How ISO 27001 can help you achieve GDPR compliance

Anyone struggling with the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) should look no further than ISO 27001. It’s the international standard for information security, and its framework is close enough to the Regulation’s that many experts consider it a perfect launchpad for a GDPR compliance project.

Certifying to the Standard means you’re already halfway to GDPR compliance, plus you’ll experience the general benefits of ISO 27001 certification.

​And, unlike the GDPR, ISO 27001 provides clear instructions on the steps you need to follow in order to stay secure.

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 outlines three essential aspects or ‘pillars’ of effective information security: people, processes and technology.

This three-pronged approach helps organisations defend themselves from both highly organised attacks and common internal threats, such as accidental breaches and human error.

Its requirements are similar in many places to the GDPR, but whereas the Regulation only occasionally suggests specific practices (such as encryption), ISO 27001 lays out clearly what organisations need to do to remain secure.

How ISO 27001 helps

ISO 27001’s requirements overlap with the those outlined in Article 32 of the GDPR:

• Take measures to pseudonymise and encrypt personal data.
• Ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services.
• Restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident.
• Implement a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organisational measures.
  

Article 32 also mandates that organisations address risks that could lead to the “accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to personal data”.

An effective ISMS (information security management system) that conforms to ISO 27001 will meet all these requirements.

We identify the key requirements of ISO 27001 for you and will outline a structured approach to implementation based around:
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• Defining the scope of the ISMS.
• Defining your information security policy.
• Creating a list of relevant risks that would compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your information.
• Defining a systematic approach to risk assessment.
• Carrying out risk assessments to identify and evaluate information security risks.
• Identifying and evaluating options for the treatment of these risks.
• Selecting, for each risk, the controls to be implemented.
• Preparing a statement of applicability (SoA).
• Meeting your organisation’s ongoing legal, regulatory and contractual obligations through a Compliance Legal Register and Key Issues Newsletter.