Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 applies to organizations of all sizes and sectors seeking resilience, with heightened professional relevance in critical sectors like utilities, transport, health, finance, and IT services.** It is not universally legally mandated but supports regulatory compliance such as the EU's NIS Directive for essential services and digital providers, where BCM is required to mitigate disruptions.

Does **ISO 22301** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**ISO 22301 certification involves a mandatory two-stage external audit by an accredited body, valid for 3 years with annual surveillance audits.** Stage 1 assesses readiness, and Stage 2 verifies effectiveness, typically taking 6-8 weeks, ensuring auditable evidence from Clauses 4-10.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 22301** be performed?

**ISO 22301 requires internal audits at planned intervals, typically annually, plus management reviews and periodic testing of BCMS processes.** Certification includes annual surveillance audits, with the full recertification cycle every 3 years and standard reviews every 5 years under its lifecycle.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 22301**?

**Non-compliance with ISO 22301 exposes organizations to unmitigated disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties in aligned frameworks.** Certified organizations avoid these via tested BCMS, but lapses in BIA, testing, or audits can lead to certification revocation, increased insurance premiums, and failure to meet procurement or NIS-like mandates.

Can **ISO 22301** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 22301 seamlessly maps to other frameworks via its Annex SL high-level structure.** It aligns with ISO 27001 for integrated BCMS-ISMS, ISO 31000 for risk management, and ISO 22313 for guidance, enabling bundled implementations and shared audits, procedures, and objectives.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 22301**?

**The first step in implementing ISO 22301 is conducting a gap analysis against Clauses 4-10 to understand organizational context, scope, and interested parties.** Secure top management commitment via kickoff (Clause 5), followed by BIA and risk assessment to tailor the BCMS.

What is the primary objective of **ISO 27018**?

**ISO 27018 provides a code of practice for protecting **PII** in public clouds where the provider acts as a PII processor.** It extends **ISO 27001** and **ISO 27002** with ~25–30 privacy-specific controls addressing cloud risks like multi-tenancy, subprocessor transparency, consent, purpose limitation, data minimization, breach notification, and restrictions on secondary PII use (e.g., no marketing without consent). The 2025 edition aligns with **ISO 27002:2022** Annex A (93 controls across organizational, people, physical, technological themes), enabling auditable processor obligations.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 27018**?

**ISO 27018 targets public cloud service providers (CSPs) acting as PII processors, with no legal mandate but professional expectation in regulated sectors.** Applicable to hyperscalers (e.g., Microsoft Azure), regional CSPs, and government clouds processing customer PII; controllers use it for vendor due diligence. Risk-based implementation scales to any size, integrated into **ISO 27001** ISMS via Statement of Applicability (SoA).

Does **ISO 27018** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**ISO 27018 requires no standalone certification; controls are assessed via external **ISO 27001** audits by accredited bodies (ISO/IEC 17021, 27006).** Auditors validate ~25–30 additional privacy controls in Stage 1 (docs/SoA) and Stage 2 (implementation), issuing integrated certificates valid 3 years with annual surveillance. CSP claims like "ISO 27018 certified" mean **ISO 27001** validation of 27018 guidance.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 27018** be performed?

**ISO 27018 assessments occur annually via surveillance audits and every 3 years via full recertification within the **ISO 27001** cycle.** Gap analyses and internal audits support continual improvement, addressing changes in cloud services, subprocessors, or regulations; Microsoft exemplifies yearly third-party audits for aligned controls.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 27018**?

**Non-compliance with ISO 27018 risks lost procurement, regulatory scrutiny, and cyber insurance issues, as it signals weak PII processor controls.** No direct fines (voluntary code), but failure undermines GDPR Article 28 evidence, erodes customer trust (85% consumers avoid insecure firms), prolongs sales cycles, and exposes to contractual liabilities or breach claims without auditable transparency.

Can **ISO 27018** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 27018 maps directly to frameworks like **ISO 27001/27002** (core ISMS), **ISO 27017** (cloud security), and **ISO 27701** (PIMS for controllers/processors).** Privacy controls align with GDPR Article 28 processor duties, OECD guidelines, and ISO 29100 principles (consent, transparency, accountability); used in layered maturity paths without replacing legal obligations.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 27018**?

**Conduct a gap analysis against current ISMS, **ISO 27001/27002** controls, and ~25–30 **ISO 27018** privacy additions.** Engage stakeholders for discovery, review docs/contracts/SoA, prioritize remediation (e.g., subprocessor disclosure, breach notification), and develop a roadmap—essential for processors scoping public cloud PII services.

ISO 22301 vs ISO 27018

Q: What is the primary objective of **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).** It enables organizations to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and recover from disruptive incidents while ensuring continuity of critical products and services, structured around a 10-clause PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle across Clauses 4-10.

