What is ISO/IEC 27701? How does it Differ from ISO/IEC 27001?

What is ISO/IEC 27701? How does it Differ from ISO/IEC 27001?
4 min read
28 November 2023

Internationally, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are recognised as authorities on management systems and best practices. ISO/IEC has become the gold standard for satisfying privacy, compliance, and security posture, particularly for financial technology companies and healthcare providers. It's an excellent way to demonstrate compliance to customers, business partners, and regulators.

ISO/IEC 27701 is a code of practice for securing personally identifiable information (PII) in compliance with international data protection and privacy legislation. It establishes control objectives, rules, and guidelines for public cloud data processors, whereas ISO 27018 focuses on critical customer data. ISO/IEC 27701 can be viewed as a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) guideline.

What is Missing from ISO 27001 in terms of Privacy Protection?

Although a 'complete' information security management system (ISMS) aligned to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 handles privacy issues, this requirement is not informative for privacy issues.

This means that certificates of conformity with ISO/IEC 27001 are provided without a guarantee that data protection requirements have been met effectively. While data protection naturally necessitates some level of information security (legislation such as the GDPR and CCPA frequently refer to these as 'technical and organizational measures'), it goes much further than simply protecting the information - the organization must also protect the data subjects' rights, which cannot be guaranteed through information security alone.

ISO 27701 Provides Global Data Protection Guidelines

The ISO 27701 regulations recognise information security as a critical component of an efficient privacy program. This set of regulations establishes a more precise set of requirements for privacy and the handling of PII data.

ISO/IEC 27701 is a global standard that establishes a framework based on information security to enable organizations to tailor their information security and compliance programs to their individual legal and regulatory environment.

ISO 27701 Specific Data Protection Guidelines

ISO 27701 Clauses 5 through 8 are additional standards and adjustments to ISO 27001 that are notably necessary for a data protection program.

Clause 5: Data Protection

This clause discusses every clause in ISO 27001 and identifies where extra content is required. The majority of the ISO 27001 clauses remain identical, with the proviso that ISO 27701 requires the organization to recognise its need for data protection within its context, and this context informs all other standards.

Another major change concerns risk assessment, which will need to consider the organization's position regarding to PII - that is, whether it is a controller or a processor - and how that may alter the risks.

Clause 6: PIMS-Specific Instructions

This part supplements ISO 27002's control recommendations. It establishes a high-level amendment requiring that any references to 'information security' be interpreted to include privacy protection. Controls with a potentially significant influence on privacy and data protection are given extensive further guidance. This encompasses topics like removable media, cryptography, and secure development.

Clause 7: Additional Instructions for PII Controllers

This clause gives recommendations on ISO 27701's Annex A controls, which are unique to privacy for PII controllers. These controls address many of the essential aspects of data protection and privacy that are not addressed by the controls offered in ISO 27001.

Clause 8: Additional Instructions for PII Processors

This clause gives recommendations on ISO 27701's Annex B rules, which are unique to privacy for PII processors. These controls cover many of the essential aspects of data protection and privacy that are not addressed by the controls offered in ISO 27001.

For the ISO/IEC 27701 Training PPT

Globalmanagergroup.com dynamic firm with over 25 years of experience in certification consultancy and management. Globalmanagergroup.com provides consultancy services to businesses so they to reach competitiveness, certifications, and worldwide standards and having over 2700 clients in over 36 countries. It also provides an ISO 27701 auditor training ppt – material for in house training which includes more than 350 editable PPT slides, an Audit checklist, workshops, case study, Audit forms, etc. This PPT kit is written in simple English language and it is developed by ISO experts and consultants with more than 20 years of experience.

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