ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026

Systems and software engineering — Engineering and management of websites for systems, software and services information

This document defines system engineering and management requirements for the life cycle of websites, including strategy, design, engineering, testing and validation, and management and sustainment for intranet and extranet environments. This document applies to those using web technology to present information and communications technology (ICT) information, such as information for users of systems and services, plans and reports for systems and software engineering projects, and documentation of policies, plans, and procedures for IT service management. This document provides requirements for website owners and website providers, managers responsible for establishing guidelines for website development and operations, website engineers, designers, developers, and operations and maintenance staff, who can be external or internal to the website owner's organization. It applies to websites for public access and for limited access, such as for users, customers, and subscribers seeking information on IT systems, products and services. The requirements and recommendations in this document address the following aspects of usability of informational websites and ease of maintenance of managed website operations: a) locating relevant and timely information; b) applying information security management; c) facilitating accessibility and ease of use; d) providing for consistent and efficient development and maintenance practices. This document is not particularly applicable to websites used primarily for marketing or sales, to deliver instructional material (tutorials), or to provide graphical user interfaces (GUI) for business or consumer transactional application processing. However, this document can provide useful insights for managing such sites. This document does not address vendor and product considerations for website engineering and management. This document does not include specifications for application development tools, programming and scripting languages used for websites, metadata tags, or protocols for network communications. It does not address tools or systems used for management or storage of information content (data, documents) that can be presented on websites. This document does not address the design and architecture of software and systems supporting the Internet.

Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Ingénierie et gestion de sites web pour les systèmes, logiciels et services d'information

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 35.080 - Software
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 - Software and systems engineering
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 - Software and systems engineering
• Current Stage: 6000 - International Standard under publication
• Completion Date: 07-Jun-2023

Relations

• Revises: ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026:2015 - Systems and software engineering — Engineering and management of websites for systems, software, and services information
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Standards Content (Sample)

DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 Secretariat: BIS
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2022-09-01 2022-11-24
Systems and software engineering — Engineering and
management of websites for systems, software, and
services information

Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Ingénierie et gestion de sites web pour les systèmes, logiciels et

services d'information
ICS: 35.080
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS
THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
© ISO/IEC 2022
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. © IEEE 2022
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 Secretariat: BIS
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
Systems and software engineering — Engineering and
management of websites for systems, software, and
services information

Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Ingénierie et gestion de sites web pour les systèmes, logiciels et

services d'information
ICS: 35.080
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO/IEC 2022
© IEEE 2022 THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may

THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.

be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting

NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL

on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO or IEEE at the STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.

respective address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
ISO copyright office Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8 3 Park Avenue, New York
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva NY 10016-5997, USA
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
Phone: [phone]
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
Fax: [phone]
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
Email: [e-mail] Email: [e-mail]
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
Website: www.iso.org Website: www.ieee.org ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
Published in Switzerland
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
© ISO/IEC 2022
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. © IEEE 2022
© IEEE 2022 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
Contents Page

Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... vi

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................vii

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Word usage ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1

2 Normative references ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

3 Terms and definitions .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

3.1 Defined terms .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

3.2 Abbreviated terms .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

4 Planning websites ...............................................................................................................................................................................................7

4.1 Defining the purpose, users, and context of the website .................................................................................. 7

4.2 Establishing the informational website design and sustainment strategies ................................. 7

4.2.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 7

4.2.2 Website plan ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.2.3 Website maintenance planning ............................................................................................................................. 9

4.2.4 Website maintenance procedures ...................................................................................................................... 9

4.3 Establishing the privacy and security strategy ........................................................................................................ 9

5 Designing and engineering websites ..........................................................................................................................................11

5.1 Design goals and website requirements ....................................................................................................................... 11

5.2 Design principles ...............................................................................................................................................................................12

5.3 Choice of devices and media ....................................................................................................................................................13

5.4 Engineering for website security ........................................................................................................................................ 13

5.4.1 Website operational security procedures ................................................................................................ 14

