What is the primary objective of ISO 27017?

ISO 27017 provides cloud-specific guidance for implementing ISO 27002 controls within an ISO 27001 ISMS. It introduces 7 additional CLD controls addressing shared responsibilities, multi-tenancy segregation, virtual machine hardening, and cloud monitoring to manage unique cloud risks effectively.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 27017?

No organizations are legally required to comply with ISO 27017, as it is a voluntary code of practice. Cloud service providers (CSPs) and customers (CSCs) adopt it professionally for assurance in contracts, regulatory alignment like GDPR, and demonstrating cloud security maturity in procurement processes.

Does ISO 27017 require an external audit or third-party certification?

ISO 27017 does not offer standalone certification and is assessed within ISO 27001 audits. Certification bodies evaluate its controls during ISO 27001 Stage 1 and 2 audits, often issuing combined certificates referencing ISO 27017 implementation; no separate ISO 27017 certificate exists.

How often should an assessment for ISO 27017 be performed?

ISO 27017 assessments occur annually via ISO 27001 surveillance audits, with continuous monitoring required. Organizations conduct internal audits periodically, management reviews at planned intervals, and full re-certification every 3 years, aligning with ISO 27001 cycles and cloud changes.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 27017?

Non-compliance with ISO 27017 results in lost business opportunities and increased risk exposure, not legal penalties. CSPs may fail procurement RFPs, face customer distrust, or incur breach-related costs; CSCs risk inadequate cloud protections leading to incidents and regulatory scrutiny under laws like GDPR.

Can ISO 27017 be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, ISO 27017 maps directly to ISO 27001, ISO 27002, and extends to frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 and CSA CCM. Its 37 adapted controls and 7 CLD controls align with cloud security baselines, enabling evidence reuse for FedRAMP, PCI-DSS, and privacy standards like ISO 27018.

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 27017?

The first step is conducting a cloud-specific risk assessment within your ISO 27001 ISMS. Identify cloud risks like multi-tenancy and shared responsibilities, then select applicable ISO 27002 controls plus the 7 CLD controls, documenting in the Statement of Applicability.

What is the primary objective of ISO 27018?

ISO 27018 provides a code of practice for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) in public cloud environments acting as PII processors. It extends general security controls with cloud-specific privacy guidance, focusing on processor obligations like purpose limitation, transparency, and secure handling to support controllers' compliance needs.

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

No organizations are legally required to comply with ISO 27018, as it is a voluntary code of practice. It is professionally relevant for public cloud service providers processing PII on behalf of customers, particularly those seeking to demonstrate robust privacy controls to clients in regulated sectors.

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

ISO 27018 requires assessment through external audits integrated into ISO 27001 certification processes, but it is not a standalone certifiable standard. Accredited certification bodies evaluate its controls during ISO 27001 audits, issuing combined attestations covering the extended privacy guidance.

How often should an assessment for ISO 27018 be performed?

Assessments for ISO 27018 should align with ISO 27001 cycles, including annual surveillance audits and triennial recertification. Ongoing internal reviews and continuous monitoring of controls ensure sustained compliance between external audits.

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

Non-compliance with ISO 27018 carries no direct legal penalties, as it is voluntary, but results in lost business opportunities and reputational damage. Cloud providers may fail customer due diligence, face procurement rejections, or incur indirect costs from privacy incidents lacking standardized protections.

Can ISO 27018 be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, ISO 27018 maps closely to privacy frameworks through shared control objectives like transparency and data minimization. Its alignment with underlying security standards facilitates cross-mapping for integrated compliance programs.

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 27018?

The first step to implement ISO 27018 is conducting a gap analysis against its controls relative to an existing information security management system. This identifies required enhancements in areas like sub-processor management and PII lifecycle controls.

Standards Comparison

ISO 27017 vs ISO 27018

ISO 27017

Voluntary

2015

International code of practice for cloud security controls

ISO 27018

Voluntary

2019

International code for PII protection in public cloud processors.

Quick Verdict

ISO 27017 adds cloud-specific security controls to ISO 27001 for CSPs and customers, while ISO 27018 embeds privacy controls for PII protection. Companies adopt them to prove robust cloud security and privacy postures, accelerating procurement and regulatory compliance.

Cloud Security

ISO 27017

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 Code of practice for cloud security

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Introduces 7 additional cloud-specific controls
Clarifies shared responsibilities for CSPs and customers
Provides guidance for 37 ISO 27002 controls in cloud
Addresses virtual machine segregation and hardening
Supports cloud service monitoring and logging

Cloud Privacy

ISO 27018

ISO/IEC 27018:2019 PII protection in public clouds

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Protects PII processed by public cloud as processors
Enforces consent and purpose limitation restrictions
Mandates sub-processor transparency and management
Requires logging, monitoring, and breach notification
Ensures secure data return and deletion on termination

Detailed Analysis

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

ISO 27017 Details

What It Is

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 for information security controls in cloud services. It provides cloud-specific implementation guidance within an ISO 27001 ISMS, focusing on public, private, and hybrid clouds across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models. Its risk-based approach adapts generic controls to cloud risks like multi-tenancy and shared responsibilities.

