“An Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) details the technical, procedural, and planning requirements for securely connecting two or more information systems. An ISA builds upon a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or similar high-level partnership document to specify security controls, configuration settings, data flow diagrams, incident-response responsibilities, and ongoing management processes for the interconnected environments.”
— CompTIA CASP+ Official Study Guide, Third Edition, Chapter 2: Governance, Risk, and Compliance, p. 84
“Use an ISA to define the security requirements, operational procedures, and maintenance plans for any system interconnections. The ISA should reference applicable policies, identify roles and responsibilities, and outline technical controls such as encryption, authentication, and logging mechanisms.”
— CompTIA CASP+ CAS-004 Exam Objectives (v7.1), Section 1.4: Interconnection and Collaboration Agreements, p. 6
By creating an ISA, the CISO ensures that both organizations share a clear, binding document that covers not only the security controls and network configurations but also the procedural and planning aspects needed to maintain a secure, ongoing connection.
[References:, CompTIA CASP+ Official Study Guide, Third Edition, p. 84, CompTIA CASP+ CAS-004 Exam Objectives (v7.1), Section 1.4, p. 6, , ]
