ISO 19600
Guidelines for establishing compliance management systems
ISO 27017
Code of practice for cloud information security controls
Quick Verdict
ISO 19600 provides guidelines for Compliance Management Systems across all organizations, while ISO 27017 extends ISO 27001 with cloud-specific security controls. Companies adopt 19600 for general compliance frameworks and 27017 to address cloud risks securely.
ISO 19600
ISO 19600:2014 Compliance management systems — Guidelines
Key Features
- Risk-based approach to compliance management
- Principles of good governance and proportionality
- Annex SL high-level structure for integration
- PDCA cycle for continuous improvement
- Scalable guidelines for all organization sizes
ISO 27017
ISO/IEC 27017:2015 Cloud security code of practice
Key Features
- Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs
- Adds 7 cloud-specific CLD controls for multi-tenancy
- Provides guidance on 37 ISO 27002 cloud adaptations
- Addresses VM hardening and segregation controls
- Enables customer monitoring of cloud service activities
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
ISO 19600 Details
What It Is
ISO 19600:2014 — Compliance management systems — Guidelines is a Type B guidance standard from the International Organization for Standardization. It provides recommendations for establishing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a Compliance Management System (CMS). The risk-based approach uses Annex SL high-level structure with ten clauses, applicable to all organizations.
Key Components
- Core principles: good governance, proportionality, transparency, sustainability.
- Pillars: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement.
- PDCA cycle for integration with standards like ISO 9001, 14001.
- Non-certifiable benchmarking model.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mitigates legal, regulatory, reputational risks; reduces penalties.
- Enhances decision-making, efficiency (10-20% cost savings), market access.
- Builds stakeholder trust, culture of integrity; future-proofs for ISO 37301.
Implementation Overview
- **Phased roadmapleadership commitment, gap analysis, design, rollout, continuous improvement.
- Scalable for SMEs to multinationals, all sectors/geographies.
- No certification; self-benchmarking via internal audits.
ISO 27017 Details
What It Is
ISO/IEC 27017:2015 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 with cloud-specific guidance. It provides implementation advice for information security controls in cloud services, focusing on shared responsibilities, multi-tenancy, and virtualization. Adopts a risk-based approach within an ISO 27001 ISMS.
Key Components
- Guidance for 37 ISO 27002 controls adapted to cloud contexts.
- 7 additional CLD cloud-specific controls (e.g., responsibility delineation, VM configuration, segregation, customer monitoring).
- Built on ISO 27001 framework; assessed via integrated audits, not standalone certification.
Why Organizations Use It
- Meets procurement and regulatory demands (e.g., GDPR alignment).
- Clarifies CSP/CSC roles, reducing cloud risks.
- Enhances trust, competitive differentiation for CSPs/CSCs.
- Supports multi-cloud strategies and incident reduction.
Implementation Overview
- Integrate into existing ISO 27001 ISMS via risk assessment.
- Key activities: control mapping, configuration hardening, shared responsibility matrices.
- Applicable to CSPs/CSCs of all sizes/industries using cloud; joint audits (9-12 months).
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 19600 | ISO 27017 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Compliance Management Systems (CMS) | Cloud-specific information security controls |
| Industry | All sectors, all sizes globally | Cloud providers and users globally |
| Nature | Type B guidelines, non-certifiable | Code of practice, ISO 27001 extension |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews | ISO 27001 audits with cloud controls |
| Penalties | No formal penalties | No direct penalties, certification loss |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 19600 and ISO 27017
ISO 19600 FAQ
ISO 27017 FAQ
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