ISO 27701 certification:
Data protection management finally made easy
ISO 27701 closes a gap that companies feel every day: It translates the legal requirements of the GDPR into clear processes, roles and to-dos. And in a way that improves your compliance and fosters trust both internally and externally.
Read on to find out
- Why ISO 27701 is the optimal management system for implementing the GDPR in a legally compliant, time-saving and practical manner
- Which requirements you need to fulfill to become audit-ready
- Where you need to place your focus to eventually hold the ISO 27701 certificate in your hands
Ready to finally put data protection into practice in your company?
What is the ISO 27701 standard?
and what opportunities does it offer my company?
Do you already have an ISMS in accordance with ISO 27001 or are you thinking about introducing one? Certification to ISO/IEC 27701 is therefore the next logical step. This is the internationally recognized standard for data protection management systems (DSMS) which supplements the information security of ISO 27001 with the protection of personal data.
Unlike the GDPR, which is perceived by many companies as a purely legal minefield, ISO 27701 provides an operational and easy-to-implement framework. It shows you step by step how data protection can be integrated into your organization in a practical, verifiable and comprehensible way - with clear responsibilities, processes and documentation requirements.
Especially relevant:
- As a company, you can have yourself officially certified in accordance with ISO 27701 - ideal as proof to authorities, customers and partners.
- If you want to set up a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS), ISO 27701 is the perfect foundation for this.
- For companies that already have an ISO 27001 certificate, getting started is particularly easy as the systems build upon each other logically.
In short: The ISO 27701 standard helps you to get the complex issue of data protection under control over the long term.
What does the
ISO 27701 demand from my company?
The ISO 27701 standard augments the ISO 27001 with data protection-specific requirements - and makes a clear distinction between the roles of controllers and processors. Both roles are given specific guidelines on how to handle personal data, assess risks and document processes.
The requirements can be divided into two main areas:
1. Management and documentation requirements
- Data protection risk analyses and impact assessments: Companies must systematically assess the risks associated with the processing of personal data - especially in the case of sensitive or extensive data processing.
- Data protection objectives and responsibilities: Clear objectives for data protection must be defined and responsibilities clearly assigned within the organization.
- Training and awareness-raising: Employees must receive regular training and be made aware of data protection issues to prevent inadvertent misconduct.
- Technical & Organizational Measures (TOMs): Companies must implement and document appropriate protective measures and regularly check their effectiveness.
2. Role-specific requirements for controllers and processors
- Processes for exercising data subject rights: Processes must be established to fulfill requests for information, deletion, correction, etc. in a timely and comprehensive manner.
- Documentation and reporting of data breaches: Companies must record, evaluate and document breaches and, if necessary, report them to supervisory authorities or affected parties - within the statutory deadlines.
- Contracts with subcontractors and their control: Binding agreements must be concluded with service providers (especially in the case of processing on behalf of the controller) and reviewed regularly.
- Evidence and documentation: The processing of personal data must always serve a legitimate purpose and only the data required for this purpose may be collected and used. There are documentation and verification obligations for both topics.
What do you achieve by implementing these requirements?
Quite simply: You create a robust, comprehensible DPMS (data protection management system) that meets legal requirements, makes your internal processes more efficient and builds trust with stakeholders.
5 reasons for a
ISO 27701 certification
More legal certainty and concrete GDPR compliance
Instead of vague interpretations or selective measures, you will receive a clearly structured roadmap for the systematic implementation of the GDPR.
Greater trust internally and externally
You show customers, partners and employees that you don't just pay lip service to data protection - you live it in a structured way.
Competitive advantages in sensitive markets
With ISO 27701 certification, you clearly position yourself as a professional and secure provider - particularly relevant for tenders in the public sector or in regulated industries.
Increased efficiency through clear structures
They avoid duplication of work, create clear responsibilities and relieve the burden on specialist departments, IT and data protection officers.
Ideal addition to existing systems
Especially in combination with ISO 27001, TISAX® or ISO 9001, processes, roles and documentation can be reused - synergies that save time and resources.
5 steps to the
ISO 27701 certificate
Step 1
Check GAP analysis and initial situation
Determine the current maturity level: What data protection structures are already in place? Which ISO standards are implemented? Where are there deviations from ISO/IEC 27701?
Step 2
Planning and system design
Definition of the target structure, role and responsibility models as well as data protection-related processes and verification types.
Step 3
Implementation and integration
Implementation of the standard requirements - with a particular focus on integration into existing management systems, especially ISO/IEC 27001.
Step 4
Internal audit and management review
Internal audit to evaluate the effectiveness of the data protection management system, including management review, risk assessment and derivation of measures.
Step 5
Certification by accredited test center
Performance of the external audit by an accredited certification body. Successful completion leads to the issue of the ISO/IEC 27701 certificate as formal proof of your data protection compliance.
5 practical tips for a
successful ISO 27701 audit
At first glance, ISO 27701 seems like a purely technical topic - bulky, complex, bureaucratic. In fact, the very opposite is true: A strategic framework that finally makes data protection controllable. When implemented correctly, this results in a robust system that promotes clarity, security and efficiency throughout the company.
