Code of practice for protecting personally identifiable information in public clouds acting as PII processors. Essential for cloud service providers and organizations using cloud services.
A code of practice that extends ISO/IEC 27002 with privacy controls specifically for public cloud service providers acting as PII processors. It operationalizes processor obligations under privacy regulations like GDPR.
Addresses purpose limitation, consent handling, data subject rights support, breach notification, geographic transfer safeguards, secure deletion, and multi-tenant segregation requirements.
Organizations can pursue conformity assessment and attestation to demonstrate 27018 compliance. Major cloud providers publish 27018 compliance reports and certificates.
ISO/IEC 27018 works as part of an integrated privacy and security framework, building on established management system standards.
Foundation: Information Security Management System. Strongly recommended prerequisite for implementing 27018 controls.
Base Controls: Security controls catalogue that 27018 extends with privacy-specific guidance for cloud processors.
Cloud PII: Privacy controls for public cloud processors handling personally identifiable information.
Cloud Security: Complementary guidance for cloud security controls. Often implemented together with 27018.
Privacy Management: Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) extension to 27001 for broader privacy governance.
Privacy Framework: Privacy principles that 27018 aligns to for consistent privacy protection approaches.
Implementation timeline depends on existing security maturity and cloud architecture complexity.
Assess current controls against 27018 requirements. Map data flows, processing activities, and sub-processor relationships. Develop implementation roadmap.
Create PII processing policies, data processing agreements, privacy notices, and sub-processor management procedures.
Implement technical and organizational controls for data lifecycle management, tenant segregation, geographic controls, and rights management.
Document control implementation, prepare evidence packages, and coordinate with certification body for conformity assessment.
Comprehensive consulting and implementation support to achieve 27018 conformity and attestation.
ISO/IEC 27018 is specifically for public cloud service providers acting as PII processors, focusing on cloud-specific privacy controls. ISO/IEC 27701 is a broader Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) that extends 27001 for any organization handling personal data. Cloud providers often implement both: 27701 for overall privacy governance and 27018 for processor-specific obligations.
While not legally required, ISO 27001 is strongly recommended as 27018 extends the 27002 security controls framework. Most organizations implement 27018 as part of their existing 27001 ISMS. This integrated approach is more cost-effective and provides better governance than standalone 27018 implementation.
Auditors review deletion procedures, retention policies, and technical implementation through documentation review, staff interviews, and technical testing. For sub-processors, they examine due diligence processes, contracts, monitoring procedures, and cascade requirements. Evidence typically includes automated deletion logs, sub-processor assessments, and contractual flow-downs of 27018 obligations.
ISO/IEC 27017 focuses on cloud security controls for both providers and customers, while 27018 specifically addresses privacy and PII protection for cloud processors. 27017 covers infrastructure security, while 27018 covers data subject rights, consent management, and processor obligations under privacy laws. Many cloud providers implement both standards together.
ISO/IEC 27018 is a code of practice (guidance document), not a certifiable management system standard like 27001. However, organizations can pursue conformity assessment and attestation to demonstrate compliance with 27018 controls. Major cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud publish 27018 compliance reports and attestations that customers can reference.
ISO/IEC 27018 operationalizes many GDPR Article 28 processor obligations through specific controls for purpose limitation, data subject rights support, breach notification, sub-processor management, and international transfers. While 27018 compliance doesn't guarantee GDPR compliance, it provides a structured framework for implementing processor obligations and demonstrating accountability to data controllers.
Expert guidance from gap assessment to attestation. Whether you're a cloud service provider or evaluating cloud privacy controls, our specialists can help you achieve 27018 conformity efficiently.