BS ISO IEC 27034 — Application Security Series

🔐 BS ISO/IEC 27034 is the British Standard series adopted by BSI from the ISO/IEC 27034 international standard, specifically addressing application security. Developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1 Subcommittee SC 27 (Information security management techniques), with UK participation through Technical Committee IST/33 (IT — Security techniques), unlike ISO/IEC 27001/27002 which focus on organization-level information security, 27034 focuses on the security of applications themselves, providing frameworks and requirements for software security across its lifecycle. As software supply chain and web application attacks become increasingly frequent, application security has become an unavoidable part of an organization’s information security system.

1. Series Overview and Positioning 📌

This batch covers three parts of the BS ISO/IEC 27034 series: Part 1: Overview and concepts (2011 edition, including January 2014 corrigendum), Part 2: Organization normative framework (2015 edition), and Part 6: Security guidance for specific applications (2016 edition). Part 1 is the foundation of the series, Part 2 provides an organization-level framework, and Part 6 provides security guidance for specific applications (including a mobile application example).

ISO/IEC 27034 introduces the concept of Application Security Control (ASC), providing organizations with an executable set of application security requirements in the form of an Application Security Framework (ASF), covering the full software lifecycle from requirements, design, development, and testing to operations and maintenance. ASC works with existing organizational security management systems (such as ISO/IEC 27001) to form a two-level “organization—application” application security governance structure.

2. Series Structure and Part-Level Points 🔧

3. Part 1: Overview and Concepts Core Content 🔍

Part 1 is the foundation of the series, establishing the overall concepts and framework of application security. Content includes: goals and scope of application security, terminology definitions (such as ASC, ASF, and application security framework), the concept and classification of application security controls, how application security integrates into the software lifecycle, and its relationship with organizational security management systems (such as ISO/IEC 27001). The specification clarifies the hierarchical structure and role responsibilities of the application security framework, providing a methodology for organizations to establish, implement, and evaluate application security.

Part 1 also explains the scope and boundaries of application security, noting that application security covers not only code-level security but also the platform, data, and process environment on which the application runs, reflecting the principles of “defense in depth” and “full lifecycle.”

4. Part 2: Organization Normative Framework 🏛️

Part 2 defines the Organization Normative Framework, helping organizations turn the concepts of ISO/IEC 27034-1 into an executable specification system. Content includes: how an organization defines and maintains application security specifications, how to assign roles and responsibilities, how to select and tailor ASCs, and how to assess an application’s security state. This part converts abstract application security concepts into operable policies, processes, and templates, and is the core support for an organization implementing 27034.

5. Part 6: Security Guidance for Specific Applications 📱

Part 6 provides security guidance for specific applications. The specification demonstrates, using ASC examples, how to develop security controls for a specific application; the example includes Java code security review for mobile applications. Through concrete cases, Part 6 shows how ASC can be translated into executable security requirements in the context of an application’s technology stack (such as mobile platforms and web frameworks), providing templates and demonstrations for organizations to customize their own application security controls.

6. Application Practice and Implementation 🛠️

• 📋 Secure development lifecycle: embed the 27034 ASCs into the SDLC requirements, design, coding, testing, and release stages to achieve “security by design.”
• 🔗 Synergy with 27001: incorporate application security requirements into the organizational information security management system, linking with risk treatment, audit, and compliance.
• 🛡️ Security review: conduct application security reviews before project initiation and delivery, checking against the ASC checklist item by item and forming traceable records.
• 🎓 Team capability: train development, testing, and operations staff on application security control methods to foster a security development culture.

7. Frequently Asked Questions ❓