According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2024. More than half of that amount is attributed to regulatory fines and business lost due to downtime, customer churn, and reputational damage in the wake of an incident.
The message is clear: Strong data protection isn’t just good governance, it’s good business.
By aligning with established data protection standards, such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, you can better protect your organization from costly breaches and cyberattacks while also strengthening your credibility, accelerating sales, and gaining a competitive edge in an increasingly privacy-aware market.
How can GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 unlock revenue?
GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 are three distinct yet complementary frameworks for data protection and information security standards. While each has different priorities and criteria, they are all designed to safeguard customer data and build trust.
“
Despite similar goals, ISO 27001, GDPR, and SOC 2 have several important differences. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are voluntary and market-driven, while GDPR is mandatory by law and enforced with fines.”
For many organizations, aligning with the GDPR or obtaining a SOC 2 attestation or ISO 27001 certificate is a prerequisite for doing business. Even when not strictly required, complying with these standards has become an industry best practice for many. Demonstrating compliance signals your organization’s dedication to data security and privacy, and can open the door to new markets and sales opportunities.
A strong security posture also helps accelerate sales cycles. Organizations often use vendor questionnaires to ensure prospective partners are well-equipped to handle their data. By demonstrating compliance with rigorous data protection standards, you can streamline onboarding and due diligence to close deals faster.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these security standards and how they can improve your sales and unlock revenue.
Can ISO 27001 shorten sales cycles?
Among security standards, ISO 27001 stands out as one of the most widely recognized and requested certifications outside of North America, making it a powerful differentiator for organizations competing in the global market.
Unlike the GDPR, compliance with ISO 27001 is voluntary. It promotes an ongoing, risk-based approach to security, emphasizing annual audit assurance, continuous improvement, and third-party risk monitoring. This makes it particularly valuable in privacy-aware and high-scrutiny industries such as finance, fintech, SaaS, and healthcare.
From a business perspective, ISO 27001 certification is becoming a minimum requirement. Many enterprise clients and potential partners now expect vendors to demonstrate ISO 27001 compliance before engagement or onboarding.
Today, holding an ISO 27001 certificate provides clear, demonstrable proof of your commitment to global security-first practices. This credibility alone can reduce negotiation time with potential clients and accelerate sales cycles.
How does GDPR open the door to the EU market?
The GDPR is an EU law that requires strict security controls from any organization that collects data from EU residents. It outlines seven data protection principles and eight data subject rights that you must understand and follow to achieve compliance.
GDPR compliance involves careful planning due to the regulation’s strict and comprehensive requirements regarding data processing, data subject requests, and international transfers. However, meeting these standards is highly worthwhile, since it enables partnerships with EU-based companies and access to a vast international market.
Beyond market access, GDPR compliance can be a powerful revenue booster. The GDPR is considered one of the strictest privacy laws in the world, so demonstrating adherence can help build seamless trust with international clients, partners, and investors.
Keep in mind that compliance with the GDPR is mandatory for in-scope organizations. Failure to meet its requirements can result in substantial financial penalties or corrective actions.
Does SOC 2 help you enter the North American market?
Demonstrating a SOC 2 badge on your website can differentiate your organization from competitors, build credibility, and unlock new business opportunities when expanding into the North American market. This positive impact largely comes from the foundation of the SOC 2 framework itself.
Created by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 was founded on five “trust service principles:”
- Security
- Availability
- Processing integrity
- Confidentiality
- Privacy
These principles help your organization establish a strong security posture, making it easier to align with regulations in highly regulated markets such as healthcare, finance, and insurance.
Like ISO 27001, SOC 2 is a voluntary information security standard. However, instead of a formal certification, SOC 2 offers an attestation report. Compliance with SOC 2 has become an industry best practice, and many North American organizations consider it a baseline requirement for onboarding.
ISO 27001 vs GDPR vs SOC 2: At a glance
When deciding which of these standards to pursue, it’s important to understand their key differences. Check the table below for a brief overview of ISO 27001 vs GDPR vs SOC 2:
Do you need GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO compliance at the same time?
If your organization operates in markets that require adherence to all three frameworks, then you will need to comply with them simultaneously. Otherwise, consider your current operations and determine which standards are relevant based on your operational jurisdictions, industry, and customer expectations.
Achieving compliance with a single framework is already a significant move, as it involves updating (or implementing) security controls, conducting gap assessments, managing vendor risks, and creating incident response plans. For ongoing compliance, conduct periodic assessments and continuously monitor controls.
Pursuing multiple frameworks at once can make the entire process significantly more complex. Challenges include overlapping requirements that may lead to duplicate workflows or the intense monitoring effort for ongoing oversight. However, when done systematically, it might also reduce cost and audit fatigue by combining multiple frameworks.
A practical approach to compliance is to leverage a dedicated automation solution like Vanta. It can streamline compliance workflows, cross-map existing controls, streamline monitoring activities, and boost efficiency savings in the long run.
