resources
  • Virtual machines should be migrated to new Azure Resource Manager resources
  • Audit VMs that do not use managed disks

A.9.2.3 Management of privileged access rights

This blueprint helps you restrict and control privileged access rights by assigning four Azure Policy definitions to audit external accounts with owner and/or write permissions and accounts with owner and/or write permissions that don't have multi-factor authentication enabled. Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) helps to manage who has access to Azure resources. This blueprint also assigns three Azure Policy definitions to audit use of Azure Active Directory authentication for SQL Servers and Service Fabric. Using Azure Active Directory authentication enables simplified permission management and centralized identity management of database users and other Microsoft services. This blueprint also assigns an Azure Policy definition to audit the use of custom Azure RBAC rules. Understanding where custom Azure RBAC rules are implement can help you verify need and proper implementation, as custom Azure RBAC rules are error prone.

  • MFA should be enabled on accounts with owner permissions on your subscription
  • MFA should be enabled accounts with write permissions on your subscription
  • External accounts with owner permissions should be removed from your subscription
  • External accounts with write permissions should be removed from your subscription
  • An Azure Active Directory administrator should be provisioned for SQL servers
  • Service Fabric clusters should only use Azure Active Directory for client authentication
  • Audit usage of custom RBAC rules

A.9.2.4 Management of secret authentication information of users

This blueprint assigns three Azure Policy definitions to audit accounts that don't have multi-factor authentication enabled. Multi-factor authentication helps keep accounts secure even if one piece of authentication information is compromised. By monitoring accounts without multi-factor authentication enabled, you can identify accounts that may be more likely to be compromised. This blueprint also assigns two Azure Policy definitions that audit Linux VM password file permissions to alert if they're set incorrectly. This setup enables you to take corrective action to ensure authenticators aren't compromised.

  • MFA should be enabled on accounts with owner permissions on your subscription
  • MFA should be enabled on accounts with read permissions on your subscription
  • MFA should be enabled accounts with write permissions on your subscription
  • Show audit results from Linux VMs that do not have the passwd file permissions set to 0644

A.9.2.5 Review of user access rights

Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) helps you manage who has access to resources in Azure. Using the Azure portal, you can review who has access to Azure resources and their permissions. This blueprint assigns four Azure Policy definitions to audit accounts that should be prioritized for review, including depreciated accounts and external accounts with elevated permissions.

  • Deprecated accounts should be removed from your subscription
  • Deprecated accounts with owner permissions should be removed from your subscription
  • External accounts with owner permissions should be removed from your subscription
  • External accounts with write permissions should be removed from your subscription

A.9.2.6 Removal or adjustment of access rights

Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) helps you manage who has access to resources in Azure. Using Azure Active Directory and Azure RBAC, you can update user roles to reflect organizational changes. When needed, accounts can be blocked from signing in (or removed), which immediately removes access rights to Azure resources. This blueprint assigns two Azure Policy definitions to audit depreciated account that should be considered for removal.

  • Deprecated accounts should be removed from your subscription
  • Deprecated accounts with owner permissions should be removed from your subscription

A.9.4.2 Secure log-on procedures

This blueprint assigns three Azure Policy definitions to audit accounts that don't have multi-factor authentication enabled. Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication provides additional security by requiring a second form of authentication and delivers strong authentication. By monitoring accounts without multi-factor authentication enabled, you can identify accounts that may be more likely to be compromised.

  • MFA should be enabled on accounts with owner permissions on your subscription
  • MFA should be enabled on accounts with read permissions on your subscription
  • MFA should be enabled accounts with write permissions on your subscription

A.9.4.3 Password management system

This blueprint helps you enforce strong passwords by assigning 10 Azure Policy definitions that audit Windows VMs that don't enforce minimum strength and other password requirements. Awareness of VMs in violation of the password strength policy helps you take corrective actions to ensure passwords for all VM user accounts are compliant with policy.

  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that do not have the password complexity setting enabled
  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that do not have a maximum password age of 70 days
  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that do not have a minimum password age of 1 day
  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that do not restrict the minimum password length to 14 characters
  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that allow re-use of the previous 24 passwords

A.10.1.1 Policy on the use of cryptographic controls

This blueprint helps you enforce your policy on the use of cryptograph controls by assigning 13 Azure Policy definitions that enforce specific cryptograph controls and audit use of weak cryptographic settings. Understanding where your Azure resources may have non-optimal cryptographic configurations can help you take corrective actions to ensure resources are configured in accordance with your information security policy. Specifically, the policies assigned by this blueprint require encryption for blob storage accounts and Data Lake storage accounts; require transparent data encryption on SQL databases; audit missing encryption on storage accounts, SQL databases, virtual machine disks, and automation account variables; audit insecure connections to storage accounts, Function Apps, Web App, API Apps, and Redis Cache; audit weak virtual machine password encryption; and audit unencrypted Service Fabric communication.

