ISO 27701 is an extension to ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 standards, focusing on Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS). It provides a framework for managing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in compliance with global data protection regulations like GDPR, CPRA, and others.

This standard helps organizations establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a PIMS, integrating privacy management with their existing Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Key Objectives

1. Establish and Maintain a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS): To create a structured framework integrated with ISO 27001 for managing PII and ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
2. Ensure Compliance with Privacy Regulations: To help organizations meet global data protection laws such as GDPR, CPRA, and others by defining roles, responsibilities, and controls for handling PII securely and ethically.
3. Mitigate Privacy Risks: To identify, assess, and address risks associated with the collection, processing, storage, and disposal of personal data to minimize the likelihood of breaches or misuse.

Deliverables

• Policies, Agreements and Documentation: The internal and external policies, agreements and documentation delivered as a part of the implementation process.
• Internal Audit Report: A report documenting the areas of compliance while highlighting any instances of non-compliance which may require further enhancements. The report shall assist organisations in facilitating second-party and third-party audits.

Procedure

• Step 1: Consultations with the Key Stakeholders: Our information security experts collaborate with key stakeholders in the organization, including the IT team, Development department, and HR team, to assess the organization’s existing cybersecurity infrastructure.

• Step 2: Identification of Gaps: The gaps in the current infrastructure are identified on the basis of the findings from the previous step.

• Step 3: Development of a Management System: In this stage, a Management System, comprising documented processes such as policies, procedures, work instructions, and forms, will be developed to align the infrastructure with the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard.

• Step 4: Implementation of the Management System: This stage encompasses the implementation of the Management System developed in the previous step.

• Step 5: Performance of an Internal Audit: Once the implementation is complete, an internal audit shall be conducted by our experts.

• Step 6: Preparation of an Audit Report: After the audit is completed, an Internal Audit Report will be prepared, detailing the audit findings and outlining the next steps for achieving compliance.

• Step 7: Facilitation of a Third-party Certification Audit: After the successful completion of the internal audit, a third-party audit will be arranged, during which an external auditor will evaluate compliance with ISO 27001 and issue a certificate.

Project Timeframe

The project typically requires about 3 to 6 (three to six) months. However, the timeframe may vary depending upon the size of the organisation, the number of departments and the scale and magnitude of processing activities.

Benefits

1. Enhanced Privacy Management: Provides a structured approach to protect personal data and ensure compliance with privacy laws.
2. Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet legal obligations like GDPR, reducing the risk of fines and penalties.
3. Trust and Transparency: Builds trust with customers and stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to privacy and data protection.
4. Improved Data Governance: Encourages better control and oversight of data processing activities.
5. Streamlined Operations: Aligns privacy practices with existing ISMS for operational efficiency.
6. Competitive Advantage: Demonstrates leadership in privacy management, giving organizations an edge in privacy-conscious markets.