5.4.2 Website security reviews and audits ............................................................................................................ 15

5.5 Engineering for performance, scalability, and sustainability ................................................................... 16

5.5.1 General ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

5.5.2 Selecting technical formats and standards to use for the website ................................... .. 16

5.5.3 Bandwidth efficiencies .............................................................................................................................................. 18

5.5.4 Document type declaration ................................................................................................................................... 19

5.5.5 Description meta-tag ................................................................................................................................................... 19

5.5.6 XML considerations ...................................................................................................................................................... 19

5.5.7 Image formats, image compression and video ..................................................................................... 19

5.5.8 Server technology independence ...................................................................................................................... 20

5.5.9 Designing for performance and scale ........................................................................................................... 20

6 Testing and evaluating websites ........................................................................................................................................... ...........21

6.1 Test planning ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 21

6.2 Testing for usability ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22

6.2.1 Validation of markup language and accessibility conformance ............................................22

6.2.2 Operational validation ...............................................................................................................................................22

6.2.3 Active links ...........................................................................................................................................................................23

6.2.4 Dead links .............................................................................................................................................................................. 23

6.3 Testing for performance and resilience ........................................................................................................................ 24

6.4 Testing for security ......................................................................................................................................................................... 24

7 Managing the website ..................................................................................................................................................................................24

7.1 Website roles and responsibilities ..................................................................................................................................... 24

7.2 Control of information content ............................................................................................................................................. 25

7.3 Managing security ............................................................................................................................................................................26

8 Sustaining the website ...............................................................................................................................................................................26

8.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 26

8.2 Continuous delivery, content validation, and versioning............................................................................... 26

8.3 Handling disconnects .................................................................................................................................................................... 27

iii
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2022 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)

8.3.1 General ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 27

8.3.2 Site or page relocation ................................................................................................................................................ 27

8.3.3 Redirection ...........................................................................................................................................................................28

8.4 Security monitoring and measurement ........................................................................................................................28

8.5 Backups and archiving .................................................................................................................................................................29

8.5.1 Backups .................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

8.5.2 Archiving ................................................................................................................................................................................ 30

9 Website features................................................................................................................................................................................................30

9.1 Web page components ..................................................................................................................................................................30

9.1.1 General .....................................................................................................................................................................................30

9.1.2 Website home page ........................................................................................................................................... ............. 31

9.1.3 Identifying the website and its owner ......................................................................................................... 32

9.1.4 Page title, header, and headings ......................................................................................................................... 32

9.2 Site navigation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

9.2.1 General ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

9.2.2 Links ...........................................................................................................................................................................................34

9.2.3 Offsite warning ................................................................................................................................................................. 35

9.2.4 Usage tracking and cookies ................................................................................................................................... 35

9.2.5 Frames ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

9.3 Search and indexing ........................................................................................................................................................................ 36

9.3.1 General .....................................................................................................................................................................................36

9.3.2 Search filtering ................................................................................................................................................................. 36

9.3.3 Keywords ............................................................................................................................................................................... 37

9.3.4 Metadata for indexing ................................................................................................................................................. 37

9.3.5 Flushing search engines ........................................................................................................................................... 37

9.4 Presentation of information .................................................................................................................................................... 37

9.4.1 Presentation of text ...................................................................................................................................................... 37

9.4.2 Graphic images ..................................................................................................................................................................38

9.4.3 Animations, 3D, sound, video ...............................................................................................................................39

9.4.4 Use of colour in websites .......................................................................................................................................... 39

9.4.5 Time-sensitive content ..............................................................................................................................................39

9.4.6 Printing from websites .............................................................................................................................................. 41

9.5 Accessibility ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 42

9.6 Website security ................................................................................................................................................................................44

9.6.1 Overall security considerations .........................................................................................................................44

9.6.2 Website security monitoring and measurement ................................................................................44

9.6.3 Web page security designations ........................................................................................................................ 45

9.6.4 Security of the website code .................................................................................................................................46

