ISO 26000
International guidance standard for social responsibility
ISO 27017
International standard for cloud security controls.
Quick Verdict
ISO 26000 provides voluntary guidance on social responsibility for all organizations, emphasizing principles and core subjects without certification. ISO 27017 extends ISO 27001 with cloud-specific security controls. Companies adopt them for credibility, risk management, and stakeholder trust.
ISO 26000
ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on social responsibility
Key Features
- Non-certifiable guidance explicitly rejecting certification
- Seven foundational principles underpinning SR decisions
- Seven holistic core subjects for impact assessment
- Multi-stakeholder development by 500+ global experts
- Stakeholder engagement drives contextual prioritization
ISO 27017
ISO/IEC 27017:2015
Key Features
- Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs
- Adds 7 cloud-specific controls to ISO 27002 guidance
- Addresses multi-tenancy and virtual machine segregation
- Provides cloud-adapted guidance for 37 existing controls
- Enables customer monitoring of cloud service activities
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
ISO 26000 Details
What It Is
ISO 26000:2010 is a voluntary international guidance standard on social responsibility (SR), applicable to all organization types regardless of size, sector, or location. Its primary purpose is to provide a shared definition, principles, and framework for assessing SR impacts, risks, and stakeholder expectations through a holistic, context-based approach.
Key Components
- **Seven core principlesaccountability, transparency, ethical behavior, respect for stakeholder interests, rule of law, international norms, human rights.
- **Seven core subjectsorganizational governance, human rights, labor practices, environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, community involvement.
- Built on multi-stakeholder consensus; non-certifiable model emphasizing self-assessment and transparent reporting.
Why Organizations Use It
Enhances sustainability commitment, risk management, ESG alignment, and stakeholder trust. Drives operational resilience, competitive differentiation, and credibility without certification burdens. Supports integration with SDGs, OECD, GRI.
Implementation Overview
Phased approach: materiality assessment, stakeholder engagement, policy integration, training, KPIs, reporting. Applies universally; uses PDCA cycles, fits existing management systems like ISO 14001/45001.
ISO 27017 Details
What It Is
ISO/IEC 27017:2015 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 with cloud-specific information security controls. It provides guidance for implementing security in cloud services across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, using a risk-based approach within an ISO 27001 ISMS.
Key Components
- Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls adapted for cloud environments.
- 7 additional cloud-specific CLD controls covering shared responsibilities, multi-tenancy, VM hardening, monitoring, and asset lifecycle.
- Built on ISO 27001 for certification; not standalone.
- Dual perspectives for CSPs and CSCs.
Why Organizations Use It
Enhances cloud risk management, clarifies shared responsibilities, meets procurement demands, supports GDPR/CCPA alignment, and builds customer trust through auditable controls.
Implementation Overview
Integrate into existing ISO 27001 ISMS via risk assessment, control mapping, and joint audits (9-12 months). Applies to CSPs/CSCs globally; requires cloud maturity and tooling for monitoring/segregation.
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 26000 | ISO 27017 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Social responsibility, 7 core subjects | Cloud-specific information security controls |
| Industry | All organizations, all sectors globally | Cloud service providers and customers worldwide |
| Nature | Non-certifiable guidance standard | Code of practice extending ISO 27001 |
| Testing | Self-assessment, stakeholder engagement | ISO 27001 audits include 27017 controls |
| Penalties | No legal penalties, reputational risk | No standalone penalties, certification loss |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 26000 and ISO 27017
ISO 26000 FAQ
ISO 27017 FAQ
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