Standards Comparison

ISO 22301

Voluntary

2019

International standard for business continuity management systems

ISO 27018

Voluntary

2019

International standard for PII protection in public clouds.

Quick Verdict

ISO 22301 builds business continuity resilience against disruptions for all organizations, while ISO 27018 extends ISO 27001 with cloud PII privacy controls for service providers. Companies adopt them for certification, compliance, risk reduction, and competitive trust.

Business Continuity

ISO 22301

ISO 22301:2019 Business continuity management systems — Requirements

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

0-6 months

Key Features

PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
Mandatory Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
Risk assessment and recovery strategies
Annex SL structure for standards integration
Three-year certification with surveillance audits

Cloud Privacy

ISO 27018

ISO/IEC 27018:2025 Code of practice for PII in public clouds

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Privacy controls for PII processors in public clouds
Subprocessor transparency and location disclosures
Prohibits PII use for marketing without consent
Mandates customer breach notifications
Supports data minimization and secure deletion

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

ISO 22301 Details

What It Is

ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard specifying requirements for a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It enables organizations to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and recover from disruptive incidents. Adopting a risk-based approach via the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle and Annex SL high-level structure, it ensures resilience for critical operations.

Key Components

10 clauses (4-10 core): context, leadership, planning (BIA, risk assessment), support, operation (recovery strategies, testing), evaluation (audits, reviews), improvement.
Flexible, non-prescriptive requirements tailored to context.
Key terms: RTO, MTPD, BCMS.
**Certification modelexternal audits, 3-year validity, annual surveillance.

Why Organizations Use It

Builds operational resilience, minimizes downtime and losses.
Meets regulatory demands (e.g., NIS Directive, NIST).
Enhances risk management, stakeholder trust, reputation.
Provides competitive edges like procurement advantages, lower insurance.
Integrates seamlessly with ISO 27001, ISO 31000.

Implementation Overview

Gap analysis, BIA, training, testing, audits.
Phased: 0-6 months with tools/software.
Applicable to all sizes/sectors globally.
Two-stage certification process (readiness, effectiveness).

ISO 27018 Details

What It Is

ISO/IEC 27018 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 specifically for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) processed by public cloud service providers acting as PII processors. Published in editions including 2014, 2019, and latest 2025, it focuses on cloud-specific privacy risks using a risk-based approach within an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Key Components

~25–30 additional privacy-specific controls mapped to ISO 27001 Annex A
Core principles: consent/choice, purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, transparency, accountability
Emphasizes subprocessor management, breach notification, data subject rights support
Integrated into ISO 27001 audits; no standalone certification

Why Organizations Use It

Builds customer trust and accelerates procurement via Statement of Applicability
Aligns with GDPR Article 28, HIPAA for processor obligations
Enhances risk transfer, cyber insurance, market differentiation for CSPs
Demonstrates privacy stewardship in multi-tenant clouds

Implementation Overview

Gap analysis on existing ISMS, integrate controls into SoA
Key activities: policy updates, training, technical safeguards like encryption/logging
Suited for CSPs all sizes; incremental if ISO 27001-certified
Third-party audits during ISO 27001 cycle (annual surveillance, 3-year recertification)

Key Differences

Aspect	ISO 22301	ISO 27018
Scope	Business continuity management systems (BCMS)	PII protection in public cloud services
Industry	All sectors, sizes, global applicability	Cloud service providers, privacy-focused
Nature	Certifiable management system standard	Code of practice extending ISO 27001
Testing	BIA, exercises, audits every 3 years	Integrated ISO 27001 audits, surveillance
Penalties	Loss of certification, no legal fines	Loss of certification, no legal fines

Scope

ISO 22301

Business continuity management systems (BCMS)

ISO 27018

PII protection in public cloud services

Industry

ISO 22301

All sectors, sizes, global applicability

ISO 27018

Cloud service providers, privacy-focused

Nature

ISO 22301

Certifiable management system standard

ISO 27018

Code of practice extending ISO 27001

Testing

ISO 22301

BIA, exercises, audits every 3 years

ISO 27018

Integrated ISO 27001 audits, surveillance

Penalties

ISO 22301

Loss of certification, no legal fines

ISO 27018

Loss of certification, no legal fines

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ISO 22301 and ISO 27018

ISO 22301 FAQ

ISO 27018 FAQ

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ISO 22301

ISO 27018

Quick Verdict

ISO 22301

Key Features

ISO 27018

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

ISO 22301 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 27018 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

ISO 22301 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 22301?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 22301?

Does ISO 22301 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 22301 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 22301?

Can ISO 22301 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 22301?

ISO 27018 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 27018?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 27018?

Does ISO 27018 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 27018 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 27018?

Can ISO 27018 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 27018?

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CIS Controls v8.1, Operationalized: Top 10 Reasons Compliance Monitoring Software Accelerates Real-World Implementation

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Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

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NIS2 vs ISO 50001

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