Share this article
How GDPR and ISO 27001 work together
The world of security compliance is complex enough to make anyone’s head spin. GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS - keeping track of all these sets of standards and maintaining compliance with each of them is a hefty job.
While each standard requires a lot of work and resources, those resources aren’t wasted because each one further protects your critical data and your business. Let’s take a look at two particularly important security standards or regulations, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ISO 27001, and how they work together.
How GDPR and ISO 27001 align
Like many combinations of security standards, GDPR and ISO 27001 have plenty in common. For starters, they both operate in the same general way: They outline a list of security controls you need to have in place to protect users’ data.
The controls in GDPR and the controls in ISO 27001 also have a significant amount of overlap. If you’re compliant with one, you don’t have to start from scratch to be compliant with the other because you’re already part way there.
Differences between GDPR and ISO 27001
While GDPR and ISO 27001 have significant overlap between them, they do have differences as well. The overall focus is slightly different: The GDPR is centered on transparency and privacy rights for end users so that their private information is safe and so that they know how it is being used. ISO 27001, on the other hand, is focused on security against breaches and protecting data from misuse. ISO 27001 doesn’t have direct provisions for user consent.
There are also a variety of differences between the controls detailed in GDPR and ISO 27001. While there is a significant amount of overlap, neither one entirely contains the other, so you cannot assume that if you comply with GDPR, you’re already compliant with ISO 27001 (or vice versa).
In fact, there are some differences between similar security controls in GDPR and ISO 27001. For example, both of these standards require that you report any data breaches promptly if they occur. GDPR, though, requires that you report the breach to users, while ISO 27001 only requires that you report it to supervisory authorities.
Finally, the compliance or certification process is different for GDPR and ISO 27001. There is no official certification for GDPR compliance. Like other laws, it is your responsibility to make sure you are complying with the law and if authorities discover that you are not, there will be steep penalty fines.
With ISO 27001, on the other hand, most companies who will want you to be compliant (such as clients who only do business with ISO 27001-compliant organizations) will expect an ISO 27001 certification. To get this certification, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the security standard and then hire a certification organization to audit your system and determine whether you truly are compliant.
Why you need both GDPR and ISO 27001 compliance
While GDPR and ISO 27001 may seem similar at a glance, making your organization compliant with both of them is not a redundant project. In fact, the two standards work together to make your organization more secure than it would be if you only complied with either one of them.
Most notably, GDPR and ISO 27001 each handle different angles of information security. GDPR deals more with protecting your users’ data and transparency, along with protecting users from misuse of their data from within your organization. ISO 27001, on the other hand, is more focused on traditional information security, such as access controls, firewalls, encryption, and so on.
When you’re covering those two angles, the controls in GDPR and ISO 27001 combine to create a setup that both protects your organization from costly data breaches and garners trust from your users. You’re opening the door for new opportunities for business while also protecting your organization from the financial losses of a data breach.
How to become GDPR and ISO 27001 compliant
If it’s time to step up your information security, we have good news: Complying with GDPR and ISO 27001 may be easier than you think. The key is to begin with Vanta’s compliance software so that you can automate both reports in one place. Not only does Vanta give you a clear to-do list of any security controls in each standard that you haven’t completed, but it documents your compliance at every step so you have all your compliance data clearly detailed in one convenient place for smoother and more efficient audits.
Get compliant
Automate your GDPR compliance
Automate your ISO 27001 compliance
No items found.
FEATURED VANTA RESOURCE
The ultimate guide to scaling your compliance program
Learn how to scale, manage, and optimize alongside your business goals.
PCI Compliance Selection Guide
Determine Your PCI Compliance Level
If your organization processes, stores, or transmits cardholder data, you must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a global mandate created by major credit card companies. Compliance is mandatory for any business that accepts credit card payments.
When establishing strategies for implementing and maintaining PCI compliance, your organization needs to understand what constitutes a Merchant or Service Provider, and whether a Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) or Report on Compliance (ROC) is most applicable to your business.
Answer a few short questions and we’ll help identify your compliance level.
1
2
3
4
!
👍
Does your business offer services to customers who are interested in your level of PCI compliance?
Identify your PCI SAQ or ROC level
The PCI Security Standards Council has established the below criteria for Merchant and Service Provider validation. Use these descriptions to help determine the SAQ or ROC that best applies to your organization.
Good news! Vanta supports all of the following compliance levels:
SAQ A
A SAQ A is required for Merchants that do not require the physical presence of a credit card (like an eCommerce, mail, or telephone purchase). This means that the Merchant’s business has fully outsourced all cardholder data processing to PCI DSS compliant third party Service Providers, with no electronic storage, processing, or transmission of any cardholder data on the Merchant’s system or premises.
Get PCI DSS certified
SAQ A-EP
A SAQ A-EP is similar to a SAQ A, but is a requirement for Merchants that don't receive cardholder data, but control how cardholder data is redirected to a PCI DSS validated third-party payment processor.
Learn more about eCommerce PCI
SAQ D
for service providers
A SAQ D includes over 200 requirements and covers the entirety of PCI DSS compliance. If you are a Service Provider, a SAQ D is the only SAQ you’re eligible to complete.
Use our PCI checklist
ROC
Level 1 for service providers
A Report on Compliance (ROC) is an annual assessment that determines your organization’s ability to protect cardholder data. If you’re a Merchant that processes over six million transactions annually or a Service Provider that processes more than 300,000 transactions annually, your organization is responsible for both a ROC and an Attestation of Compliance (AOC).
Automate your ROC and AOC
Download this checklist for easy reference
Questions?
Learn more about how Vanta can help. You can also find information on PCI compliance levels at the PCI Security Standards Council website or by contacting your payment processing partner.
Related resources
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
ISO 27001
ISO 27001:2022 What's changed and what it means for your business
In late 2022, ISO 27001 rolled out changes to the Annex A controls, minor updates to the clause language, modernized controls, as well as 12 new controls. Whether you have ISO 27001 and want to learn more about these updates, or are pursuing ISO for the first time, this on-demand webinar is for you. Join Matt Cooper, Senior Manager of Privacy, Risk, and Compliance at Vanta, and Steve Conley, IT Audit Director at Insight Assurance, to dive in.
The compliance news you need. Delivered securely to your inbox.
Subject to Vanta's Privacy Policy, you agree to allow Vanta to contact you via the email provided for marketing and other purposes