9.6.5 Website access and authentication ................................................................................................................. 47

9.7 Data management .............................................................................................................................................................................49

9.7.1 General .....................................................................................................................................................................................49

9.7.2 Website information integrity ............................................................................................................................50

9.7.3 Data encryption................................................................................................................................................................ 50

9.7.4 Data privacy ........................................................................................................................................... ..............................50

9.7.5 Intellectual property rights................................................................................................................................... 52

9.8 User interaction .................................................................................................................................................................................. 52

9.8.1 Providing user support .............................................................................................................................................. 52

9.8.2 Collaboration and user generated content ...............................................................................................53

9.9 Translation and localization ....................................................................................................................................................53

9.9.1 General .....................................................................................................................................................................................53

9.9.2 Browser language selection .................................................................................................................................. 53

9.9.3 Icon use ....................................................................................................................................................................................54

9.9.4 Holidays and time zones ...........................................................................................................................................54

9.9.5 Place of origin .....................................................................................................................................................................54

9.9.6 Hemisphericals ................................................................................................................................................................. 55

9.9.7 Metric and monetary units .................................................................................................................................... 55

9.9.8 Regulations ........................................................................................................................................... ................................55

9.9.9 Contact Information .....................................................................................................................................................55

© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2022 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................56

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© IEEE 2022 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards

bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out

through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical

committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International

organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.

ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of

electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are

described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for

the different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with

the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives). IEEE Standards

documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the Standards Committees of the IEEE

Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board.

IEEE Standards documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the IEEE Standards Association

(IEEE-SA) Standards Board. The IEEE develops its standards through a consensus development process,

approved by the American National Standards Institute, which brings together volunteers representing

varied viewpoints and interests to achieve the final product. Volunteers are not necessarily members of

the Institute and serve without compensation. While the IEEE administers the process and establishes

rules to promote fairness in the consensus development process, the IEEE does not independently

evaluate, test, or verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in its standards.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject

of patent rights. ISO, IEC, and IEEE shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent

rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the

Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not

constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and

expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the

World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/

iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,

Subcommittee Software and systems engineering, in cooperation with the Systems and Software

Engineering Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society, under the Partner Standards

Development Organization cooperation agreement between ISO and IEEE.

This second edition of ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026 cancels and replaces ISO/IEC 23026:2015, which has been

technically revised. ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026 originated in the adoption of IEEE Std 2001-2002 (TM) IEEE

Recommended Practice for the Internet — Website Engineering, Website Management, and Website

Life Cycle. The IEEE contributed IEEE Std 2001-2002 as a source for ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026.

The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:

— Updates relating to enhanced technical capabilities for website design and sustainment

— Attention to threats to data privacy and website integrity

— Reorganization to present both the life cycle processes of website information for informational

websites, and the requirements for website features.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A

complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2022 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 23026:2022(E)
Introduction

Continuing improvements in Internet capabilities for technical communication, and the accelerating

development of new technical protocols, products, and services for website development and hosting,

have both simplified and complicated the engineering and management of websites. This document is

intended to account for new capabilities, approaches, and interests in using websites to communicate

technical information. To a large extent, use of digital communications, particularly those accessible

through the Internet or intranets, has supplanted printed publications for conveying technical

information. This trend applies to information for users, systems and services documentation, and

operational plans, policies, and procedures.

Other factors have also affected the design and operation of websites. The increasing sophistication of

information security threats to technical enterprises and their information, as well as concerns for the

privacy of Internet users, have markedly complicated the process of delivering ICT information over the

Web. This revision of ISO/IEC/IEEE 23026 therefore has increased emphasis on information security

and privacy concerns.

The diversity of websites for commercial marketing and social networking purposes reflects different

interests and media choices from those websites that deliver ICT reference information. This revision of

ISO/IEC 23026 applies primarily to websites whose purpose is to deliver information about information

and communications technology (ICT) systems, software, and services. It includes increased emphasis

on the human factors concerns for making information easily retrievable
...