ISO 27701: Data Compliance Management System Supporting GDPR Compliance
What is ISO 27701?
ISO 27701:2019 is a data privacy extension to ISO 27001. This standard, published in October 2019, provides the framework for organizations looking to put in place a system to support compliance with the EU’s GDPR, California’s CCPA, and other data privacy requirements. ISO 27701, also referenced as PIMS (Privacy Information Management System), outlines a framework for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Controllers and PII Processors to manage data privacy.
Implementation of ISO 27701 can enhance privacy compliance and reduce the risk of the privacy regulation infractions by the organization, using an existing ISO management system approach. A Privacy Information Management System under ISO 27701 is a great way of demonstrating to customers, external stakeholders and internal stakeholders that effective systems are in place to support compliance to GDPR, CCPA and other related privacy legislation.
Since ISO 27701 is an extension standard, it requires an underlying ISO 27001 implementation. Organizations looking to get certified to ISO 27701 will either need to have an existing ISO 27001 certification or can implement ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 together as a single implementation audit. ISO 27701 is a natural expansion to ISO 27001 as the formatting of ISO 27701 requirements and controls maps directly to the ISO 27001 standard.
The ISO 27001 standard provides a framework for an Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) that enables the continued confidentiality, integrity and availability of information as well as legal compliance. Tens of thousands of organizations worldwide have certified to ISO 27001, proving certification to be an essential part of protecting their most vital information assets. It is expected the ISO 27701 will experience rapid adoption given the increasing focus and demand for privacy regulation.
NQA is a leader in the roll-out of ISO 27701, becoming ANAB accredited in early 2020 and having more than a dozen trained and mentored PIMS auditors conducting some of the first ISO 27701 audits in the US. NQA can offer overview training to ISO 27701, ISO 27701 Gap Assessments and UKAS accreditation and ANAB-Accredited ISO 27701 Certifications. Our third-party auditing services can provide a gap analysis for additional insights on steps you can take to adhere to regulations for these three certifications.
We offer a comprehensive third party audit service, assessing your current compliance and identifying potential areas for continued improvement. NQA provides expertise and experience in ISO 27701 audits to ensure our clients receive thorough, rigorous, supportive and consistent audits.
Looking to implement an ISO 27701 management system? Not sure where to start? Take a look at our ISO 27701 Implementation Guide here.
How to Get Certified to ISO 27701
Getting certified to ISO 27701 requires you to follow specific steps, working to meet these stringent requirements will ensure compliance with the relevant standards. NQA can provide a gap analysis service, if required, to help you recognize key gaps in your management system in order to facilitate actionable steps toward compliance with the ISO 27701 standard.
As the video below details, you will need to obtain ISO 27001 certification simultaneously with ISO 27701 or have prior ISO 27001 certification with an ANAB/UKAS accredited certification body. ISO 27701 certification is an extension of ISO 27001.
Obtaining ISO 27701 certification will involve:
- Completing a request form for a formal quote.
- Receiving a signed NQA quotation.
- Preparing for our audit.
The video below offers visuals and a more detailed explanation of the certification process.
How To Get Certified To ISO 27701
Helps you with
- GDPR compliance
- Privacy rights of individuals
- Continued confidentiality
- IT governance
- Data breaches
- Securing personal information
- Building customers trust
- Increasing customer satisfaction
- Protecting the organization’s reputation
Other risk management standards:
- ISO 27001 - Information Security
- ISO 20000-1 - IT Service Management
- ISO 22301 - Business Continuity
- ISO 44001 - Collaborative Working
- ISO 55001 - Asset Management
- ISO 41001 - Facilities Management
NOTE: We are currently offering certification to this scheme.
Benefits of ISO 27701 Certification
Is ISO 27701 certification right for me?
ISO 27701 certification offers several key advantages for a broad range of industries:
- Global standard: ISO 27701 certification is a respected standard for privacy information management systems worldwide. Having these credentials demonstrates your business's position as a leader in the field.
- Rigorous assessment: This certification holds your operations up to a rigorous standard that demonstrates the level of thoroughness and detail of your operations as you meet the highest requirements.
- Jurisdictional flexibility: The provisions of ISO 27701 hold up your organization to a worldwide standard. At the same time, this certification allows you to adhere to regional jurisdiction requirements. You can remain fully compliant on local and worldwide levels.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) is in full swing. Since its implementation in May 2018, the EU's landmark legislation has brought sweeping change to data privacy rights, particularly who "owns" data, who controls it and who gets the final say in its uses and transactions in today's digital-first world.
