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Technology & SaaS

Empower your technology and SaaS organization to enhance cybersecurity, protect customer data, and drive operational excellence with Glocert International's specialized ISO certifications, security assessments, and compliance solutions.

Why Technology & SaaS is Different

Technology and SaaS organizations handle sensitive customer data, operate in highly competitive markets, and are subject to evolving cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection regulations. The combination of regulatory pressure, data sensitivity, operational risk, and supply-chain exposure creates unique compliance challenges that require specialized expertise and industry-specific solutions.

Regulatory Obligations

Technology and SaaS organizations must navigate multiple regulatory frameworks including GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), PIPEDA (Canada), and local data protection laws. Understanding which regulations apply and how they intersect is critical for maintaining compliance, avoiding penalties, and protecting customer data across different jurisdictions.

Common Compliance Mistakes

Many technology and SaaS organizations make critical mistakes including treating ISO 27001 as an IT project instead of a governance system, implementing security controls without aligning with business processes, ignoring third-party and cloud risk, and failing to maintain evidence between audits. Understanding these common pitfalls helps organizations avoid costly compliance failures.

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Technology & SaaS Verticals We Serve

From cloud infrastructure and SaaS platforms to managed services and DevOps providers, technology organizations must demonstrate robust security, privacy, and operational controls to win enterprise trust.

Cloud Computing & Data Centers

Cloud computing providers and data center operators require ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2, and ISO 22301 to demonstrate cloud security, privacy, availability, and business continuity capabilities.

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SaaS Platforms

SaaS platform providers require ISO 27001, SOC 2, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, and ISO 42001 (for AI-powered services) to demonstrate security, privacy, and operational controls required by enterprise customers.

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IT Consulting & Risk Advisory

Technology consulting firms and risk advisory services require ISO 27001, ISO 31000, ISO 20000-1, ISO 27701, and SOC 2 to demonstrate expertise, security practices, and client data protection capabilities.

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Managed IT Services

Managed service providers (MSPs) handling customer IT infrastructure, networks, and systems require ISO 27001, SOC 2, and ISO 20000-1 to demonstrate security and service management capabilities.

Network & Security Services

Network service providers and security service providers require ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1, and industry-specific certifications to demonstrate security and operational capabilities.

DevOps & Automation

Organizations providing DevOps services, CI/CD pipelines, and automation require ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1, and secure development practices to demonstrate security and reliability.

Regulatory Obligations

Understanding which regulations apply to your technology or SaaS organization and how they intersect is critical for maintaining compliance and protecting customer data.

Mandatory Requirements

GDPR (EU): Required for organizations processing personal data of EU residents. Applies to technology and SaaS companies operating in or serving EU customers. Non-compliance can result in fines up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover.

CCPA (California): Required for businesses that collect personal information of California residents and meet certain thresholds. Applies to many SaaS and technology companies serving US customers.

PIPEDA (Canada): Required for organizations processing personal information in the course of commercial activities in Canada.

Commonly Required Frameworks

SOC 2: Commonly required by enterprise customers for SaaS providers. Demonstrates security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls.

ISO/IEC 27001: Widely recognized information security management system standard, often required for enterprise contracts and regulatory compliance.

ISO/IEC 27701: Privacy information management system extension to ISO 27001, helping organizations demonstrate GDPR and other privacy law compliance.

Emerging Regulatory Focus

AI Governance: Increasing focus on AI systems, including EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, and transparency requirements for AI-powered services.

Cloud Security: Enhanced scrutiny of cloud service providers and multi-tenant architectures, particularly ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 for cloud-specific controls.

Supply Chain Security: Growing emphasis on third-party risk management, vendor security assessments, and software supply chain security.

Commonly Adopted Certifications

These certifications help technology and SaaS organizations demonstrate compliance, protect customer data, and meet regulatory requirements.

ISO/IEC 27001

For information security governance. Provides a systematic approach to managing information security risks and protecting customer data across technology operations.

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ISO/IEC 27017

For cloud security. Provides cloud-specific security controls and guidance for cloud service providers and customers using cloud services.

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ISO/IEC 27018

For cloud privacy. Provides controls for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) in public cloud computing environments.

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SOC 2

For SaaS providers. Demonstrates security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls for technology services handling customer data.

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ISO/IEC 27701

For data privacy. Extends ISO 27001 to provide a privacy information management system aligned with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations.

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ISO/IEC 42001

For AI governance. Provides a management system for artificial intelligence, addressing AI risk, transparency, and ethical use requirements.

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ISO 20000-1

For IT service management. Ensures effective IT service delivery and management processes aligned with business requirements.

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ISO 22301

For business continuity. Ensures technology organizations can maintain critical operations and services during disruptions.

