PDPA
Singapore regulation for personal data protection
ISO 22301
International standard for business continuity management systems.
Quick Verdict
PDPA governs personal data privacy in Asia with consent and breach rules, while ISO 22301 builds business continuity resilience globally via BIA and testing. Companies adopt PDPA for legal compliance, ISO 22301 for disruption recovery and trust.
PDPA
Personal Data Protection Act 2012
Key Features
- Mandatory Data Protection Officer appointment
- 72-hour breach notification for significant harm
- Consent or exceptions for reasonable purposes
- Cross-border transfer limitation with safeguards
- Do Not Call Registry for marketing
ISO 22301
ISO 22301:2019 Business continuity management systems Requirements
Key Features
- PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment
- Leadership commitment and BCMS policy requirements
- Operational planning with testing and exercises
- Seamless integration with ISO 27001 and others
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
PDPA Details
What It Is
Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) is Singapore's principal legislation regulating collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal data by organizations. It adopts a principles-based approach balancing individual privacy rights with legitimate business needs, covering private sector entities with phased enforcement since 2014 and key amendments in 2020-2021.
Key Components
- Nine core **obligationsconsent, notification, access/correction, accuracy, protection, retention limitation, transfer limitation, accountability, breach notification.
- Mandatory Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Data Protection Management Programme (DPMP).
- Built on reasonable purposes and proportionality; enforced by PDPC with fines up to SGD 1 million.
Why Organizations Use It
- Legal compliance to avoid fines, enforcement actions.
- Enhances risk management, builds stakeholder trust, enables secure data-driven innovation.
- Provides competitive edge through demonstrated privacy governance in digital economy.
Implementation Overview
- Phased **risk-based frameworkgovernance, data mapping, policies, controls, training, audits.
- Applies to all organizations handling Singapore personal data; no certification but PDPC guidance and self-assessments essential.
ISO 22301 Details
What It Is
ISO 22301:2019 is an international certification standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). It provides a framework to protect against, reduce likelihood of, and recover from disruptions, using a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle and risk-based approach.
Key Components
- 10 clauses (4-10 core): context, leadership, planning (BIA/risk assessment), support, operation (recovery strategies), evaluation, improvement.
- No prescriptive controls; flexible for context.
- Built on Annex SL for integration.
- 3-year certification with annual audits.
Why Organizations Use It
- Enhances resilience, minimizes downtime/financial losses.
- Meets regulations like NIS Directive, NIST.
- Builds stakeholder trust, competitive edges, lower insurance.
- Proactive risk management for cyber, natural disasters.
Implementation Overview
- Gap analysis, BIA, policy, training, testing, audits.
- 60 days to 6 months typical; suits all sizes/sectors.
- Two-stage certification process.
Key Differences
| Aspect | PDPA | ISO 22301 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Personal data protection, privacy rights, breach notification | Business continuity management, disruption recovery, resilience |
| Industry | All sectors in Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan; regional | All industries worldwide; all organization sizes |
| Nature | National privacy laws; mandatory with fines | Voluntary certification standard; auditable framework |
| Testing | Breach simulations, DSAR processes; no formal certification | Tabletop exercises, full drills; external certification audits |
| Penalties | Fines up to SGD 1M, THB 5M; criminal sanctions | No legal penalties; loss of certification only |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PDPA and ISO 22301
PDPA FAQ
ISO 22301 FAQ
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