Under the GDPR the upper limit could reach €20 Million or 4% of the annual global turnover of an organization - whichever is higher. Organizations also face significant reputational damage risk from non-compliance and data breaches. For some business this could posed a threat of bankruptcy or even closure.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK has indicated that organizations adopting certification or having a robust system in place to manage their data protection may be seen more favourably from a regulatory perspective in the event of a data breach.
Implementing a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) in compliance with the requirements of ISO 27701 will enable organizations to assess, react and reduce risks associated with the collection, maintenance and processing of personal information. Certification to ISO 27701 does not confirm legal compliance to GDPR however it provides a valuable framework for any company to support their efforts in compliance to legislation.
In the United States, the ISO 27701 standard aligns with GDPR and can demonstrate your compliance with the accountability principle of GDPR. The certification can also help you address CCPA, CCPR and other state privacy laws you may need to meet based on the state from which you operate. These states have current or proposed privacy laws you may need to comply with:
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
- Massachusetts Data Privacy Law
- New York Privacy Act
- Hawaii Consumer Privacy Protection Act
- Maryland Online Consumer Protection Act
To ensure compliance, your business is responsible for due diligence in regard to national and state privacy regulations.
Differences between ISO 27001 and ISO 27701
ISO 27701 is set to be the go-to standard for compliance with GDPR regulations, in the same way that ISO 27001 is considered to be the ‘gold standard’ for information security management. ISO 27701 specifically focuses on addressing GDPR requirements to ensure industry-specific standards that match relevant operational needs.
It aligns to GDPR but also allows organizations to use the standard to incorporate other privacy laws, regulations and requirements. This makes it an excellent choice for organizations of all industries and sizes looking to demonstrate their compliance with the ‘accountability’ principle of GDPR. It demonstrates responsibility and expertise in the requirements and helps increase operational cost-effectiveness and value in the industry.
Get certified to ISO 27701
If you already have accredited certification to ISO 27001 you will find applying the information risk management principles to personal information fairly straightforward.
The standards require that organizations with certification to ISO 27001 must include privacy management, this means reviewing the organization’s contextual analysis, risk assessment and control environment to ensure that privacy management is incorporated.
The privacy information management system then needs to be documented. Organizations that are less confident in their GDPR compliance will find ISO 27701 particularly helpful as it provides specific recommendations for actions to comply with the regulation.
We can assess your compliance to ISO 27701 as an addition to your ISO 27001 assessment. We will ensure our approach follows the same method as the standard – looking at one system supporting information security and personal information management.
FAQs About ISO 27701
Many industries have questions about how the ISO 27701 standard certification works, so we've compiled some key FAQs and answers. We also have a more extensive list under our Information Security Toolkit section if you need additional information.
Q: Who does the ISO 27701 standard apply to?
A: The ISO 27701 certification has a design specifically customized for data controllers and data processors. It is highly relevant for this field and is most valuable when used by professionals in these specific areas.
Q: How much does it cost to become ISO 27701 certified?
A: Costs will vary depending on your organization, its level of complexity, number of employees and sites. We can offer a quick quote if you provide some company details and information about your goals.
Q: How long does it take to get an ISO 27701 certification?
A: Gaining ISO 27701 certification can take as little as two to three months with experienced, strategic management. It can take more than six months if personnel doesn't have the best resources for training. Several factors can influence the overall duration of certification, including the organization size, the number of employees and the number of business locations.
We can work with you and help you determine the best approach for your company. We recommend that you treat certification as a project you can complete through an ISO 27701 consultant or in-house depending on your skills and experience.
STEPS TO CERTIFICATION
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Step 1
Complete a Quote Request Form so that we can understand your company and requirements. You can do this by completing either the online quick quote or the online formal quote request form. We will use this information to accurately define your scope of assessment and provide you with a proposal for certification.
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Step 2
Once you’ve agreed to your proposal, we will contact you to book your assessment with an NQA Auditor. This assessment consists of two mandatory visits that form the Initial Certification Audit. Please note that you must be able to demonstrate that your management system has been fully operational for a minimum of three months and has been subject to a management review and full cycle of internal audits.
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Step 3
Following a successful two stage audit, a certification decision is made and if positive, then certification to the required standard is issued by NQA. You will receive both a hard and soft copy of the certificate. Certification is valid for three years and is maintained through a program of annual surveillance audits and a three yearly recertification audit.
