Standards are formally developed documents that define agreed-upon requirements, controls, or best practices to ensure a consistent and measurable level of security across organizations. Unlike laws and regulations, standards are generally voluntary unless incorporated into contracts or referenced by legislation, but they often serve as benchmarks for certification, audit, and due diligence. For example, ISO/IEC 27001 specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS), while ISO/IEC 27002 provides detailed guidance on selecting and implementing security controls. Standards are typically consensus-based and internationally recognized, offering structured, auditable criteria that help organizations demonstrate maturity, comparability, and trustworthiness in their cybersecurity practices.
The AICPA SOC 2 Trust Services Principles and Criteria, outlined in TSP Section 100 (2017, regularly updated), provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating and reporting on a service organization’s controls… Read More »AICPA SOC2 Trust Services Principles and Criteria – TSP Section 100
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a comprehensive framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS) within any organization. Its primary goal… Read More »ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Information security management systems — Requirements