Overview
Privacy Management provides requirements and guidance for handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII). It helps organisations manage privacy risks, comply with global data protection laws such as GDPR, and demonstrate accountability for PII processing through a structured framework, applicable to any organisation processing personal data.
It establishes a systematic approach for managing PII, covering its collection, processing, storage and deletion, and is suitable for all types and sizes of organisation, including public, private, government and non-profit.
It also helps you align with regional privacy laws, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), so your privacy programme meets the obligations your regulators and customers expect.
What it delivers
- A systematic approach to managing personal data.
- Support for GDPR and other privacy-law obligations.
- Alignment with India's DPDP Act and other regional privacy laws.
- A demonstrated commitment to privacy that builds trust.
- Reduced audit time and clear roles and responsibilities for data protection.
What Is ISO 27701 and How Does It Relate to GDPR?
ISO/IEC 27701 is the international standard for a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It extends ISO 27001 to cover the management of personal data, giving organisations a structured way to handle privacy alongside information security. It maps closely to privacy regulations, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
GDPR is one of the world's strictest privacy laws, governing how personal data of individuals is collected, processed and protected. Implementing ISO 27701 provides a systematic framework that helps you meet many GDPR obligations and demonstrate accountability, turning privacy compliance from an abstract legal duty into a manageable operational system.
Why Privacy Compliance Matters
Privacy regulation now reaches across borders. If you handle the personal data of individuals in regulated regions, you are expected to protect it and prove you are doing so, regardless of where your business is based. Non-compliance can mean significant penalties and serious reputational damage.
Beyond avoiding fines, strong privacy management builds trust. Customers and partners increasingly want assurance that their data is handled responsibly, and a recognised privacy framework provides exactly that evidence.
What About India's DPDP Act?
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) is India's dedicated data protection law. It governs how digital personal data is collected and processed, and places clear obligations on organisations, known as Data Fiduciaries, that decide why and how personal data is handled.
The Act is built around consent and accountability: clear notice to individuals, processing only for lawful purposes, appropriate security safeguards, breach reporting, and honouring the rights of individuals (Data Principals) to access, correct and erase their data. A privacy programme aligned to ISO 27701 gives you most of the foundation the DPDP Act expects, and we help you map it to the Act's specific requirements.
How Conformite Assist Helps
- Privacy gap assessment against ISO 27701 and GDPR principles.
- DPDP Act readiness, mapping your processing to India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
- Building a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).
- Data mapping and records of processing activities.
- Privacy policies, procedures and data-subject-rights processes.
- Roles and accountability, including data protection responsibilities.
- Readiness support for ISO 27701 certification and ongoing compliance.
Key benefits
- A structured, defensible approach to privacy compliance.
- Support for GDPR and other privacy-law obligations.
- Reduced risk of penalties and data-handling failures.
- Greater customer and partner trust in how you manage data.
- A privacy system that extends naturally from ISO 27001.
Frequently asked questions
What is ISO 27701?
ISO 27701 is the international standard for a Privacy Information Management System. It extends ISO 27001 to cover personal data, giving organisations a structured framework to manage privacy and support compliance with laws such as GDPR.
Does ISO 27701 make us GDPR compliant?
ISO 27701 provides a strong framework that addresses many GDPR requirements and helps demonstrate accountability, but certification and legal compliance are distinct. We help you align the two so your privacy management genuinely supports your legal obligations.
What is a PIMS?
A PIMS, Privacy Information Management System, is the set of policies, processes and controls used to manage personal data responsibly. ISO 27701 defines the requirements a PIMS must meet.
Do we need ISO 27001 before ISO 27701?
ISO 27701 is built as an extension of ISO 27001 and is normally implemented alongside or on top of it, because privacy management relies on the same underlying security foundation.
Who should adopt privacy management?
Any organisation that processes personal data, regardless of size or sector, from private companies to government and non-profit bodies.
Does this cover India's DPDP Act?
Yes. A privacy management system aligned to ISO 27701 provides the consent, notice, security and accountability foundations the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) expects. We help you map your processing to the Act's specific obligations.