Which audit activity related to ISO/IEC 27001 may be carried out by a practitioner?

ISO/IEC 27001 requires internal audits and sets out how they must be conducted: “The organization shall conduct internal audits at planned intervals…” (9.2.1) and “plan, establish, implement and maintain an audit programme(s)… [and] select auditors and conduct audits that ensure objectivity and the impartiality of the audit process” (9.2.2). These extracts confirm that practitioners (internal to the organization) can conduct internal audits provided objectivity and impartiality are ensured (e.g., they do not audit their own work). Surveillance audits (option A) and audits of Accredited Training Organizations or Certification Bodies (options C, D) are third-party activities outside the remit of an internal practitioner under ISO/IEC 27001; the standard’s audit requirement is focused on the organization’s own internal audit programme. Therefore, conducting an internal audit (B) is the correct practitioner activity per Clause 9.2.