ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A · Control 5.5
Contact with Authorities: A Practical Implementation Guide
Prepare trusted communication channels with relevant authorities before an incident or legal obligation makes them urgent.
This control concerns establishing and maintaining appropriate contact with authorities such as law enforcement, regulators, supervisory bodies, emergency services and sector-specific agencies.
What should the control achieve?
- Relevant authorities and reporting obligations are identified.
- Authorized contact persons and deputies are assigned.
- Notifications are timely, accurate and legally reviewed where necessary.
- Contact details and procedures are periodically tested and updated.
Step-by-step implementation
Identify relevant authorities
Map jurisdictions, regulated activities, incident types and mandatory notification duties. Include data protection, cyber security, financial, sector and emergency authorities as applicable.
Define notification triggers
Document events that require or may benefit from contact, including statutory deadlines, evidence preservation needs and escalation thresholds.
Assign authorized contacts
Name roles responsible for decisions and communication, with deputies and 24/7 arrangements for urgent situations.
Prepare communication procedures
Create templates and checklists covering approval, confidentiality, facts to verify, secure channels and record keeping.
Exercise and maintain
Test contact paths during incident exercises and review details after legal, organizational or jurisdictional changes.
What this could look like in practice
A SaaS provider maintains a jurisdiction matrix linking customer locations and incident types to competent privacy and cyber authorities. During a tabletop exercise, the Incident Manager coordinates facts, Legal confirms the reporting duty, the CEO approves external communication and a designated Privacy Officer submits the notification through the authority's portal.
| Activity | Practical implementation | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory mapping | Legal maintains authority, jurisdiction, trigger and deadline information. | Regulatory contact register |
| Incident notification | Incident team uses an approved decision checklist and message template. | Decision log and submitted notice |
| Routine liaison | Security representative attends sector briefings and records relevant guidance. | Meeting notes and action log |
Implementation evidence
- Authority contact register
- Notification decision matrix
- Legal and regulatory obligations register
- Named authorized contacts and deputies
- Incident communication procedure
- Notification templates
- Exercise records
- Submitted reports and correspondence
Useful metrics
- Percentage of authority contacts reviewed on schedule
- Time from confirmed trigger to notification decision
- Number of missed or late mandatory notifications
- Percentage of exercises that test external notification
Common mistakes
- Using outdated or unverified contact details.
- Allowing unauthorized personnel to speak for the organization.
- Contacting authorities before facts and legal constraints are assessed.
- Failing to retain the decision and communication record.
- Assuming one country's process applies in every jurisdiction.
Questions an auditor may ask
- Which authorities are relevant to your operations and why?
- Who decides whether a notification is required?
- Show a recent test or actual authority communication.
- How do you track jurisdiction-specific deadlines?
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