CAA
U.S. federal law regulating air emissions and quality standards
ISO 27018
International code of practice for PII protection in public clouds.
Quick Verdict
CAA mandates US air emission controls via NAAQS and permits for all industries, enforced by EPA penalties. ISO 27018 voluntarily extends ISO 27001 for cloud PII processors globally, audited for privacy trust. Companies adopt CAA for legal compliance, ISO 27018 for market differentiation.
CAA
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq.)
Key Features
- Establishes NAAQS for six criteria pollutants protecting health
- Mandates SIPs for state attainment and maintenance plans
- Imposes NSPS and MACT technology-based emission standards
- Requires Title V permits consolidating all requirements
- Enforces via penalties, sanctions, and citizen suits
ISO 27018
ISO/IEC 27018:2025 PII Protection in Public Clouds
Key Features
- Privacy controls for public cloud PII processors
- Subprocessor transparency and location disclosures
- Prohibits PII use for marketing without consent
- Mandates breach notifications to customers
- Supports data subject rights via technical measures
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
CAA Details
What It Is
The Clean Air Act (CAA), codified at 42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq., is a comprehensive U.S. federal statute regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Its primary purpose is protecting public health and welfare through ambient air quality standards and source controls. It employs cooperative federalism, with EPA setting national floors and states implementing via SIPs.
Key Components
- NAAQS for six criteria pollutants (primary/secondary standards).
- **Technology standardsNSPS (§111), NESHAPs/MACT (§112).
- SIPs, Title V permits, NSR/PSD preconstruction review.
- Market-based (Title IV-A trading), ozone protection (Title VI).
- Enforcement under §113, including penalties and citizen suits. Compliance is mandatory for major sources, with no formal certification but SIP/Title V approvals.
Why Organizations Use It
Mandatory compliance avoids severe penalties, sanctions, FIPs. Reduces enforcement/litigation risks, supports ESG, enables permitting agility, and cuts long-term O&M via efficient controls.
Implementation Overview
Phased: gap analysis, permitting (Title V/NSR), controls/monitoring (CEMS/PEMS), reporting (CEDRI/ECMPS). Applies to industries like manufacturing/energy nationwide; requires cross-functional governance, audits.
ISO 27018 Details
What It Is
ISO/IEC 27018:2025 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) processed by public cloud service providers (CSPs) acting as PII processors. It focuses on cloud-specific privacy risks like multi-tenancy and cross-border data flows, employing a risk-based approach within an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Key Components
- Approximately 25–30 additional privacy-specific controls mapped to ISO 27001 Annex A themes (Organizational, People, Physical, Technological).
- Core principles: consent/choice, purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, retention limits, transparency, accountability.
- Integrated into ISO 27001 certification audits; no standalone certification.
Why Organizations Use It
- Demonstrates processor compliance with GDPR Article 28, HIPAA; accelerates procurement via Statement of Applicability (SoA).
- Builds customer trust, reduces security questionnaire friction, improves cyber insurance terms.
- Enables competitive differentiation for CSPs handling sensitive data.
Implementation Overview
- Conduct gap analysis on existing ISMS; update policies, contracts, subprocessors disclosures.
- Applies to CSPs of all sizes; requires annual surveillance audits post-certification. (178 words)
Key Differences
| Aspect | CAA | ISO 27018 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Air emissions, NAAQS, stationary/mobile sources | PII protection in public cloud processors |
| Industry | All industries, US-focused, any size emitters | Cloud service providers, global, any size |
| Nature | Mandatory US federal law with enforcement | Voluntary code of practice, ISO 27001 extension |
| Testing | CEMS, stack tests, Title V permit audits | ISO 27001 audits with privacy control review |
| Penalties | Fines, sanctions, shutdowns, criminal liability | Loss of certification, no legal penalties |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about CAA and ISO 27018
CAA FAQ
ISO 27018 FAQ
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