ISO 27001 Sets the Foundation—But Why Stop There?
How the ISO 27000 family helps SaaS companies scale security and
privacy beyond the basics
If you’re running a SaaS company, you’ve already heard of ISO 27001. Maybe you’ve even implemented it. It’s a solid start—arguably the gold standard for building an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
But here’s the thing: ISO 27001 is just the beginning.
The ISO/IEC 27000 series is more than a single framework. It’s a family of standards, each designed to help you customize your security and privacy program to fit your specific risk environment. For SaaS companies operating in cloud-native environments, handling personal data, and facing a fast-moving regulatory landscape, flexibility matters.
Let’s look at a few ISO standards that can enhance your ISO 27001 foundation:
ISO/IEC 27017 – Cloud-Specific Security Guidance
Most SaaS companies rely on cloud infrastructure—but shared responsibility between you and your provider can get murky. ISO 27017 helps clear that up by offering guidelines for both cloud service customers and providers. It’s especially useful for defining who’s responsible for what in the cloud (think AWS, Azure, GCP).
Source: ISO/IEC 27017:2015 – Code of practice for information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002 for cloud services.
ISO/IEC 27018 – Protection of Personal Data in the Cloud
If you handle personally identifiable information (PII), this one’s a no-brainer. ISO 27018 builds on ISO 27001 by introducing controls specific to privacy in cloud environments. For SaaS apps processing user data, it’s a key way to show you take data protection seriously—whether you’re B2B or B2C.
Source: ISO/IEC 27018:2019 – Code of practice for protection of PII in public clouds acting as PII processors.
ISO/IEC 27701 – Privacy Information Management
GDPR. CCPA. The alphabet soup of privacy laws is growing, and ISO 27701 can help. It extends ISO 27001 with a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS), giving you a structured way to demonstrate privacy compliance. Even better: It’s evolving into a standalone standard soon.
Source: ISO/IEC 27701:2019 – Extension to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 for privacy information management.
There are also more niche standards—like ISO 27011 for telecom and ISO 27019 for energy—but for most SaaS organizations, the combination of ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, and 27701 hits the sweet spot.
Real Talk: Why This Matters
In an age when customers, partners, and auditors want proof—not promises—layering these standards gives your ISMS credibility and agility. They’re not just about checking a box—they’re about building trust in how you handle security and privacy.
If you’re already ISO 27001-certified, consider which extensions best fit
your business model.
If you’re starting, use them as guideposts for your program’s evolution.
Your Move
Have you implemented any of these in your organization?
Or are you thinking about doing so?
I’d love to hear how others are approaching this.