Standards Comparison

    ISO 37001

    Voluntary
    2025

    International standard for anti-bribery management systems

    VS

    GDPR UK

    Mandatory
    2016

    UK regulation for personal data protection and privacy.

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 37001 offers voluntary certification for anti-bribery management worldwide, mitigating legal risks through due diligence. GDPR UK mandates personal data protection for UK activities, enforcing rights and security with hefty fines. Companies adopt both for compliance, trust, and risk reduction.

    Anti-Bribery/Compliance

    ISO 37001

    ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Risk-based ABMS with PDCA cycle
    • Mandatory third-party due diligence controls
    • Leadership commitment and anti-bribery policy
    • Financial and non-financial bribery controls
    • Certifiable via Harmonized Structure integration
    Data Privacy

    GDPR UK

    UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

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

    Key Features

    • Seven enforceable data processing principles
    • Accountability requiring demonstrable compliance
    • Data subject rights with one-month response
    • 72-hour ICO breach notification obligation
    • Risk-based DPIAs for high-risk processing

    Detailed Analysis

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

    ISO 37001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management Systems is an international certifiable standard providing requirements and guidance for establishing, implementing, and improving an ABMS. It follows a risk-based approach using the PDCA cycle and Harmonized Structure (HS), focusing on preventing, detecting, and responding to bribery across public, private, and not-for-profit organizations.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operations, evaluation, and improvement.
    • Core controls: anti-bribery policy, risk assessments, due diligence, financial/non-financial controls, training, reporting.
    • Built on proportionality to bribery risks; certifiable by accredited bodies with 3-year cycles and surveillance audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mitigates legal risks (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act) via evidentiary due diligence.
    • Builds stakeholder trust, reputational assurance, and operational efficiencies (up to 15% compliance cost reduction).
    • Enables market access, ESG alignment, and competitive differentiation in high-risk sectors.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, risk assessment, control design, training, audits.
    • Scalable for SMEs to multinationals; integrates with ISO 9001/27001.
    • Typical 6-12 months to certification; requires ongoing PDCA reviews.

    GDPR UK Details

    What It Is

    UK GDPR (UK General Data Protection Regulation) is the UK's post-Brexit data protection law, adapting EU GDPR via the Data Protection Act 2018. It is a binding regulation enforcing risk-based, accountability-focused governance for personal data processing by controllers and processors.

    Key Components

    • Seven core principles: lawfulness, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity/confidentiality, accountability.
    • Individual rights: access, rectification, erasure, portability, objection.
    • Obligations: records of processing (RoPA), DPIAs, processor contracts, 72-hour breach notifications.
    • Enforcement by ICO with fines up to 4% global turnover; no formal certification, but demonstrable compliance required.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for UK-established entities or those targeting UK individuals; extraterritorial scope.
    • Mitigates fines, reputational damage; builds trust, enables data-driven operations.
    • Strategic benefits: operational efficiency, vendor resilience, market differentiation.

    Implementation Overview

    Phased approach: data mapping (RoPA), policies, training, DPIAs, rights handling. Applies to all sizes/industries processing UK personal data; ICO audits enforce via fines/notices. (178 words)

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 37001
    Bribery prevention, detection, response via ABMS
    GDPR UK
    Personal data processing, protection, rights

    Industry

    ISO 37001
    All sectors, global, any organization size
    GDPR UK
    All sectors processing UK personal data, territorial

    Nature

    ISO 37001
    Voluntary certifiable management standard
    GDPR UK
    Mandatory legal regulation with fines

    Testing

    ISO 37001
    Third-party certification audits, annual surveillance
    GDPR UK
    Internal audits, ICO investigations, no certification

    Penalties

    ISO 37001
    Loss of certification, no legal fines
    GDPR UK
    Fines up to £17.5M or 4% global turnover

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 37001 and GDPR UK

    ISO 37001 FAQ

    GDPR UK FAQ

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