Key Components

Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls tailored for cloud environments.
7 additional CLD controls covering shared roles (CLD.6.3.1), asset removal (CLD.8.1.5), virtual segregation (CLD.9.5.1), VM hardening (CLD.9.5.2), admin security (CLD.12.1.5), monitoring (CLD.12.4.5), and network alignment (CLD.13.1.4).
Built on ISO 27001 ISMS; not standalone certification—assessed during ISO 27001 audits.

Why Organizations Use It

CSPs and customers adopt it for procurement trust, regulatory alignment (e.g., GDPR support), risk reduction in multi-tenant setups, and competitive differentiation. It clarifies responsibilities, lowers breach risks from misconfigurations, and builds stakeholder confidence.

Implementation Overview

Integrate into existing ISO 27001 ISMS via cloud risk assessments, control mapping, and joint audits (9-12 months). Applies to CSPs, customers of all sizes; requires operational maturity in monitoring and virtualization. Auditors verify during ISO 27001 Stage 2.

ISO 27018 Details

What It Is

ISO/IEC 27018:2019 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) in public cloud environments where providers act as PII processors. Its primary scope targets cloud service providers handling customer PII, using a risk-based, control-overlay approach aligned with ISO/IEC 29100 privacy principles.

Key Components

Core themes: consent/purpose limitation, transparency, data minimization, logging/auditability, breach notification, secure deletion.
Approximately 25-30 privacy-specific controls layered on 114 ISO 27002 controls.
Built on ISO 27001 ISMS foundation.
Certification via integrated audits, not standalone.

Why Organizations Use It

Demonstrates robust PII safeguards for cloud customers.
Meets processor obligations under privacy laws like GDPR.
Enhances risk management in multi-tenant clouds.
Builds trust, accelerates procurement, differentiates in market.

Implementation Overview

Layer onto existing ISO 27001 ISMS via gap analysis.
Key activities: control mapping, policy updates, tooling integration, audits.
Applies to cloud processors of all sizes globally.
Requires third-party certification with annual surveillance.

Key Differences

Aspect	ISO 27017	ISO 27018
Scope	Cloud security controls, shared responsibility, multi-tenancy	PII protection in public clouds, privacy-centric controls
Industry	All cloud-using industries worldwide, CSPs and customers	Cloud processors handling PII, global with privacy focus
Nature	Voluntary code of practice extending ISO 27001	Voluntary code of practice extending ISO 27001
Testing	Assessed in ISO 27001 audits, no standalone certification	Assessed in ISO 27001 audits, no standalone certification
Penalties	No legal penalties, loss of certification alignment	No legal penalties, loss of certification alignment

Scope

ISO 27017

Cloud security controls, shared responsibility, multi-tenancy

ISO 27018

PII protection in public clouds, privacy-centric controls

Industry

ISO 27017

All cloud-using industries worldwide, CSPs and customers

ISO 27018

Cloud processors handling PII, global with privacy focus

Nature

ISO 27017

Voluntary code of practice extending ISO 27001

ISO 27018

Voluntary code of practice extending ISO 27001

Testing

ISO 27017

Assessed in ISO 27001 audits, no standalone certification

ISO 27018

Assessed in ISO 27001 audits, no standalone certification

Penalties

ISO 27017

No legal penalties, loss of certification alignment

ISO 27018

No legal penalties, loss of certification alignment

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ISO 27017 and ISO 27018

ISO 27017 FAQ

ISO 27018 FAQ

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What It Is

Key Components

Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls tailored for cloud environments.

7 additional CLD controls covering shared roles (CLD.6.3.1), asset removal (CLD.8.1.5), virtual segregation (CLD.9.5.1), VM hardening (CLD.9.5.2), admin security (CLD.12.1.5), monitoring (CLD.12.4.5), and network alignment (CLD.13.1.4).

Built on ISO 27001 ISMS; not standalone certification—assessed during ISO 27001 audits.

What It Is

Key Components

Core themes: consent/purpose limitation, transparency, data minimization, logging/auditability, breach notification, secure deletion.

Approximately 25-30 privacy-specific controls layered on 114 ISO 27002 controls.

Built on ISO 27001 ISMS foundation.

Certification via integrated audits, not standalone.

Aspect

ISO 27017

ISO 27018

Scope

Cloud security controls, shared responsibility, multi-tenancy

PII protection in public clouds, privacy-centric controls

Industry

All cloud-using industries worldwide, CSPs and customers

Cloud processors handling PII, global with privacy focus

Nature

Voluntary code of practice extending ISO 27001

Testing

Assessed in ISO 27001 audits, no standalone certification

Penalties

No legal penalties, loss of certification alignment