What is the primary objective of **PIPL**?

**PIPL's primary objective is to protect natural persons' personal information rights and interests while regulating handling activities to promote reasonable data use.** Enacted August 20, 2021, and effective November 1, 2021, with 74 articles across eight chapters, it governs collection, storage, use, transmission, disclosure, and deletion of personal information (Article 1).

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **PIPL**?

**PIPL requires compliance from all personal information handlers—domestic or foreign—processing data of natural persons in China.** This includes extraterritorial entities providing products/services to or analyzing behaviors of Chinese individuals (Article 3), with foreign handlers appointing China representatives (Article 53); large handlers (>1M individuals) must designate Personal Information Protection Officers.

Does **PIPL** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**PIPL does not mandate external audits or third-party certification for general compliance but requires them for specific cross-border transfers.** Certification or CAC security assessments apply to transfers exceeding thresholds (>1M individuals' PI or >10K sensitive PI); large handlers (>10M individuals) must conduct compliance audits every two years, potentially by third parties if ordered.

How often should an assessment for **PIPL** be performed?

**PIPL requires Personal Information Protection Impact Assessments (PIPIAs) before high-risk processing, with regular internal compliance audits.** PIPIAs are mandatory for sensitive PI, automated decision-making, or transfers (Article 55), retained for at least three years; handlers of >10M individuals' PI audit every two years, with ongoing risk monitoring.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **PIPL**?

**Non-compliance with PIPL incurs administrative fines up to RMB 50 million or 5% of prior-year global revenue for grave violations.** Penalties include business suspension, license revocation, personal fines up to RMB 1 million for managers, civil liability with burden-shifting proof, and criminal penalties for severe cases (Articles 66-69); e.g., Didi fined RMB 1.2 billion in 2022.

An **PIPL** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, PIPL shares core principles like lawfulness, minimization, and accountability with frameworks such as GDPR, enabling partial mapping.** Similarities include extraterritorial scope, data subject rights, and impact assessments, but PIPL lacks "legitimate interests" basis, mandates stricter consent for sensitive PI, and ties transfers to national security reviews.

What is the first step to begin implementing **PIPL**?

**The first step for PIPL implementation is conducting a comprehensive gap analysis and data mapping.** Inventory all personal information flows, classify sensitive PI (e.g., biometrics, minors under 14), identify legal bases, and prioritize high-risk processing to produce a processing register and remediation roadmap (Phase 1 framework).

What is the primary objective of **ISO 27017**?

**ISO 27017 provides cloud-specific implementation guidance for 37 ISO 27002 controls plus 7 additional cloud-focused controls (CLD.6.3.1, CLD.8.1.5, CLD.9.5.1, CLD.9.5.2, CLD.12.1.5, CLD.12.4.5, CLD.13.1.4) to address shared responsibilities, multi-tenancy, virtual machine hardening, and asset lifecycle management in cloud environments.** Published in 2015, it extends ISO 27001 ISMS for CSPs and CSCs, clarifying roles in IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 27017**?

**No organization is legally required to comply with ISO 27017, as it is a voluntary code of practice, not a regulation.** Professionally, **cloud service providers (CSPs)** and **cloud service customers (CSCs)** adopt it to demonstrate due diligence in multi-tenant environments, especially where procurement demands cloud security assurances or regulatory overlap exists.

Does **ISO 27017** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**ISO 27017 does not support standalone certification or require a separate external audit.** It is assessed as an extension within an **ISO 27001** audit by accredited certification bodies, where auditors evaluate implementation of its 37 extended controls and 7 CLD controls in the organization's ISMS scope.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 27017** be performed?

**ISO 27017 assessments occur as part of ISO 27001 surveillance audits, typically annually.** Re-certification audits happen every three years, with continuous monitoring of cloud controls (e.g., segregation, logging) required to maintain ISMS effectiveness amid changes in cloud services.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 27017**?

**Non-compliance with ISO 27017 carries no direct legal penalties, as it is a non-mandatory standard.** Indirect consequences include failed procurement RFPs, loss of customer trust, heightened breach risks from unaddressed cloud gaps (e.g., multi-tenancy failures), and potential regulatory scrutiny if cloud incidents reveal inadequate ISMS controls.

Can **ISO 27017** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 27017 maps directly to ISO 27001 and ISO 27002, with its 37 guidance controls and 7 CLD controls aligning to their structures.** Organizations commonly map it to frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 or CSA STAR for multi-framework compliance, reducing redundancy in cloud security evidence collection.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 27017**?

**The first step is to conduct a cloud-specific risk assessment within your ISO 27001 ISMS to identify applicable controls.** Define ISMS scope including cloud services, document shared CSP/CSC responsibilities per CLD.6.3.1, and update the Statement of Applicability to incorporate the 7 CLD controls and 37 extended guidance areas.

PIPL vs ISO 27017

Standards Comparison

PIPL

Mandatory

2021

China's comprehensive law for personal information protection

ISO 27017

Voluntary

2015

Code of practice for cloud security controls.