Streamline compliance and speed up sales cycles with Vanta
Vanta’s leading agentic trust platform that helps organizations automate compliance, manage risk, and accelerate trust with AI. It offers out-of-the-box support for industry-leading standards, such as ISO 27001, the GDPR, and SOC 2, and can help you build custom frameworks tailored to your unique market and security requirements.
Vanta’s compliance automation product stacks up advanced features, such as:
- The industry's broadest set of automated tests
- Automated evidence collection powered by 400+ integrations
- Agentic workflows, such as:
- Automating security questionnaires
- Tracking and closing framework gaps
- Maintaining live policies from draft to audit
- Continuous monitoring, ensuring controls and risk are always current
- Pre-built policy and documentation templates with a built-in editor
The platform also offers a dedicated GDPR product that streamlines compliance workflows with built-in templates, training modules, and built-in guidance that translates complex legal requirements into actionable tasks.
If you’ve already achieved compliance or are pursuing multiple frameworks at once, Vanta can cross-map your existing controls so you can prove compliance easily.
Schedule a custom demo with Vanta experts today for tailored guidance and walkthrough.
{{cta_simple19="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR product page
FAQs
Is SOC 2 a certification?
SOC 2 offers an attestation instead of a certification. You can obtain one of two types of attestation reports, which either evaluate your controls at a specific point in time (Type 1) or track the effectiveness of your controls over a period of 3 – 12 months (Type 2). The report is valid for a year after completing your audit.
What is the equivalent of SOC 2 certification?
The closest equivalent to a SOC 2 attestation report is an ISO 27001 certification. Both frameworks were designed to guide organizations through implementing security best practices to protect sensitive data.
Does GDPR apply to US companies?
The GDPR applies regardless of where your organization is located. If your organization collects the data of individuals in the EU as part of its operations, you have to comply with the GDPR.
Do I need SOC 2 if I operate in the EU?
SOC 2 is a voluntary attestation, so you don’t have to achieve it if you only operate in the EU. However, SOC 2 compliance is considered a best practice in North America, especially in SaaS, so consider pursuing it if you plan to enter the North American market.
Do small organizations need to align with GDPR?
An organization’s size doesn’t matter—if it collects, stores, or processes EU resident data, it will have to comply with the GDPR. However, some requirements, such as appointing a data protection officer (DPO), may not be applicable if the processing isn’t large-scale or doesn’t involve high-risk data.
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
GDPR and other frameworks
How GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 can level up your selling game
GDPR and other frameworks
Looking to streamline the work for GDPR compliance?
According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2024. More than half of that amount is attributed to regulatory fines and business lost due to downtime, customer churn, and reputational damage in the wake of an incident.
The message is clear: Strong data protection isn’t just good governance, it’s good business.
By aligning with established data protection standards, such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, you can better protect your organization from costly breaches and cyberattacks while also strengthening your credibility, accelerating sales, and gaining a competitive edge in an increasingly privacy-aware market.
How can GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 unlock revenue?
GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 are three distinct yet complementary frameworks for data protection and information security standards. While each has different priorities and criteria, they are all designed to safeguard customer data and build trust.
“
Despite similar goals, ISO 27001, GDPR, and SOC 2 have several important differences. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are voluntary and market-driven, while GDPR is mandatory by law and enforced with fines.”
For many organizations, aligning with the GDPR or obtaining a SOC 2 attestation or ISO 27001 certificate is a prerequisite for doing business. Even when not strictly required, complying with these standards has become an industry best practice for many. Demonstrating compliance signals your organization’s dedication to data security and privacy, and can open the door to new markets and sales opportunities.
A strong security posture also helps accelerate sales cycles. Organizations often use vendor questionnaires to ensure prospective partners are well-equipped to handle their data. By demonstrating compliance with rigorous data protection standards, you can streamline onboarding and due diligence to close deals faster.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these security standards and how they can improve your sales and unlock revenue.
Can ISO 27001 shorten sales cycles?
Among security standards, ISO 27001 stands out as one of the most widely recognized and requested certifications outside of North America, making it a powerful differentiator for organizations competing in the global market.
Unlike the GDPR, compliance with ISO 27001 is voluntary. It promotes an ongoing, risk-based approach to security, emphasizing annual audit assurance, continuous improvement, and third-party risk monitoring. This makes it particularly valuable in privacy-aware and high-scrutiny industries such as finance, fintech, SaaS, and healthcare.
From a business perspective, ISO 27001 certification is becoming a minimum requirement. Many enterprise clients and potential partners now expect vendors to demonstrate ISO 27001 compliance before engagement or onboarding.
Today, holding an ISO 27001 certificate provides clear, demonstrable proof of your commitment to global security-first practices. This credibility alone can reduce negotiation time with potential clients and accelerate sales cycles.
How does GDPR open the door to the EU market?
The GDPR is an EU law that requires strict security controls from any organization that collects data from EU residents. It outlines seven data protection principles and eight data subject rights that you must understand and follow to achieve compliance.
GDPR compliance involves careful planning due to the regulation’s strict and comprehensive requirements regarding data processing, data subject requests, and international transfers. However, meeting these standards is highly worthwhile, since it enables partnerships with EU-based companies and access to a vast international market.
Beyond market access, GDPR compliance can be a powerful revenue booster. The GDPR is considered one of the strictest privacy laws in the world, so demonstrating adherence can help build seamless trust with international clients, partners, and investors.
Keep in mind that compliance with the GDPR is mandatory for in-scope organizations. Failure to meet its requirements can result in substantial financial penalties or corrective actions.
Does SOC 2 help you enter the North American market?
Demonstrating a SOC 2 badge on your website can differentiate your organization from competitors, build credibility, and unlock new business opportunities when expanding into the North American market. This positive impact largely comes from the foundation of the SOC 2 framework itself.
Created by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 was founded on five “trust service principles:”
- Security
- Availability
- Processing integrity
- Confidentiality
- Privacy
These principles help your organization establish a strong security posture, making it easier to align with regulations in highly regulated markets such as healthcare, finance, and insurance.
Like ISO 27001, SOC 2 is a voluntary information security standard. However, instead of a formal certification, SOC 2 offers an attestation report. Compliance with SOC 2 has become an industry best practice, and many North American organizations consider it a baseline requirement for onboarding.
ISO 27001 vs GDPR vs SOC 2: At a glance
When deciding which of these standards to pursue, it’s important to understand their key differences. Check the table below for a brief overview of ISO 27001 vs GDPR vs SOC 2:
Do you need GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO compliance at the same time?
If your organization operates in markets that require adherence to all three frameworks, then you will need to comply with them simultaneously. Otherwise, consider your current operations and determine which standards are relevant based on your operational jurisdictions, industry, and customer expectations.
Achieving compliance with a single framework is already a significant move, as it involves updating (or implementing) security controls, conducting gap assessments, managing vendor risks, and creating incident response plans. For ongoing compliance, conduct periodic assessments and continuously monitor controls.
Pursuing multiple frameworks at once can make the entire process significantly more complex. Challenges include overlapping requirements that may lead to duplicate workflows or the intense monitoring effort for ongoing oversight. However, when done systematically, it might also reduce cost and audit fatigue by combining multiple frameworks.
A practical approach to compliance is to leverage a dedicated automation solution like Vanta. It can streamline compliance workflows, cross-map existing controls, streamline monitoring activities, and boost efficiency savings in the long run.
Streamline compliance and speed up sales cycles with Vanta
Vanta’s leading agentic trust platform that helps organizations automate compliance, manage risk, and accelerate trust with AI. It offers out-of-the-box support for industry-leading standards, such as ISO 27001, the GDPR, and SOC 2, and can help you build custom frameworks tailored to your unique market and security requirements.
Vanta’s compliance automation product stacks up advanced features, such as:
- The industry's broadest set of automated tests
- Automated evidence collection powered by 400+ integrations
- Agentic workflows, such as:
- Automating security questionnaires
- Tracking and closing framework gaps
- Maintaining live policies from draft to audit
- Continuous monitoring, ensuring controls and risk are always current
- Pre-built policy and documentation templates with a built-in editor
The platform also offers a dedicated GDPR product that streamlines compliance workflows with built-in templates, training modules, and built-in guidance that translates complex legal requirements into actionable tasks.
If you’ve already achieved compliance or are pursuing multiple frameworks at once, Vanta can cross-map your existing controls so you can prove compliance easily.
Schedule a custom demo with Vanta experts today for tailored guidance and walkthrough.
{{cta_simple19="/cta-blocks"}} | GDPR product page
FAQs
Is SOC 2 a certification?
SOC 2 offers an attestation instead of a certification. You can obtain one of two types of attestation reports, which either evaluate your controls at a specific point in time (Type 1) or track the effectiveness of your controls over a period of 3 – 12 months (Type 2). The report is valid for a year after completing your audit.
What is the equivalent of SOC 2 certification?
The closest equivalent to a SOC 2 attestation report is an ISO 27001 certification. Both frameworks were designed to guide organizations through implementing security best practices to protect sensitive data.
Does GDPR apply to US companies?
The GDPR applies regardless of where your organization is located. If your organization collects the data of individuals in the EU as part of its operations, you have to comply with the GDPR.
Do I need SOC 2 if I operate in the EU?
SOC 2 is a voluntary attestation, so you don’t have to achieve it if you only operate in the EU. However, SOC 2 compliance is considered a best practice in North America, especially in SaaS, so consider pursuing it if you plan to enter the North American market.
Do small organizations need to align with GDPR?
An organization’s size doesn’t matter—if it collects, stores, or processes EU resident data, it will have to comply with the GDPR. However, some requirements, such as appointing a data protection officer (DPO), may not be applicable if the processing isn’t large-scale or doesn’t involve high-risk data.
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
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