Information security standards strengthen your security, allow you to demonstrate your security posture, and enable you to unlock deals. But it’s important to know which standard is right for your business. In this article, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 and how to determine which one you need. 

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What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is an internationally-recognized standard for information security. Used largely by SaaS companies that collect, process, store, or otherwise impact their customers’ sensitive data, ISO 27001 lays out requirements for a strong information security management system (ISMS). The standard lists these requirements in the following clauses: 

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• Clause 4 - Context of the organization: Analyzing the context for the ISMS including taking inventory of the information assets that need to be protected.
• Clause 5 - Leadership: Establishing a commitment to information security among the organization’s leaders.
• Clause 6 - Planning: Developing a plan for continuously monitoring security risks.
• Clause 7 - Support: Documenting and allocating resources to support the maintenance of the ISMS.
• Clause 8 - Operations: Creating and conducting a risk assessment strategy.
• Clause 9 - Performance evaluation: Establishing a plan and tools for continuously monitoring the ISMS to measure its effectiveness.
• Clause 10 - Ongoing improvement: Identifying needs and ways to enhance information security in the future for an evolving ISMS.

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Each of these clauses help you establish a robust and secure ISMS to protect your clients’ data. To be ISO 27001 compliant, you’ll need to implement the applicable controls listed in Annex A to meet these requirements.

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What is ISO 27701?

ISO 27701 is an extension of ISO 27001 that focuses on privacy. ISO 27701 outlines the requirements for creating a privacy information management system (PIMS). These are described in four clauses, listed as clauses 5-8:

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• Clause 5 - Data protection: Guarding user data from unauthorized access through the security clauses of ISO 27001.
• Clause 6 - PIMS guidance: Ensuring that all security measures will also take user privacy into consideration.
• Clause 7 - PII controller guidance: Safeguarding the privacy rights of users for organizations that have control over personally identifiable information (PII).
• Clause 8 - PII processor guidance: Upholding the privacy rights of users for organizations that process PII.

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When you follow the requirements for ISO 27701 certification, you’ll also satisfy a majority of the requirements for major privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and more.

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ISO 27001 vs. ISO 27701: Differences

ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 are both in the ISO 27000 family of standards and are designed to help you protect critical information. Here are some of the key differences between these two standards:

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ISO 27001 vs. ISO 27701: Differences

Objectives

ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 both serve two different purposes. ISO 27001 focuses on information security with the goal of helping organizations demonstrate their security posture to prospects and customers. ISO 27701 focuses on user privacy with the goal of helping organizations adhere to worldwide privacy laws and protect the privacy rights of consumers.

Scope

ISO 27001 covers a broader scope than ISO 27701. ISO 27001 addresses many aspects of information security while 27701 is solely about privacy. Additionally, ISO 27701 is an extension of ISO 27001, meaning that ISO 27001 does not include ISO 27701.

Compliance requirements

The requirements for certification between ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 are also different. Because ISO 27001 is more broad, it has more requirements than ISO 27701.

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Additionally, because 27701 is an extension of 27001, you can only pursue your ISO 27701 certification if you already have your ISO 27001 certification.

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ISO 27001 vs. ISO 27701: Similarities

Both ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 are part of the ISO 27000 family and were created by the International Organization for Standardization. They both require you to undergo an audit by a third-party certifying organization to obtain a certification. 

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Additionally, both ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 can help you lower your organization's risk of a data or privacy breach.

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Can you get ISO 27701 certified without an ISO 27001 certification?

While organizations can receive an ISO 27001 certification alone, you cannot receive an ISO 27701 certification without being ISO 27001 compliance. Data security is an important aspect of privacy which is why ISO 27001 compliance is included as Clause 5 of ISO 27701.

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Automate your compliance with Vanta

With Vanta’s trust management platform, you can streamline your ISO 27001 certification process. Here’s what an automated ISO 27001 can look like: 

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• Connect your infrastructure to the Vanta platform with our 300+ built-in integrations.
• Assess your risk holistically from one unified view.
• Identify areas of non-compliance with in-platform notifications.
• Get a checklist of actions to help you make the needed changes. 
• Automate evidence collection and centralize all your documents in one place.
• Find a Vanta-vetted auditor within the platform. 
• Complete your ISO 27001 certification in half the time. 

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By using Vanta, you can save your business valuable time and money during your ISO 27001 audit process. Learn how you can get your ISO 27001 certification faster by requesting a demo. 

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