Quick Verdict

PIPL mandates personal data protection for China operations with hefty fines, while ISO 27017 provides voluntary cloud security guidance. Companies adopt PIPL for legal compliance in China; ISO 27017 enhances ISMS for global cloud assurance and procurement.

Data Privacy

PIPL

Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Extraterritorial application to foreign processors targeting China
Explicit separate consent for sensitive personal information
Security assessments for large-scale cross-border transfers
Fines up to 5% of annual revenue
Mandatory impact assessments for high-risk processing

Cloud Security

ISO 27017

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 Code of practice for cloud security

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs
Adds 7 cloud-specific CLD controls to ISO 27002
Addresses multi-tenancy segregation and VM hardening
Provides guidance for 37 existing ISO 27002 controls
Enables customer monitoring of cloud service activities

Detailed Analysis

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

PIPL Details

What It Is

PIPL (Personal Information Protection Law), enacted August 2021 and effective November 1, 2021, is China's comprehensive national regulation governing personal information processing. It protects natural persons' rights with extraterritorial scope, applying to domestic and foreign entities handling China residents' data. Adopts risk-based approach emphasizing consent, minimization, and security.

Key Components

Eight chapters, 74 articles covering processing rules, cross-border transfers, individual rights.
Core principles: lawfulness, necessity, minimization, transparency, accountability.
Sensitive PI (biometrics, health) requires explicit consent; seven legal bases, consent-dominant.
Compliance via impact assessments, audits; no formal certification but CAC mechanisms.

Why Organizations Use It

Mandated for market access, avoids fines up to 5% annual revenue or RMB 50M. Enhances trust, enables data flows, reduces breach risks. Strategic for MNCs in e-commerce, fintech; builds resilience, competitive edge in China.

Implementation Overview

Phased: gap analysis, policies, controls, monitoring (6-12 months). Applies universally; prioritizes large processors, CIIOs. Requires data mapping, consent UX, localization; CAC reviews for transfers. (178 words)

ISO 27017 Details

What It Is

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 with cloud-specific information security controls. It provides implementation guidance for cloud services, focusing on shared responsibilities between cloud service providers (CSPs) and customers (CSCs). Its risk-based approach adapts general controls to cloud environments like multi-tenancy and virtualization.

Key Components

Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls plus 7 additional CLD cloud-specific controls (e.g., segregation, VM hardening).
Covers domains like access control, operations security, and supplier relationships.
Built on ISO 27001 ISMS; not standalone certification.
Dual perspectives for CSPs and CSCs.

Why Organizations Use It

Meets procurement demands and regulatory alignment (e.g., GDPR).
Reduces cloud risks like misconfigurations and data remanence.
Builds trust with stakeholders via auditable cloud posture.
Competitive edge for CSPs; due diligence for customers.

Implementation Overview

Integrate into existing ISO 27001 via risk assessment and control mapping.
Key activities: define responsibilities, configure monitoring, audit cloud setups.
Applies to all sizes using cloud (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS); global scope.
Assessed in ISO 27001 audits; joint certification possible in 9-12 months.

Key Differences

Aspect	PIPL	ISO 27017
Scope	Personal data protection, processing, transfers	Cloud-specific information security controls
Industry	All handling Chinese personal data, extraterritorial	Cloud providers and customers, global applicability
Nature	Mandatory national law, enforced by CAC	Voluntary code of practice, ISO 27001 extension
Testing	DPIAs, security reviews, CAC audits	ISO 27001 audits with cloud control assessment
Penalties	Fines to 5% revenue, business suspension	No legal penalties, certification loss only

Scope

PIPL

Personal data protection, processing, transfers

ISO 27017

Cloud-specific information security controls

Industry

PIPL

All handling Chinese personal data, extraterritorial

ISO 27017

Cloud providers and customers, global applicability

Nature

PIPL

Mandatory national law, enforced by CAC

ISO 27017

Voluntary code of practice, ISO 27001 extension

Testing

PIPL

DPIAs, security reviews, CAC audits

ISO 27017

ISO 27001 audits with cloud control assessment

Penalties

PIPL

Fines to 5% revenue, business suspension

ISO 27017

No legal penalties, certification loss only

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about PIPL and ISO 27017

PIPL FAQ

ISO 27017 FAQ

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PIPL

ISO 27017

Quick Verdict

PIPL

Key Features

ISO 27017

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

PIPL Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 27017 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

PIPL FAQ

What is the primary objective of PIPL?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with PIPL?

Does PIPL require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for PIPL be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with PIPL?

An PIPL be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing PIPL?

ISO 27017 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 27017?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 27017?

Does ISO 27017 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 27017 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 27017?

Can ISO 27017 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 27017?

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The Panoramic View: How Integrated Compliance Monitoring Creates Unprecedented Organizational Visibility and Adaptability

CMMC Sustainment Mastery: Continuous Monitoring, Annual Affirmations, and Subcontractor Flow-Down Playbook

Beyond the Checkbox: Why Maturity Assessments are the Secret to Sustainable Compliance

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

GMP vs POPIA

ISO 27001 vs ISO 14001

ISO 50001 vs ISO 27018