How does ISO/IEC 27001 help keep you compliant with US legislation and requirements?

One of the most essential assets in any business is data; this could range from personal data, such as email addresses or phone numbers, to crucial data like bank details or medical records. In recent years, we have seen a significant shift in companies adopting ISO/IEC 27001 as legislation worldwide tightens its data protection laws. Laws and regulations are constantly evolving, and depending on your industry, you may have contractual obligations to prove compliance.

Technology seems to be at the heart of many new regulations as hackers discover new ways to infiltrate systems. The magnitude of security-related attacks has influenced governments around the world to re-evaluate privacy protection and security legislation. These laws are to protect people and businesses against the misuse of secure and sensitive material.

While it might be overwhelming to stay up to date with new requirements, we have outlined how ISO/IEC 27001 can help keep you compliant with local legislation and laws while cutting down on potential costly data breaches.

What is the core purpose of ISO/IEC 27001?

The core purpose for having ISO/IEC 27001 certification is to protect employee, customer and supplier information. It also helps the business understand who in the company should have access to what information; this is important because if data is in the wrong hands, it could result in a severe data breach that would be costly and damaging to your reputation.

What are some ISO/IEC 27001 controls?

“All relevant legislative, statutory, regulatory, contractual requirements and the organization’s approach to meet these requirements shall be explicitly identified, documented and kept up to date for each information system and the organization.” – ISO/IEC 27001 A.18.1.1 control.

Part of implementing ISO/IEC 27001, under the annex A.18.1. objective is “to avoid breaches of legal, statutory, regulatory or contractual obligations related to information security and of any security requirements”. To receive ISO/IEC 27001 certification, you must identify how this legislation specifically relates to your business and how your company will comply with these requirements.

These controls include:

• Identification of Applicable Legislation and Contractual Requirements
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Protection of Records
• Privacy and Protection of Personally Identifiable Information
• Regulation of Cryptographic Controls

How would security best practices, such as ISO/IEC 27001 help in GDPR compliance?

Due to legal requirements in the EU, GDPR is necessary for global companies to comply with, even if your company is located outside of the EU. ISO/IEC 27001 certification will help a company use and transfer individuals’ information morally and ethically, following the GDPR guidelines. It’s important to note, that while adhering to ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t necessarily mean you are fully GDPR compliant, the standard does cover most of the GDPR requirements because private data is recognized as an information security asset.

Adopting ISO/IEC 27001 information security management demonstrates an organization’s active vigilance and preparedness to achieve compliance and maintain compliance with the GDPR. For more information on GDPR, read our blog, “What is GDPR?”

What is CCPA compliance?

CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) is a privacy law specific to the state of California. Governor Jerry Brown first signed the law in 2018, which came into effect in January 2020.

For a business to become CCPA compliant, they will need to review their privacy policy and understand and rationalize why they collect certain information, what they do with that information, and check the identity of a customer or client when they use your services.

What is the difference between GDPR and CCPA?

Many people get confused about the difference between GDPR and CCPA. The main difference is that CCPA applies to companies holding or processing Californian citizens’ data, whereas GDPR relates to the data of EU residents. Therefore, no matter where you are located, if you collect data from California, you must adhere to CCPA. If you collect data from anyone residing in the EU, you must follow GDPR guidelines.

There are also different penalties and fines depending on the severity of the case. CCPA issue a fine of $2,500 for each accidental violation and $7,500 for each intentional violation. In contrast, a GDPR breach can result in a penalty of up to 4% of the annual business turnover, or 2% of their global annual turnover (With a maximum fee of €20,000,000/ approximately $23,468,000).

What steps do I take to implement ISO/IEC 27001?

When a business first looks at implementing ISO/IEC 27001, one of the first things the company will need to do is to conduct a risk assessment of its processes and procedures. This assessment would include a roadmap on how they transfer and store data within the company whilst complying with the ISO/IEC 27001 clauses. An IMSM specialist can help you with this.

If you are curious about implementing ISO/IEC 27001 and have questions about how an information security management system will help you comply with local legislation, please reach out; our experts are available to address any query.