Does ISO 27001 Cover GDPR?

Yes, it does. But not entirely. There is an overlap. But the two compliance frameworks aim to solve different problems.

What is the difference between the NIST Framework and ISO 27001?

The NIST CSF is a voluntary framework that gives organizations guidance on how to identify, protect, and recover from cybersecurity threats. ISO 27001 is a more comprehensive standard that outlines specific requirements to ensure that information security systems are effective and compliant.

What are the Four Tiers To Implement NIST?

The 4 ties are Partial, Risk Informed, Repeatable, and Adaptive.

ISO 27001 is an international standard that provides a set of rules, principles, policies, and procedures to protect information assets.

What are the Penalties for non-compliance with GDPR?

The cost of non-compliance is high, with administrative fines as high as $20 million or four per cent of your business’ annual turnover.

NIST, GDPR, ISO 27001 | A Comprehensive Guide

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May 21, 2025
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NIST, GDPR, ISO 27001 – Confused by Compliance? We’ve Got You Covered!

The threat of data breaches and cyberattacks is a constant fear in today’s digital landscape. Businesses need to set up a secure and reliable compliance framework to safeguard confidential information.

The world of cybersecurity and compliance might seem complex, especially with acronyms like NIST and ISO 27001 floating around. These regulations serve as a guiding source to set up cyber defenses and protect your organization from the consequences of evolving cyber threats.

NIST, GDPR, and ISO 27001 are the most sought-after compliance regulations. What is NIST vs ISO vs GDPR? While ISO/IEC 27001 takes a comprehensive approach to information security management, NIST sets the standards for information security, develops new technologies, and provides metrics to drive innovation and industrial competitiveness. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) protects the privacy rights of data subjects(individuals) in the European Union (EU).

What is ISO 27001?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) launched the ISO 27001 cybersecurity framework to build and improve an organization’s ISMS. It defines global best practices for protecting customer data, managing security processes, and setting basic minimum requirements for protection and encryption. These measures apply to the organization’s data assets and customer data.

The impact of this regulation has been profound. When a company releases its ISO 27001 report, for example, it is proclaiming to the world that its information security procedures comply with the most recent international standards. Additionally, this increases trust and opens up new business prospects that would not have been possible before.

An ISO 27001 reflects a business’s maturity towards security and data protection and shows their commitment to invest time, capital, and resources to maintain it on an ongoing basis.

What is GDPR?

Introduced in May 2016, the GDPR came into full force in 2018. GDPR seeks to safeguard individuals’ rights and liberties, as well as the safeguards and guidelines that businesses must follow while handling the personal data of individuals.

The GDPR is only concerned with safeguarding the liberties and rights of data subjects in the EU. When processing personal data, enterprises have to adhere to a set of dos and don’ts outlined in the GDPR principles. Additionally, the data subject is granted rights that allow them to manage the processing of their personal information.

What are the principles of GDPR?

1) Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency

Businesses must obtain data lawfully. They must be transparent with the user on how they intend to process it and how long they intend to use it.

2) Purpose Limitation

Businesses must collect data for a specific stated purpose and later not process it for any other purpose.

3) Data Minimization

When collecting sensitive personal information, businesses should only collect data sets that are required.

4) Accuracy

Businesses are responsible for holding and processing data that is accurate.

5) Storage Limitation

According to the GDPR law, businesses cannot store data for longer durations than initially intended.

6) Integrity and Confidentiality (Security)

Businesses must have the necessary practices in place to ensure that the personal information of data subjects is not accessed by any unauthorized users.

7) Accountability

All Controllers and Processors processing sensitive personal information must demonstrate GDPR compliance when processing personal data of EU citizens and residents.

What is NIST CSF (Cybersecurity Framework)?

NIST CSF is a regulation by the US government agency that releases guidelines for domestic organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity position and minimize risk efficiently. It’s a set of best practices and standards designed to help organizations protect their cybersecurity assets.

The NIST CSF is a voluntary framework, indicating its compliance is not easy.

The NIST CSF has three main components – Core, Tiers, and Profiles. These components are mapped against the five main tenets of the security framework – recover, identify, protect, detect, and respond. It lays out a step-by-step process for managing cybersecurity risks and controls that can be tailored to an organization’s specific needs and circumstances.

What is NIST CSF Used For?

NIST CSF serves as a roadmap for your organization to create a strong cybersecurity strategy. The NIST CSF helps organizations maintain compliance with regulatory requirements while staying ahead of future emerging threats.

It provides a comprehensive set of standards and best practices for cybersecurity.
There are guidelines for protecting your data and systems from threats.
You can identify potential cyber risks and develop an outline for how to manage them.
It is a framework for making sure the security measures implemented by your organization are adequate and effective.

GDPR vs ISO 27001

GDPR & ISO 27001 focus on different things. While GDPR aims to protect the freedom and rights of individuals’ personal information, ISO 27001 is designed to help organizations protect the security and integrity of their data.

GDPR emphasizes lawful data collection, getting the user to explicitly consent to sharing information, and processing user data by following the seven principles of GDPR. The aim of ISO 27001 is to set and help organizations meet global cyber requirements. The focus is more on securing an organization’s information assets.

What is Right For Your Organization?

There is no simple solution when deciding between NIST vs ISO. Both frameworks are well-known and may assist businesses in strengthening their data security and cybersecurity plans.

In the end, the specific requirements of your company and sector should guide your decision. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to Cyber compliance services. What works for one business may not be the greatest option for another.

It can be confusing at times trying to decide which framework is best. That is where Cybershield CSC comes in. Our VCISO services in strengthening security handles every aspect of your compliance framework to ensure you are always at the top of cyber affairs. Connect with our team to learn more.