Standards Comparison

    ISO 30301

    Voluntary
    2019

    International standard for management systems for records

    VS

    23 NYCRR 500

    Mandatory
    2017

    NY regulation for financial services cybersecurity compliance

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 30301 provides voluntary records governance for all organizations globally, while 23 NYCRR 500 mandates cybersecurity controls for NY financial firms with strict enforcement. Companies adopt ISO for certification and best practices; NYCRR for regulatory compliance.

    Records Management

    ISO 30301

    ISO 30301:2019 Management systems for records — Requirements

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Certifiable management system for records (MSR) using HLS
    • Explicit records requirements identification (Clause 4.1.2)
    • Flexible conformity pathways: self-declaration to certification
    • Risk-based planning for records risks (Clause 6)
    • Normative Annex A operational controls for records lifecycle
    Financial Services

    23 NYCRR 500

    23 NYCRR Part 500 Cybersecurity Regulation

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    18-24 months

    Key Features

    • Annual CISO/CEO dual compliance certification
    • 72-hour cybersecurity incident notification requirement
    • Phishing-resistant MFA for privileged/remote access
    • Risk-based third-party service provider oversight
    • Annual penetration testing and vulnerability management

    Detailed Analysis

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

    ISO 30301 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 30301:2019 is an international certification standard specifying requirements for a Management System for Records (MSR). It ensures organizations create, control, and preserve authoritative records as evidence of business activities. The risk-based, PDCA approach uses High-Level Structure (HLS) clauses 4–10 plus normative Annex A for operational controls.

    Key Components

    • **Clauses 4–10Context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, improvement.
    • **Clause 8 + Annex ARecords lifecycle controls (creation, capture, access, retention, disposition).
    • Built on ISO 15489 principles: authenticity, reliability, integrity, usability.
    • Conformity via self-declaration, external confirmation, or third-party certification.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Drives governance accountability, compliance (legal/regulatory), risk mitigation (evidence loss), and efficiency (retrieval/disposition). Enhances stakeholder trust, auditability, and integration with other MSS like ISO 9001/27001.

    Implementation Overview

    Phased approach: gap analysis, policy design, operational controls, audits. Scalable for any organization/size/sector; 12–18 months typical with cross-functional resources.

    23 NYCRR 500 Details

    What It Is

    23 NYCRR Part 500 is the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Regulation, a mandatory state regulation for financial services entities in New York. It establishes minimum risk-based cybersecurity requirements to protect nonpublic information (NPI) and ensure information system integrity, confidentiality, and availability.

    Key Components

    • **14 core requirementsCybersecurity program, policy, CISO governance, access privileges, MFA, encryption, risk assessments, TPSP oversight, penetration testing, incident response, training, asset management, audit trails, notifications.
    • Risk-assessment centric; annual CISO/CEO dual certification with 5-year evidence retention.
    • No third-party certification; NYDFS examinations enforce compliance.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for Covered Entities (banks, insurers, licensees); avoids multimillion-dollar fines (e.g., Robinhood $30M).
    • Enhances resilience, reduces incident risk, strengthens vendor management.
    • Builds stakeholder trust, lowers insurance premiums, differentiates competitively.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased roadmap: Gap analysis, asset inventory, MFA rollout, TPSP contracts, IR testing.
    • Applies to NY-licensed financial entities; Class A (>$20M NY revenue, >2000 employees) face enhanced controls.
    • Self-attestation annually by April 15; evidence-based for audits. (178 words)

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 30301
    Records management systems lifecycle
    23 NYCRR 500
    Financial cybersecurity program controls

    Industry

    ISO 30301
    All organizations worldwide
    23 NYCRR 500
    NY financial services entities

    Nature

    ISO 30301
    Voluntary certifiable standard
    23 NYCRR 500
    Mandatory state regulation

    Testing

    ISO 30301
    Internal audits, management reviews
    23 NYCRR 500
    Annual pen tests, vulnerability scans

    Penalties

    ISO 30301
    Loss of certification
    23 NYCRR 500
    Fines, consent orders, enforcement

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 30301 and 23 NYCRR 500

    ISO 30301 FAQ

    23 NYCRR 500 FAQ

    You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

    Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

    Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

    Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

    100+ Standards & Regulations
    AI-Powered Insights
    Collaborative Assessments
    Actionable Recommendations

    Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages