IT security, cybersecurity and privacy protection are vital for companies and organizations today. The ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards keeps them safe. Show
ISO/IEC 27001 is the world’s best-known standard for information security management systems (ISMS) and their requirements. Additional best practice in data protection and cyber resilience are covered by more than a dozen standards in the ISO/IEC 27000 family. Together, they enable organizations of all sectors and sizes to manage the security of assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee data and information entrusted by third parties. Here’s how ISO/IEC 27001 will benefit your organization:
Certification to ISO/IEC 27001Like other ISO management system standards, certification to ISO/IEC 27001 is possible but not obligatory. Some organizations choose to implement the standard in order to benefit from the best practice it contains while others also want to get certified to reassure customers and clients. Read more about certification to ISO’s management system standards. ISO does not perform certification. Many organizations around the world are certified to ISO/IEC 27001. To find out more, visit the ISO Survey.
The people behind ISO/IEC 27001ISO/IEC 27001 was developed by the ISO/IEC joint technical committee JTC 1. Cyber-attacks are costly, disruptive and a growing threat to business, governments and society alike. Here’s how to protect your assets. New guidance on cybersecurity frameworks just published. The standard for IS governance just updated. What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is a legal term pertaining to information security environments. While PII has several formal definitions, generally speaking, it is information that can be used by organizations on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Non-sensitive PII can be transmitted in unsecure form without causing harm to an individual. Sensitive PII must be transmitted and stored in secure form, for example, using encryption, because it could cause harm to an individual, if disclosed. Organizations use the concept of PII to understand which data they store, process and manage that identifies people and may carry additional responsibility, security requirements, and in some cases legal or compliance requirements. Blog: Top Challenges to Implementing Data Privacy: Nailing Down Discovery and Classification First is Key. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Privacy LawPII and similar terms exist in the legislation of many countries and territories:
What Qualifies as PII?According to the NIST PII Guide, the following items definitely qualify as PII, because they can unequivocally identify a human being: full name (if not common), face, home address, email, ID number, passport number, vehicle plate number, driver’s license, fingerprints or handwriting, credit card number, digital identity, date of birth, birthplace, genetic information, phone number, login name or screen name. What Is Considered PII? Beyond these clear identifiers, there are “quasi identifiers” or “pseudo identifiers” which, together with other information, can be used to identify a person. For example, according to a US governmental study, 87% of the US population can be uniquely identified by a combination of gender, ZIP code and date of birth. Pseudo identifiers may not be considered PII under United States legislation, but are likely to be considered as PII in Europe. Who is Responsible for Safeguarding PII?From a legal perspective, the responsibility for protecting PII is not solely attributed to organizations; responsibility may be shared with the individual owners of the data. Companies may or may not be legally liable for the PII they hold. However, according to a study by Experian, 42% of consumers believe it is a company’s responsibility to protect their personal data, and 64% of consumers said they would be discouraged from using a company’s services following a data breach. In light of the public perception that organizations are responsible for PII, it is a widely accepted best practice to secure PII. A common and effective way to do this is using a Data Privacy Framework. Creating a Data Privacy FrameworkA Data Privacy Framework is a documented conceptual structure that can help businesses protect sensitive data like payments, personal information, and intellectual property. The framework specifies how to define sensitive data, how to analyze risks affecting the data, and how to implement controls to secure it. While there are established data privacy frameworks such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the ISO 27000 family of standards, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are benefits to creating a custom framework for your organization. A custom Data Protection Framework will help you put an emphasis on the most sensitive and valuable data within your organization, and design controls that are suitable for your organizational structure, culture, regulatory requirements, and security budget. Follow the steps below to create a custom Data Privacy Framework. ClassificationDefine, assess and classify PII your organization receives, stores, manages, or transfers. For each type of PII, identify:
AssessmentConduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) to determine, for each type or classification or PII, how it is collected, where it is stored, and how it is disposed of, as well as the potential security risks for each type of PII. Compliance Environment
PII Security ControlsThe Data Privacy Framework should define which security controls the organization needs to have in place to prevent data loss or data leak:
Solution Spotlight: Sensitive and Personal Data Security. What is not a security under the USA?A non-security is an alternative investment that is not traded on a public exchange as stocks and bonds are. Assets such as art, rare coins, life insurance, gold, and diamonds all are non-securities.
Which of the following choices is not considered a security?Which of the following choices is not considered a security? Under the Act, futures contracts are not securities.
Which of the following financial instruments is not considered a security?Nonvariable life insurance contracts, IRAs, collectibles, and mortgages are not among those instruments listed as securities under the act. However, variable contracts, annuities or life insurance, are considered to be securities.
Which of the following life insurance policies is considered a security under the Securities Act of 1933?Which of the following life insurance policies is considered a security under the Securities Act of 1933? Of the choices listed, only variable life insurance policies carry investment risk and are considered securities.
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