ISO 27001 A.8.29: security testing, explained for startups
What A.8.29 asks of a small company, and what an auditor samples.
Test software for security issues during development and before you accept it into use. Verify the security requirements are actually met, not just assumed.
Why it exists: to test new and changed software for security before release.
A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance
New and changed software is security tested before release. What proves it: security testing of new and changed software, such as tests in the pipeline and a yearly penetration test.
A certification auditor samples penetration test and dynamic testing reports. A file that usually does the job: a penetration test report with tracked fixes, or pipeline security test results.
How to put it in place
Each step leaves a record, and the record is what the auditor samples rather than the step itself. Inside Polara, the control card for A.8.29 walks you through it in this order.
- Add automated security tests to your pipeline.
- Run a penetration test at least once a year and after major changes.
- Track findings to closure.
The free ISO 27001 readiness assessment asks one question that evidences it:
- Which of these run on your code: dependency scanning, secret scanning, static analysis, written security requirements?
Policies, connectors and the SOC 2 overlap
In the ISO 27001 policy pack, the Secure Development and Change Management Policy covers A.8.29. An auditor reads the policy for the rule, then samples the records to see the rule was followed.
The same evidence counts toward SOC 2. The Trust Services criteria that cover this ground: CC4.1, control monitoring and CC7.1, vulnerability monitoring.
Technological controls
A.8.29 is one of the 34 technological controls in Annex A. The controls built into your systems: access, devices, malware, vulnerabilities, backups, logging, networks, encryption and secure development. Exports and settings screenshots prove most of them.
Nearby controls in the same theme:
- A.8.26, application security needs
- A.8.27, secure architecture
- A.8.28, secure coding
- A.8.30, outsourced development
- A.8.31, separate environments
- A.8.32, change management
Before it: A.8.28, secure coding. After it: A.8.30, outsourced development. Every control, by theme, is on the Annex A controls page.
Questions
What does ISO 27001 A.8.29 require?
What evidence does an auditor want for A.8.29?
Get ready for ISO 27001 certification.
The readiness assessment is free, with no payment and no card. ISO 27001 is part of Constellation, at $10,800 a year: everything in Orbit plus the management system, the policies, the evidence and the management review for ISO 27001, and your SOC 2 Type 2 audit is included in every contract year. You contract the certification body directly.
The internal audit is priced separately: Polara arranges it with an independent internal auditor from our partner network who works in the platform, and quotes it for your company.
Take the free assessmentPolara Labs is not a certification body. Certification audits are performed by independent accredited certification bodies.