  • Function App should only be accessible over HTTPS
  • Web Application should only be accessible over HTTPS
  • API App should only be accessible over HTTPS
  • Show audit results from Windows VMs that do not store passwords using reversible encryption
  • Disk encryption should be applied on virtual machines
  • Automation account variables should be encrypted
  • Only secure connections to your Azure Cache for Redis should be enabled
  • Secure transfer to storage accounts should be enabled
  • Service Fabric clusters should have the ClusterProtectionLevel property set to EncryptAndSign
  • Transparent Data Encryption on SQL databases should be enabled

A.12.4.1 Event logging

This blueprint helps you ensure system events are logged by assigning seven Azure Policy definitions that audit log settings on Azure resources. Diagnostic logs provide insight into operations that were performed within Azure resources.

  • Audit Dependency agent deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Dependency agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • [Preview]: Audit Log Analytics Agent Deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Log Analytics agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit diagnostic setting
  • Auditing on SQL server should be enabled

A.12.4.3 Administrator and operator logs

This blueprint helps you ensure system events are logged by assigning seven Azure Policy definitions that audit log settings on Azure resources. Diagnostic logs provide insight into operations that were performed within Azure resources.

  • Audit Dependency agent deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Dependency agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • [Preview]: Audit Log Analytics Agent Deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Log Analytics agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit diagnostic setting
  • Auditing on SQL server should be enabled

A.12.4.4 Clock synchronization

This blueprint helps you ensure system events are logged by assigning seven Azure Policy definitions that audit log settings on Azure resources. Azure logs rely on synchronized internal clocks to create a time-correlated record of events across resources.

  • Audit Dependency agent deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Dependency agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • [Preview]: Audit Log Analytics Agent Deployment - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit Log Analytics agent deployment in virtual machine scale sets - VM Image (OS) unlisted
  • Audit diagnostic setting
  • Auditing on SQL server should be enabled

A.12.5.1 Installation of software on operational systems

Adaptive application control is solution from Azure Security Center that helps you control which applications can run on your VMs located in Azure. This blueprint assigns an Azure Policy definition that monitors changes to the set of allowed applications. This capability helps you control installation of software and applications on Azure VMs.

  • Adaptive application controls for defining safe applications should be enabled on your machines

A.12.6.1 Management of technical vulnerabilities

This blueprint helps you manage information system vulnerabilities by assigning five Azure Policy definitions that monitor missing system updates, operating system vulnerabilities, SQL vulnerabilities, and virtual machine vulnerabilities in Azure Security Center. Azure Security Center provides reporting capabilities that enable you to have real-time insight into the security state of deployed Azure resources.

  • Monitor missing Endpoint Protection in Azure Security Center
  • System updates should be installed on your machines
  • Vulnerabilities in security configuration on your machines should be remediated
  • Vulnerabilities on your SQL databases should be remediated
  • Vulnerabilities should be remediated by a Vulnerability Assessment solution

A.12.6.2 Restrictions on software installation

Adaptive application control is solution from Azure Security Center that helps you control which applications can run on your VMs located in Azure. This blueprint assigns an Azure Policy definition that monitors changes to the set of allowed applications. Restrictions on software installation can help you reduce the likelihood of introduction of software vulnerabilities.

  • Adaptive application controls for defining safe applications should be enabled on your machines

A.13.1.1 Network controls

This blueprint helps you manage and control networks by assigning an Azure Policy definition that monitors network security groups with permissive rules. Rules that are too permissive may allow unintended network access and should be reviewed. This blueprint also assigns three Azure Policy definitions that monitor unprotected endpoints, applications, and storage accounts. Endpoints and applications that aren't protected by a firewall, and storage accounts with unrestricted access can allow unintended access to information contained within the information system.

  • Access through Internet facing endpoint should be restricted
  • Storage accounts should restrict network access

A.13.2.1 Information transfer policies and procedures

The blueprint helps you ensure information transfer with Azure services is secure by assigning two Azure Policy definitions to audit insecure connections to storage accounts and Azure Cache for Redis.

  • Only secure connections to your Azure Cache for Redis should be enabled
  • Secure transfer to storage accounts should be enabled

Next steps

Now that you've reviewed the control mapping of the ISO 27001 Shared Services blueprint, visit the following articles to learn about the architecture and how to deploy this sample:

ISO 27001 Shared Services blueprint - Overview ISO 27001 Shared Services blueprint - Deploy steps

Additional articles about blueprints and how to use them: