ISO/IEC 27701:2025 - Privacy Information Management System (PIMS)

ISO/IEC 27001 helps organisations manage information security risks through a structured, auditable management system. We support organisations in designing, implementing, auditing, and maintaining ISO 27001-aligned systems that fit their business and regulatory requirements.

What Is ISO/IEC 27701:2025?

ISO/IEC 27701:2025 specifies requirements and guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It extends ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 to address privacy management, with defined responsibilities for organisations acting as PII Controllers and PII Processors.

The standard provides a structured framework to manage personally identifiable information (PII), embed privacy governance, and demonstrate accountability across the full data lifecycle.

  • Organizations that collect, process, or store personal data face increasing legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations. ISO 27701 helps formalise how privacy risks are identified, controlled, monitored, and evidenced.

    Implementing a PIMS supports:

    • Compliance with global privacy laws such as GDPR, LGPD, and CCPA

    • Clear accountability for PII processing activities

    • Reduced risk of privacy breaches, regulatory penalties, and liability

    • Demonstrable privacy governance for customers, partners, and regulators

  • The updated ISO/IEC 27701:2025 standard allows organizations to implement and certify a PIMS without first certifying ISO/IEC 27001, lowering the barrier to entry for privacy governance.

    The revised standard also expands coverage to special categories of PII, including biometric, health, and IoT data. This enables startups, healthcare providers, fintechs, and technology organizations to demonstrate privacy maturity earlier, even without a fully mature ISMS.

  • PII includes any data that can identify an individual directly or indirectly. Mishandling PII can result in legal liability, regulatory enforcement, reputational damage, and increased operational costs.

    ISO 27701 helps organisations establish clear controls around:

    Who accesses PII

    • How PII is processed, stored, and shared

    • How privacy risks are monitored and mitigated

    • How obligations are enforced across employees and third parties

  • ISO 27701 is commonly used as a structured foundation to support compliance with multiple privacy laws, including:

    • GDPR (European Union)

    • LGPD (Brazil)

    • CCPA / CPRA (United States)

    • PIPEDA (Canada)

    Annex D of ISO 27701 provides a detailed mapping to GDPR requirements, allowing organizations to demonstrate regulatory alignment through auditable controls and documented processes.

Why Choose Seratos for ISO/IEC 27701?

  • 01. Lean, Practical PIMS Implementation

    We keep implementation efficient by leveraging existing policies, procedures, and technical controls wherever possible. Our approach delivers a PIMS that is proportionate, practical to operate, and aligned with audit and regulatory expectations.

  • 02. Privacy Risk Assessment Expertise

    We facilitate structured privacy risk assessments aligned with ISO 27701 and ISO 27001 risk management requirements. These assessments help identify, evaluate, and treat privacy risks related to breaches, non-compliance, and operational failures.

  • 03. Certification-Ready, Independent Support

    Seratos provides independent consulting support for ISO 27701 scoping, implementation, internal audits, and audit readiness. We do not act as a certification body, ensuring objective, defensible preparation for external assessments.

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Our Comprehensive ISO/IEC 27701:2025 Services

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  • We assess your current privacy posture against ISO/IEC 27701:2025 to define scope, identify gaps, and confirm controller and processor responsibilities. This includes identifying applicable privacy laws, PII categories, and existing controls that can be leveraged.

  • We support the design and implementation of a Privacy Information Management System aligned with ISO/IEC 27701:2025 requirements. This includes developing and updating policies, procedures, records of processing, and governance documentation using existing ISMS and operational controls where possible.

  • We facilitate privacy risk assessments to identify, evaluate, and treat risks related to PII processing, regulatory compliance, and contractual obligations. Our assessments follow a structured risk management methodology aligned with ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 requirements.

  • Where applicable, we integrate PIMS controls with existing management systems, including ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, LGPD, and CCPA. This enables consistent, auditable privacy governance across the organization.

  • We conduct internal audits against ISO/IEC 27701:2025 to assess implementation effectiveness and identify areas requiring remediation. Our support prepares your organisation for external certification audits without acting as a certification body.

  • We provide ongoing advisory support to help maintain and improve your PIMS as regulatory requirements evolve. This includes guidance on privacy governance, vendor privacy risk, incident response, and continuous improvement activities.

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Supported Standards & Frameworks

  • World organization for Standardization (ISO) logo with a globe outline behind the letters 'ISO' in blue, and the text 'International Organization for Standardization' around the globe, with the year 27001 underneath.
  • Logo of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) with the text 'International Organization for Standardization' encircling a globe, and the number '42001' below.
  • ISO logo with a globe graphic and the text 'International Organization for Standardization' in a circle around the globe, and the number '9001' below.
  • The logo of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), featuring a globe outline with grid lines, the large letters 'ISO' in blue, the organization name circling the globe, and the number 13485 below.
  • Logo of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) with the text 'ISO 22301' and a globe symbol around the text.
  • Official NIST badge with a blue shield-shaped design, a checkmark inside a circle at the top, and text indicating the National Institute of Standards and Technology and CSF.
  • A badge with the logo of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), featuring a checkmark at the top and the text 'NIST' along with the description and code 'SP 800-171'.
  • Cybersecurity certification badge with a shield and circuit design, text 'Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification' and 'Certification' on a ribbon.
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • ISO/IEC 27701 is a privacy management standard that helps organisations establish a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It applies to organisations that act as PII controllers, processors, or both, and manage personal data subject to privacy regulations such as GDPR, LGPD, or CCPA.

  • Yes. ISO/IEC 27701 is a certifiable standard. Seratos does not issue certifications but provides independent consulting support to help organizations design, implement, audit, and prepare their PIMS for external certification.

  • No. Under ISO/IEC 27701:2025, organizations can implement and certify a PIMS independently of ISO/IEC 27001. This allows organisations to demonstrate privacy maturity without building a full Information Security Management System first.

  • ISO/IEC 27701 provides a structured framework for managing privacy obligations and demonstrating accountability. The standard includes mappings to regulations such as GDPR, helping organizations maintain consistent, auditable privacy controls across multiple regulatory requirements.

  • Seratos supports ISO/IEC 27701 through gap assessments, PIMS implementation, privacy risk assessments, internal audits, and certification readiness. We help organizations scope PII processing, align existing controls, and maintain a practical, auditable privacy management system.

  • Timelines vary depending on organizational size, scope of PII processing, and existing controls. Many organisations can complete implementation and reach certification readiness within a few months when leveraging existing policies, ISMS components, and operational documentation.