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ISO 27018 Certification Consulting & Cloud Privacy Audit Services

We specialize in protecting personal data in the cloud, combining ISO 27018 certification with practical safeguards to demonstrate trust to customers and regulators.

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ISO 27018 Certification Consulting & Cloud Privacy Audit Services Image

Protect personal data in the cloud and prove compliance with ISO 27018.

ISO/IEC 27018 is the international ISO 27018 standard for protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the cloud. It builds on ISO 27001 by introducing cloud-specific controls that ensure data privacy, security, and compliance with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. For SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS providers, achieving ISO 27018 certification demonstrates a strong commitment to data protection, customer trust, and regulatory alignment, positioning your organization as a responsible and secure cloud service provider.

ISO 27018 Certification Benefits

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Enhanced Data Privacy Protection

Strengthens controls for handling personal data in the cloud.

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Regulatory Compliance

Aligns with global privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and more.

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Integration with ISO 27001

Leverages existing security measures to streamline compliance.

Integration with ISO 27001 Image

Integration with ISO 27001

Leverage existing security measures to streamline compliance.

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Enhanced Client Trust

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding client PII and meeting industry standards.

Build Client Trust Image

Enhanced Client Trust

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding client PII and meeting industry standards.

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Competitive Advantage

Sets your business apart by showcasing robust security measures.

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Streamlined Sales Processes

Meets client requirements for vendor compliance, avoiding delays in deal closures.

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Reduced Risk

Mitigates potential data breaches by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities.

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Scalable Framework

Establishes a foundation for future security improvements and compliance efforts.

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Operational Efficiency

Improves security processes and optimize risk management workflows.

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Operational Efficiency

Improve security processes and optimize risk management workflows.

What Sets Our ISO 27018 Consulting Apart

White-Glove Services
We provide personalized support throughout the entire journey, ensuring no detail is overlooked.
Our team includes experienced compliance professionals who simplify the process while maintaining depth.
We break compliance into clear, actionable steps, minimizing the stress and complexity for your team.
We understand your unique challenges and customize our approach to your business size and needs.
Beyond certification, we offer guidance to maintain and improve your compliance posture.
Trusted by leading companies across various geolocations, sizes and industries for delivering quality advisory and auditing services.
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Simplify the Complex.
Deliver with Care.

01.

Gap Assessment

We analyze your current processes and identify areas that need improvement to meet the requirements.

02.

PII Mapping & Data Governance

Define data flows, access controls, and third-party data handling practices.

03.

Remediation Planning

Our team provides a detailed plan to address gaps, including technical and operational controls.

04.

Implementation Support

We work with your team to implement necessary controls and ensure readiness for the audit.

05.

Testing Phase

Our experts conduct the required testing, such as penetration testing (PT) and vulnerability scans, to validate the effectiveness of your controls and identify any remaining risks.

06.

Internal Audit

Before the final audit, we conduct an Internal Audit to make sure there are no surprises.

07.

Certification Body Audit

We are there with you every step of the way during the audit, making sure its a smooth and successful audit.

08.

Ongoing Compliance

Maintaining ISO 27018 compliance is an ongoing effort. With our Compliance as a Service (CaaS) offering, you can outsource the management of your ISO 27018 maintenance efforts to us. From regular vulnerability scans and penetration testing to quarterly reviews and annual recertification preparation, we handle it all—allowing you to focus on your core business operations.

FAQ

How does ISO 27018 compare to ISO 27001 and ISO 27701?

ISO 27001 is a general information security management standard applicable to any organization. ISO 27018 focuses specifically on protecting personally identifiable information in public cloud environments. ISO 27701 is a privacy management standard that extends ISO 27001 and covers privacy controls across all systems and data types. If you process PII in the cloud, ISO 27018 is the relevant standard. If you need a comprehensive privacy program covering all data types and all systems, pursue ISO 27701 or ISO 27001 extended by ISO 27701.

ISO 27018 controls align closely with GDPR and CCPA requirements. The standard requires data minimization, access controls, encryption, incident notification procedures, and data subject rights processes that directly address regulatory obligations. However, ISO 27018 is not a substitute for GDPR or CCPA compliance. The standard provides a framework for protecting PII in the cloud, but regulations impose additional requirements around consent, data processing agreements, and cross-border transfers. Organizations subject to GDPR or CCPA typically pursue ISO 27018 certification as part of a broader privacy compliance program.

ISO 27018 consulting covers your full journey to certification. We start with a data mapping exercise to identify where you process PII in the cloud and which hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) you use. We then conduct a gap assessment comparing your current controls against the 37 ISO 27018-specific controls. We build a remediation plan prioritized by risk and effort. We provide implementation support as you build controls and strengthen your cloud data protection practices. We conduct an internal audit to verify controls operate as designed before the certification body audit begins. The entire engagement is tailored to whether you’re a SaaS provider protecting customer data, a PaaS consumer, or an IaaS user managing your own infrastructure.

The certification audit occurs in two stages. Stage 1 reviews your documentation to confirm that your cloud PII protection policies and procedures are in place and aligned with ISO 27018 requirements. The auditor examines your data processing agreements with cloud providers, your incident response procedures, and your access control policies. Stage 2 is the main operational audit. The auditor tests whether controls actually work. They examine your cloud audit logs (CloudTrail for AWS, Activity Logs for Azure, Cloud Audit Logs for GCP), verify that PII is encrypted in transit and at rest, test access controls, and assess whether you can actually fulfill data subject rights requests. Non-conformities are categorized as major (control is missing or broken) or minor (control exists but has gaps). Major non-conformities must be resolved before certification.

Most organizations complete certification in three to six months. The timeline depends on how much PII you process in the cloud, how many hyperscalers you use, and how quickly your team can implement remediation. Organizations that already hold ISO 27001 certification and have strong privacy practices typically move faster because foundational controls are already in place. Organizations building cloud PII protection from scratch need more time. The actual audit (internal audit plus certification body audit) typically takes eight to twelve weeks once remediation is complete. SaaS companies may move faster if they’ve already documented their data processing architecture. PaaS and IaaS users may take longer if they need to configure hyperscaler controls they haven’t previously used.

No. ISO 27018 is a standalone standard and does not require ISO 27001 certification as a prerequisite. However, ISO 27018 incorporates foundational controls from ISO 27001, so organizations without ISO 27001 will still need to implement those controls. Most organizations find it more efficient to pursue ISO 27001 and ISO 27018 together rather than separately. The audit can be conducted simultaneously, saving time and resources. If you only process PII in the cloud and have limited security maturity, you can pursue ISO 27018 alone. If you need a comprehensive security and privacy program, pursuing ISO 27001 extended by ISO 27018 is the more practical path.

ISO 27018 does not directly address HIPAA compliance. HIPAA is a US healthcare regulation that covers protected health information (PHI), while ISO 27018 is a cloud PII protection standard. However, ISO 27018 controls do overlap with some HIPAA security requirements like encryption, access controls, and incident notification. Organizations processing PHI in the cloud should pursue HIPAA compliance separately. If you also process non-PHI personal data (customer contact information, payment data) in the cloud, ISO 27018 certification addresses the non-PHI requirements. Many healthcare organizations pursue both HIPAA compliance and ISO 27018 certification to demonstrate comprehensive data protection across all data types.

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