But this is where the problem usually begins: How do you translate an abstract framework into concrete, everyday processes?
Follow our best practice recommendations to avoid the most dangerous pitfalls on the road to ISO 27701 compliance.
Data protection is more than theory
When implementing the GDPR, many companies start at the level of the legal texts. What is usually missing are the operational processes behind it: What really happens when a request for information is made? Who is responsible? What steps are taken and when? How is the result documented? Only when legal requirements are translated into clearly defined, practiced processes do data protection measures become truly auditable and effective day to day.
Unclear responsibilities cost more than time
If no one is responsible, many things are left unfinished or not fully implemented. We recommend: Define clear roles (including deputies) and responsibilities. Establish a data protection board as a central steering committee and anchor the topic permanently at management level. This is the only way to ensure effective and sustainable data protection.
Specialist departments are not a disruptive factor, but key players:
The greatest data protection risks do not arise in the IT or legal department, but in operational areas such as marketing, sales or HR. Hence our tip: Involve the specialist departments at an early stage - through regular workshops and ISO 27701 training sessions with specific use cases. In this way, specialist managers become active process partners and support data protection in their everyday work.
Evidence alone is not enough
Many companies collect data protection records like receipts for tax purposes - loose, unstructured and without any recognizable context. But auditors expect more: They want a clear, comprehensible logic that shows which evidence was provided and why, how it was checked and where it was documented.
Technical measures without context fall short
TOMs are more than IT firewalls and other IT security systems. They also include privacy by design, access and authorization concepts, deletion periods - and above all the comparison between the legal requirements and the technical implementation. For this reason, we recommend that our customers carry out a technical data protection assessment at least once a year in line with the standard.
Resource-conserving certification in accordance with ISO 27701:
Expand your data protection regulations to include standard requirements and achieve real synergies.
ISO 27701 certification can be closely integrated with your existing GDPR implementation and an ISO 27001 ISMS so that processes, responsibilities and technical measures for data protection and information security are jointly managed, efficiently verified and consistently presented in the audit.
Certified trust
The GDPR already requires lawful and transparent processing of personal data. With ISO 27701 certification, you make this practice visible to business partners and supervisory authorities - as an independent seal of trust.
Awareness & Training
Supplement your existing data protection training courses with targeted content on the rights of data subjects and the handling of personal data. In this way, you create a uniform understanding within the company and at the same time fulfill the awareness obligations in accordance with ISO 27701.
Technical & organizational measures (TOMs)
Many measures from your ISO 27001 ISMS already contribute to the confidential processing of personal data. Targeted adjustments, for example to deletion concepts or access restrictions, are often sufficient to meet the specific requirements of ISO 27701.
Clear roles & verification management
ISO 27701 requires clear responsibilities in data protection and structured evidence of implementation. Integration into your existing management systems allows you to bundle specifications and controls. This means you can provide auditors and supervisory authorities with information at any time.
Conclusion:
ISO 27701 will develop into a successful model if it is seamlessly integrated into existing processes and does not run alongside them as an isolated parallel universe. If you manage to clarify roles, involve specialist departments and break down the requirements into specific measures, you lay the foundation for a data protection management system that doesn't just exist on paper - but creates real added value for the business.
FAQs –
other important questions about ISO 27701 certification
No. ISO 27701 certification is voluntary, but compliance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is not. However, the ISO 27701 standard helps to implement the legal requirements of the GDPR effectively and quickly.
The GDPR is binding EU law and its requirements must be complied with. ISO/IEC 27701 is a standard and voluntary standard for a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). A PIMS establishes specific processes, roles, controls and evidence for data protection and supports systematic implementation. However, it does not replace a legal assessment and is not a "GDPR certification". In practice, the requirements of the GDPR can be met very well with such a system.
Depending on the specific situation and the requirements, e.g. if ISO 27001 certification is already in place, between 3 and 9 months.
No, certification to ISO 27701 can only be achieved in conjunction with ISO 27001 certification. The reason: The ISO 27701 framework is a so-called "extension standard" that is based entirely on the structure, methodology and processes of ISO 27001. In the ISO context, data protection does not work without information security. And even the GDPR requires technical & organizational measures, secure processes, comprehensible risk assessment and systematic management and control to protect personal data. This infrastructure is provided by ISO 27001.
Anyone who works with sensitive data - e.g. in the healthcare sector, in the cloud business or as a service provider in regulated markets.
Data protection finally under control
thanks to ISO 27701
Would you like to implement data protection in your company in a verifiable, controllable and sustainable way - without getting bogged down in bureaucracy?
Then ISO 27701 certification is the right solution for you.
But where to start?
We will help you get started and look at your initial situation in an initial free appointment lasting just under 30 minutes. Plus: We will provide you with an assessment of the steps you need to take to make your company audit-ready.
Sounds promising? Then arrange your free appointment here:
