ISO/IEC 27001:2022

What is ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certification?

ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certification is a global standard that provides the framework for Privacy Information Management System (PIMS), sometimes referred to as Personal Information Management Systems as it lays out the structure for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Controllers and (PII) Processors in order to manage information privacy in your IT organization. This standard specifies various requirements for establishing, controlling, maintaining, and continually improving the Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). 

It lays out a structure for Data processors and Data controllers to manage information privacy in your IT organization. This standard specifies various requirements for establishing, controlling, maintaining, and continually improving the Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).

It provides tools and techniques to organizations to implement required controls for protecting personal information. It follows a risk-based approach to identify the potential risks and select suitable controls to improve the current and future operations of the organization.

What is the difference between ISO 27701 Certification and ISO 27001 Certification?

ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certification is the enhancement of the ISO 27001 standard. There are basic differences between ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certification standard and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard. ISO/IEC 27701:2019  sets the criteria to be a reliable standard for compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), whereas ISO 27001 standard is considered to be the most required standard for Information Security Management System (ISMS). The primary focus of ISO/IEC 27701:2019 standard is no data protection risks, information privacy risks, whereas, ISO 27001:2022 Certification services focuses on the management of risks and security controls. 

When was ISO 27701 Certification published?

ISO 27701 Certification is an international standard that was published in the month of august 2019. This standard is the first global standard that deals with Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). This ISO 27001 standard will help an organization to implement, sustain and continuously modify PIMS by developing the existing ISMS. And this standard can be used by all types of industries regardless of their size, type, branches, or complexity.

PDCA Cycle

• Plan –to think that what do we need to achieve in our organization
• Do –to execute a planned action which will help us achieve the required objective
• Check –monitor against the standards) (policies, objectives, requirements)
• Action –finally implementing what has been rechecked.

Importance of ISO 27701:2019 Certification?

The ISO 27701 standard applies to any industry, small and large, regardless of size and location. It provides a framework for data privacy that aligns with an Information Security Management System and allows an organization to establish an efficient privacy management system.

An ISO 27701 standard helps an organization in avoiding regulatory fines as it demonstrates compliance with laws and regulations and helps the organization in the following ways:

• Strengthens user’s trust and confidence in your Strengthens user’s trust and confidence in your organization and helps in retaining the existing customers and acquiring new ones.
• Leverages your organization and provides a competitive edge
• Builds a resilient privacy management infrastructure and demonstrates organization agility to respond to changes.
• Incorporates various laws and regulations relating to privacy and data security and complies with GDPR and other related standards.

ISO 27701 Benefits

Information privacy and GDPR conformity – ISO 27701 Certification assures that your company is complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and also allows you to use the same ISO standard for other privacy requirements and legislations.

Integrity and righteousness – Having ISO 27701 Certification can be very beneficial for your organization as it helps to conduct business processes and activities with the confidence that you have the security management and risk management in your organization.

Time-Management – Achieving ISO 27701 Certification, will help your organization in time management. This will enable you to reply to different security questionnaires, comply with security legislation and ensure individuals that your organization has risk identification and management systems in place.

Preparedness for Data Protection Act – Achieving ISO 27701 Certification will prepare your business organization for the further evolution of the Data Protection Act (DPA). The framework for Privacy Information Management Systems will already be in place.

ISO 27701 Requirements

The High-level Structure (HLS) of ISO/IEC 27701 Certification revolves around the principle of Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. This Annex SL document consists of 10 sections, out of which the first three are introductory in nature while the rest seven are auditable and give the requirements for the implementation of ISO 27701 PIMS. The structure contains some compulsory requirements for effective implementation of the Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) in an organization.

Section 4 : Context of the organization – This section includes the identification of all the processes, operations, and activities that fall under the field of ISO/IEC 27701 Certification and ensures proper privacy management system in your organization.

Section 5: Leadership – This section emphasizes the importance of top management and auditors in the implementation process of PIMS in an organization. It clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of the management in order to prevent any potential conflicts.

Section 6: Planning – This section includes planning the objectives of the current management system and analyzing the risks in order to eliminate those risks from the organization.

Section7: Support – In this section, the organization is made aware of the tools, technologies, and resources that are required for the implementation of PIMS. This section demonstrates the requirements as per the standard around competence, awareness, maintenance, and controlling documented data or information.

Section 8: Operation – This section deals with the details of your operational processes, it checks  your progress toward your objectives. The key requirements of this section is to perform risk assessment regularly.

Section 9: Performance evaluation – This section includes reviewing the management system regularly ensuring its arrangements, processes, and controls. And it is also required that the management should periodically monitor all the processes, business activities, and operations undertaken for a proper privacy management system.

Section 10: Improvement – This section ensures that your privacy management system is effectively working. It ensures continual improvement in your management system for mitigating all the risks involved.

Gap Analysis

Understand the prerequisites of ISO standards by analyzing each clause thoroughly. Analyze your system for any shortcomings. You may take help from any ISO consultant to get you through this stage.

Implementation

Understand the prerequisites of ISO standards by analyzing each clause thoroughly. Analyze your system for any shortcomings. You may take help from any ISO consultant to get you through this stage.

Certification

Fill the application form provided by the certification body Invite the auditors from certification body for audit and certification Get your management system ISO certified.

• Stage One (documentation review) – At this stage, the auditors from the certification body verifies that your documentation meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 27701 Certification.
• Stage Two (main audit) –In this stage, the realities of your processes are matched with your statements in the documentation for their compliance to the requirements of ISO/IEC 27701 Certification.

the certification process goes further. Click here to view the next steps to the ISO certification process

Important Things to Keep in Mind

Quality manual procedures need to be preferably performed by the company, noncompliance of procedure can result in losing the certificate (quality manual is different form system procedure can be given to customer on demand)

Work instruction manual includes step by step carrying out of procedures, forms, quality records, specification, master lists, need to be properly maintained and if not it may become a major problem in ISO 27701 implementation

Quality management principles is a comprehensive and fundamental rule/belief, of leading grand operations of an organization, aimed at consciously improving performance over the long term by focusing on customer while addressing the needs of all other stakeholders

ISO 27701 Frequently Asked Questions Privacy Information Management System (PIMS)

Question : How can I get an ISO 27701 Certificate?

Answer : Achieving ISO 27701 Certification is not a big deal in today’s upgraded systems. There are some basic steps to become ISO 27701 Certified such as Firstly, you need to prepare all the relevant information about your company in a systematized way (It is always best and safe to hire a legal consultant). Secondly, you need to document all the relevant information about your business. Thirdly, you have to implement all the documented information in your organization. Fourthly, get ready for the internal audits which are performed first during the certification process and then periodically after. Lastly, if the certifying body approves your management system then you will be awarded the required ISO standard.

Question : What is the aim of ISO 27701 Certification?

Answer : Data privacy has become an important aspect of almost every organization. ISO 27701 Certification is the first standard that provides the framework for Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) for your organization. The main aims of ISO 27701 Standard to strengthen your Information Security Management System (ISMS) with the annex of PIMS and other privacy policies, to create a privacy management system that reflects compliance with general data privacy regulations (GDPR) and to simplify your management system from a complicated state of overlaying privacy laws.

Question : How much does it cost for ISO 27701 Certification?

Answer : The ISO 27701 certification cost varies from one organization to another. Basically, when you approach an internationally accredited certifying body for ISO Certification and they approve your management systems and all your processes, they will then quote an amount for the certificate. Moreover, the cost for achieving ISO certification depends mostly on your organization, such as the no. of employees in your organization, No. of branches your organization has, and many more.

Question : How long is an ISO 27701 certificate valid for?

Answer : Basically, an ISO Certificate is valid for three years. And during this time period of three years, a surveillance audit is conducted on an annual basis to ensure that ISO quality standards are being maintained by the organization.

Question : What is the latest version of ISO 27701 Certification?

Answer : The newest version of ISO 27701 Certification is ISO/IEC 27701:2019 which was published in the month of August 2019. This standard sets out the requirements and provides assistance for implementing, maintaining, and continually modifying a privacy management system. This standard is basically the enhancement of the ISO 27001 standard for ISMS, and it provides the framework for privacy information management system (PIMS). It emerges as the most required standard complying with General Data Privacy regulations.

Question : How Does ISO 27701 Relate To ISO 27001?

Answer : ISO 27701 Certification is an enhanced form for ISO 27001 standard for Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISO 27701 standard provides assurance that your organization is complying with General Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR) and other PII regulations. Before experiencing the benefits of ISO 27701, you must have the ISO 27001 standard set up in your organization. ISO 27701 is the extended form of ISO 27001 which has the potential to minimize risks or threats regarding privacy management systems, similarly, if your company establishes ISMS, you can demonstrate that you have an efficient and effective system for data protection.

Question : How do I maintain ISO 27701 certification?

Answer : Just because you received an ISO 27701 certification, your task is not complete. For proper functioning of the management system, you need to maintain the ISO 27701 certification. For that, your company has to continually undergo an annual surveillance audit for the period of three years. After completion of the validity period, you need to get recertified.

Question : How can I apply for ISO 27701 for my company for quality?

Answer : First of all, you need to choose an internationally accredited certification body meeting all the requirements of IAS Accreditation such as SIS CERTIFICATIONS. Then an application shall be created, where all the rights and obligations will be included and will be confidential between both the applicants and the registrar. After that, the ISO auditor will review the relevant documentation related to various procedures followed in your organization. The auditors will identify gaps, and if there are any gaps you have to prepare an action plan in order to remove these gaps. Then, there will be initial certification audits which will be followed by: Stage I – where the auditors will check the changes made in your organization according to requirements. Stage II – where the auditor will do their final audit for the certification. As the auditors will approve all your processes then they will make a rep.