ISO 27001 and GDPR: How do they work together?

What is the difference between ISO 27001 and GDPR?

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized information security management standard. It was published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2005 and revised in 2013. ISO 27001 helps organizations establish and maintain a set of processes to help deal with sensitive data related to employees, customers, and partners, collectively referred to as the Information Security Management System (ISMS).

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of laws governing the use of personal data. It came into effect in 2018 and applies to everyone who processes EU personnel data (including names, ID cards, medical and biometric data, political opinions, etc.).

The biggest difference between the two is that GDPR is a legal requirement. Failure to protect customer data as required by the GDPR may result in hefty fines from the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) and long-term reputational damage. Some large organizations, including British Airways and Marriott International, have already faced huge penalties for data breaches.

The second major difference between ISO 27001 and GDPR is intent: ISO 27001 was established a few years before the GDPR came into effect, so its main purpose is not to comply with regulations. But the scope of the GDPR is actually more limited: it only focuses on personal data, while ISO 27001 takes a broader approach to protect your data.

Beyond GDPR

The procedures established by ISMS are designed to help you protect all data. This includes customer and employee data, but also extends to intellectual property (IP), sales data, financial information, etc.

ISO 27001 helps you protect this type of data by helping you predict potential threats, determine what to do in the event of an attack, and take preventive measures to avoid any problems in the future.

Although you can establish an ISMS without ISO 27001, maintaining the standard helps ensure that the organization strives to continuously improve its processes as technology and legislation change. It also shows your customers that you take their safety and credibility very seriously when bidding for the public sector or working with large clients.

The strict data security process produced by ISO 27001 is very in line with the spirit of the GDPR, so it can help you comply with regulations.

How can ISO 27001 help you comply with the GDPR?

Here are some ways ISO 27001 can help you comply with the GDPR:

Identify gaps in GDPR compliance

ISO 27001 requires organizations to identify and comply with legal requirements related to information security. This means that as part of evaluating your organization to see if it meets the ISO 27001 standard, your auditor must also check your organization’s compliance with the GDPR.

This means that their reports (which include areas that you need to improve to obtain certification) will be expanded to identify areas where you are not compliant with the GDPR.

The ISO 27001 certification process can help you identify areas where your organization has not yet complied with the GDPR. This is because ISO 27001 requires organizations to identify and comply with legal requirements related to information security, such as the GDPR.

As part of your first assessment, your auditor will determine the areas you need to improve to meet the ISO 27001 standard. This necessarily includes areas where you need to improve to comply with the GDPR, as this is a requirement of the standard. Therefore, by working hard to obtain certification, you will also strive to achieve compliance.

Show your control

Having an ISO 27001 certification can help you meet one of the requirements of the GDPR. This is because the GDPR requires organizations to demonstrate that they have appropriate organizational and technical control measures. Certain recognized international standards or codes of practice can be used to meet this requirement, one of which is ISO 27001.

Beyond personal data

Although it does cover how you handle customer information, ISO 27001 is not just about protecting personal data. This also means that your process can protect all your information assets, electronic data and hard copies.

Follow people and processes

While other certifications may just check your technology, ISO 27001 also places great emphasis on people and processes, knowing that these more common threats may be the difference between GDPR compliance or serious data breaches.

Put your system on track

In order to comply with the GDPR, regular testing and audits are essential-this is how you can prove that your security is up to standard. Fortunately, if you comply with ISO 27001, you are already testing your ISMS regularly, as this is also part of the standard guidelines.

Be held accountable

The GDPR stipulates that there should be clear data protection responsibilities. If you process large amounts of personal data, this may include the appointment of a data protection officer. ISO 27001 certification means that your security is embedded in the culture and structure of your organization, and a senior person is responsible for the ISMS.

reduce risk

Risk management is a key part of ISO 27001, ensuring that you can determine the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Regular risk assessments will definitely support GDPR compliance.

Keep improving

As with most ISO standards, one of the obvious benefits of certification is that these processes are designed to help you continuously improve data security. The continuous monitoring and review built into ISMS means you can sit back and relax, knowing that your system can adapt to changes while identifying and reducing risks.

Certified

ISO 27001 certification means that the independent assessor has determined that you have taken adequate safety measures. This proves to some extent that, in compliance with the GDPR, the controls you have can work properly.

What else is needed to comply with the GDPR?

As you can see, ISO 27001 certification is very helpful in complying with the GDPR. It can help simplify the process. There is a lot of overlap in the expectations of each process, but it alone is not enough. In order to comply with the GDPR, you need to ensure that:

• Consent-You need to prove that people agree to the personal data being processed.

• The right to be forgotten-people need to be able to delete or disseminate their personal data.

• Right to object-they are also allowed to refuse the processing of their data for direct marketing and other purposes.

• International transmission-data transmission needs to be carried out in accordance with the European Commission.

Begin the journey of GDPR compliance with ISO 27001

An ISO 27001-certified and well-maintained ISMS has many obvious benefits-from filling security holes and reducing the risk of cyber attacks to helping you win new business and gain a competitive advantage in the market. But this is also an important first step in your journey to achieve GDPR compliance, and it can help your organization set up the data security processes needed to reduce the risk of breaches, which is now required by law.

If you want to learn more about ISO 27001, how it can benefit your organization, and how to get on the road to certification, check out our ISO 27001 beginner's guide.

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