What is Corrective Action?
A corrective action is the step an organization takes to eliminate the root cause of a nonconformity so it does not happen again. It goes beyond the immediate fix (the correction): you analyze why the issue occurred, address that cause, and verify the action worked. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 requires this under Clause 10.2.
Corrective action matters because auditors care less about the fact that something broke and more about whether your management system can detect and durably fix problems. A correction patches the symptom (you grant the missing access review this quarter); a corrective action removes the cause (you add an automated reminder and an owner so reviews are never missed again). Closing findings with genuine corrective actions is what turns audit findings from a threat into evidence of a maturing program.
For example, an internal audit finds that two leavers kept active accounts for weeks. The correction is to disable those accounts now. The corrective action investigates why offboarding failed, updates the joiner-mover-leaver procedure to require IT confirmation within 24 hours, and checks the next several departures to confirm the fix holds. That full loop, documented, is exactly what a certification body or SOC 2 auditor wants to see.
A documented corrective action procedure with a nonconformity and corrective action log makes this fast and consistent under audit pressure. ComplianceDocs templates provide that procedure and the tracking forms so root-cause analysis and closure are repeatable, but raising findings, doing honest root-cause analysis, and verifying effectiveness are operational work the templates support rather than replace.
Related terms: Internal Audit · Continual Improvement · Risk Treatment Plan · Audit Evidence
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a correction and a corrective action?
- A correction is the immediate action to fix the specific problem (for example, disabling an account that should have been removed). A corrective action eliminates the underlying root cause so the problem does not recur, which is what ISO/IEC 27001 Clause 10.2 requires.
- Is preventive action the same as corrective action in ISO 27001?
- No. Corrective action responds to a nonconformity that has already occurred. The 2022 version of ISO 27001 handles prevention through the risk-based approach in Clause 6 rather than a separate "preventive action" requirement.
- Do I have to document corrective actions for an audit?
- Yes. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 requires you to retain documented information on the nature of nonconformities, the actions taken, and the results. SOC 2 auditors similarly expect evidence that exceptions were investigated and remediated.
Toolkits that cover Corrective Action
ISO 27001 Complete Toolkit
All 24 policies and procedures plus the risk register, 93-control Statement of Applicability and audit evidence checklist — audit-ready from day one.
SOC 2 Complete Toolkit
22 policies plus the risk register, full Trust Services Criteria mapping and audit evidence checklist — built for startups facing their first SOC 2.
Learn more in our ISO/IEC 27001 guide, explore the editable policy templates, or browse the full compliance glossary.