Standards Comparison

    ISO 9001

    Voluntary
    2015

    International standard for quality management systems

    VS

    23 NYCRR 500

    Mandatory
    2017

    New York regulation for financial services cybersecurity

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 9001 provides voluntary global quality management certification for all industries, emphasizing PDCA and continual improvement. 23 NYCRR 500 mandates cybersecurity for NY financial entities, requiring CISO oversight, MFA, and 72-hour incident reporting to protect NPI.

    Quality Management

    ISO 9001

    ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems – Requirements

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

    Key Features

    • Process-based framework using PDCA cycle
    • Risk-based thinking embedded throughout clauses
    • Seven quality management principles foundation
    • Leadership commitment and top accountability
    • Annex SL for multi-standard integration
    Financial Services

    23 NYCRR 500

    23 NYCRR Part 500 Cybersecurity Regulation

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

    Key Features

    • Annual CEO/CISO dual compliance certification
    • 72-hour cybersecurity incident notification
    • Phishing-resistant MFA for high-risk access
    • Third-party service provider security policy
    • Annual penetration testing and vulnerability assessments

    Detailed Analysis

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

    ISO 9001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 9001:2015 is the international certification standard for quality management systems (QMS). It specifies requirements for organizations to consistently meet customer and regulatory needs through a process-based approach using the PDCA cycle and risk-based thinking.

    Key Components

    • 10 clauses (4-10 auditable): context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, improvement.
    • Built on **7 quality management principlescustomer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decisions, relationship management.
    • High-Level Structure (Annex SL) enables integration with other ISO standards.
    • Voluntary third-party certification with audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enhances customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and risk management.
    • Boosts market access, reputation, and competitiveness; over 1 million certified globally.
    • Drives continual improvement and cost savings via waste reduction.
    • Builds stakeholder trust in competitive markets.

    Implementation Overview

    • Gap analysis, process mapping, documentation, training, internal audits, certification.
    • Applicable to all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical for medium organizations.
    • Involves accredited bodies for initial certification, surveillance, recertification every 3 years.

    23 NYCRR 500 Details

    What It Is

    23 NYCRR Part 500 is the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Regulation, a state-level mandate for financial services entities. It establishes minimum risk-based cybersecurity requirements to protect nonpublic information (NPI) and information systems. The approach is hybrid: prescriptive controls combined with risk assessments using frameworks like NIST CSF.

    Key Components

    • 14 core requirements including cybersecurity program, CISO governance, MFA, encryption, TPSP oversight, penetration testing, and 72-hour incident reporting.
    • Pillars: governance, risk assessment, technical controls (MFA, access privileges), testing, and incident response.
    • Annual CEO/CISO dual certification with five-year record retention; enhanced for Class A Companies (e.g., >$20M NY revenue).

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for NY-licensed financial entities (banks, insurers, etc.) to avoid multimillion-dollar fines (e.g., Robinhood $30M).
    • Enhances resilience, reduces incident risk, builds stakeholder trust, and aligns with enterprise risk management.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased roadmap: gap analysis, asset inventory, MFA rollout, TPSP contracts, testing.
    • Applies to Covered Entities in NY financial sector; no formal certification but annual filing and DFS examinations.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 9001
    Quality management systems, processes, continual improvement
    23 NYCRR 500
    Cybersecurity for financial info systems, NPI protection

    Industry

    ISO 9001
    All industries worldwide, any organization size
    23 NYCRR 500
    NY financial services licensees, state-regulated entities

    Nature

    ISO 9001
    Voluntary global certification standard
    23 NYCRR 500
    Mandatory NY state regulation with enforcement

    Testing

    ISO 9001
    Internal audits, management reviews, PDCA cycle
    23 NYCRR 500
    Annual pen testing, vulnerability scans, continuous monitoring

    Penalties

    ISO 9001
    Loss of certification, no legal penalties
    23 NYCRR 500
    Fines, consent orders, license actions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 9001 and 23 NYCRR 500

    ISO 9001 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