PDPA
Southeast Asia's principles-based personal data protection acts
ISO 27018
International code of practice for cloud PII protection
Quick Verdict
PDPA mandates personal data protection across Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan organizations, enforced by national regulators with hefty fines. ISO 27018 provides voluntary cloud privacy controls for global CSPs, certified via ISO 27001 audits to build customer trust.
PDPA
Personal Data Protection Act 2012
Key Features
- Mandatory Data Protection Officer appointment
- Nine core data protection obligations
- Structured breach notification regime
- Deemed consent and exceptions framework
- Cross-border transfer limitation safeguards
ISO 27018
ISO/IEC 27018:2025 Code of practice for PII protection
Key Features
- Privacy controls for PII in public cloud processors
- Subprocessor transparency and location disclosures
- Prohibits PII use for advertising without consent
- Breach notification obligations to customers
- Supports data minimization and secure deletion
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
PDPA Details
What It Is
PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act), notably Singapore's 2012 enactment, is a principles-based regulation governing collection, use, disclosure of personal data by organizations. It balances individual privacy rights with business needs via nine core obligations: consent/notification, purpose limitation, access/correction, accuracy, protection, retention limitation, transfer limitation, accountability, and breach notification. Applies to private sector organizations in jurisdictions like Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan.
Key Components
- Nine data protection obligations
- Accountability pillar requiring DPO appointment and DPMP
- Core principles: reasonableness, proportionality, transparency
- Enforcement via PDPC with fines up to SGD 1M or 10% revenue
Why Organizations Use It
Mandated for data-handling entities; mitigates fines, breach risks; builds trust; enables compliant innovation, cross-border flows. Strategic for regional operations, GDPR alignment.
Implementation Overview
Phased: governance/DPO, data mapping/DPIAs, policies/controls, training/audits. Targets all sizes in PDPA jurisdictions; no certification but PDPC guidance, self-assessments essential. Involves tools, vendor contracts, simulations.
ISO 27018 Details
What It Is
ISO/IEC 27018:2025 is a code of practice extending ISO 27001 and ISO 27002, focused on protecting personally identifiable information (PII) processed by public cloud service providers (CSPs) acting as PII processors. It addresses cloud-specific privacy risks like multi-tenancy and cross-border data flows using a risk-based approach within an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Key Components
- ~25–30 additional privacy-specific controls layered on ISO 27001 Annex A
- Core principles: consent/choice, purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, limited retention/disclosure, security safeguards, transparency, accountability
- Integrated into ISO 27001 audits; no standalone certification
Why Organizations Use It
CSPs adopt it for customer trust, faster procurement via Statement of Applicability, GDPR/HIPAA alignment, cyber insurance benefits, and competitive differentiation in regulated sectors.
Implementation Overview
Start with gap analysis against existing ISMS; integrate controls via policy updates, subprocessor transparency, breach notification procedures, staff training. Suited for CSPs all sizes; assessed in ISO 27001 certification audits with annual surveillance.
Key Differences
| Aspect | PDPA | ISO 27018 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Personal data protection in Singapore/Thailand/Taiwan | PII protection in public cloud processors |
| Industry | All organizations in specific jurisdictions | Cloud service providers worldwide |
| Nature | Mandatory national privacy laws | Voluntary ISO certification code of practice |
| Testing | PDPC enforcement and investigations | ISO 27001 audits with privacy controls |
| Penalties | Fines up to SGD 1M, criminal sanctions | Loss of certification, no legal penalties |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PDPA and ISO 27018
PDPA FAQ
ISO 27018 FAQ
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