What is BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Guidelines for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors about?
BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 is an international standard that gives you guidelines for protecting personally identifiable information in public cloud environments.
It focuses on cloud service providers acting as PII processors, helping you implement privacy and security controls that protect personal data and support your obligations under data protection law, including the UK GDPR.
It is designed to help you manage privacy risk, demonstrate accountability, and strengthen trust with customers and stakeholders.
Who is BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Guidelines for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors for?
This standard is for organizations that process personal data in cloud environments, particularly those acting as cloud service providers.
It is especially relevant for:
- Cloud service providers acting as PII processors.[DS4.1]
- Data protection officers and privacy managers.
- ISMS managers and BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 implementers.
- Legal and compliance teams managing regulatory obligations.
- Cloud architects and security engineers.
- Procurement and vendor assurance teams reviewing cloud providers.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 is also relevant for organizations across sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, and e-commerce, where personal data is processed in the cloud.
What does BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Guidelines for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors cover?
This standard gives you a structured framework for managing privacy and protecting PII in cloud environments.
BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 covers:
- Organizational, technical, and procedural measures for protecting PII.
- Controls for securing data, including encryption, masking, deletion and pseudonymisation.
- Guidance for transparency and accountability in PII processing.
- Management of cross-border data flows and distributed cloud environments.
- Guidance that supports privacy obligations under regimes such as the UK GDPR.
It also supports privacy-by-design approaches in cloud services and helps you evidence responsible, accountable data handling.
Why should you use BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Guidelines for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors?
If you process personal data in the cloud, you need clear, defensible controls for privacy.
This standard helps you:
- Protect PII in complex cloud environments.
- Strengthen transparency and accountability in data processing.
- Reduce the risk of data breaches and misuse.
- Build trust with customers, regulators and business partners.
It is also increasingly relevant for organizations using AI, where large volumes of personal data are processed in cloud environments.
What are the changes to the standard?
BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2026 is a revised edition that replaces BS EN ISO/IEC 27018:2019.
Key changes include:
- Alignment with BS EN ISO/IEC 27002:2022 and updated control structures.
- New and expanded controls addressing:
- remote working;
- data masking and encryption;
- data deletion and pseudonymisation; and
- accountability mechanisms.
- Enhanced guidance for cross-border data flows and distributed cloud environments;
- Improved structure and clarity to support easier implementation.
These changes reflect modern privacy risks, evolving regulation, and the increasing complexity of cloud-based data processing.