In the context of management reviews, the term “suitability” refers to whether the Information Security Management System (ISMS) continues to align with the organization’s objectives, strategic direction, and purpose. Therefore, Option C is the correct and verified answer.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Clause 9.3 – Management review requires top management to review the ISMS at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness. While these three terms are related, they have distinct meanings:
Suitability focuses on alignment — whether the ISMS remains appropriate for the organization’s business objectives, context, and strategic direction.
Adequacy considers whether the ISMS is sufficient in scope and resources.
Effectiveness evaluates whether the ISMS achieves its intended outcomes.
Clause 9.3.2 explicitly states that management review inputs shall include information on:
changes in external and internal issues (Clause 4.1),
needs and expectations of interested parties (Clause 4.2),
achievement of information security objectives (Clause 6.2).
These inputs are used to determine whether the ISMS still fits the organization’s goals and priorities, which is the essence of suitability.
Option A is incorrect because alignment with certification standards is a compliance matter, not the definition of suitability.
Option B is incorrect because being well-designed and embedded relates more to adequacy and effectiveness, not suitability.