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Common Compliance Mistakes

Understanding these common pitfalls helps technology and SaaS organizations avoid costly compliance failures and build more effective security and privacy programs.

Treating ISO 27001 as an IT Project

Many organizations implement ISO 27001 as a technical IT initiative rather than a governance system. Information security requires executive leadership, organizational culture change, and integration with business processes, not just technical controls.

Security Controls Without Business Alignment

Implementing security controls without aligning with business processes and customer requirements leads to friction, workarounds, and compliance failures. Security must integrate seamlessly with product development and operations.

Ignoring Third-Party and Cloud Risk

Technology organizations often focus on internal controls while overlooking third-party vendors, cloud service providers, and software supply chain risks. These represent significant risk vectors that must be assessed and managed.

Failing to Maintain Evidence Between Audits

Many organizations prepare evidence only during audit periods, leading to gaps, inconsistencies, and compliance failures. Continuous evidence maintenance and monitoring are essential for effective compliance.

Insufficient Vendor and Subprocessor Management

Under GDPR and other privacy regulations, organizations must ensure vendors and subprocessors protect customer data, but many fail to properly assess, contract with, and monitor vendors, creating significant compliance and breach risks.

Inadequate Incident Response Planning

Technology organizations often have incident response plans that are not tested, not integrated with operations, or fail to address customer notification and regulatory reporting requirements effectively.

How Glocert Supports Technology & SaaS Organizations

Glocert supports technology and SaaS organizations through independent certification, assurance, and audit services aligned to international standards and technology-specific regulations.

Our technology and SaaS compliance services include ISO 27001 certification for information security governance, ISO 27017 certification for cloud security, ISO 27018 certification for cloud privacy, SOC 2 audits for service organization controls, ISO 27701 certification for privacy management, ISO 42001 certification for AI governance, and penetration testing to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.

We understand the unique challenges of technology and SaaS organizations including regulatory complexity, customer data sensitivity, multi-tenant architecture, cloud security, and third-party risk management. Our auditors bring deep technology industry expertise and work with you to build compliance programs that integrate with product development, protect customer data, and meet regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do SaaS providers need both SOC 2 and ISO 27001?
Many SaaS providers benefit from both certifications. SOC 2 is commonly required by enterprise customers and demonstrates security, availability, and privacy controls. ISO 27001 provides a comprehensive information security management system framework that can help demonstrate SOC 2 compliance more effectively. Many organizations use ISO 27001 as the foundation for their security program and pursue SOC 2 to meet customer requirements. The choice depends on customer requirements, market expectations, and compliance strategy.
How does cloud hosting affect technology compliance?
Cloud hosting introduces additional compliance considerations. Technology organizations must ensure cloud providers meet security and privacy requirements, implement appropriate access controls, and ensure data encryption. ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 provide cloud-specific security and privacy controls. Under GDPR and other privacy regulations, organizations remain responsible for customer data even when stored in the cloud, so proper vendor assessment and contract management are critical. Many organizations require cloud providers to achieve SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification.
Are managed service providers subject to the same requirements?
Managed service providers (MSPs) face similar but sometimes more stringent requirements. MSPs handling customer data need ISO 27001 for information security, SOC 2 for service organization controls, and ISO 20000-1 for IT service management. Cloud MSPs may also need ISO 27017 and ISO 27018. Customers often require MSPs to achieve certifications before engaging their services, making compliance a competitive necessity. MSPs must also ensure their own vendors and subprocessors meet appropriate security requirements.
What happens if a technology organization operates in multiple jurisdictions?
Technology organizations operating across jurisdictions must comply with all applicable regulations. A US SaaS company with EU customers must comply with both CCPA and GDPR. Organizations may need to address data residency requirements, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and jurisdiction-specific privacy laws. ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 provide frameworks that can help harmonize compliance across jurisdictions, but organizations must still meet jurisdiction-specific requirements. Many organizations use ISO 27701 to demonstrate GDPR compliance while also addressing other privacy regulations.
How do vendor and subprocessor agreements affect compliance?
Under GDPR and other privacy regulations, organizations must have Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with vendors and subprocessors that handle customer data. However, DPAs alone are insufficient - organizations must assess vendor security capabilities, monitor compliance, and ensure appropriate controls. Many technology organizations require vendors to achieve SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification to demonstrate security capabilities. Failure to properly manage vendors and subprocessors is a common GDPR compliance mistake and can result in significant penalties.
Can organizations use ISO 27001 instead of separate SOC 2 and ISO 27017 certifications?
ISO 27001 provides a comprehensive information security management system, but SOC 2 and ISO 27017 serve different purposes. SOC 2 is often required by enterprise customers and demonstrates service organization controls. ISO 27017 provides cloud-specific security controls that complement ISO 27001. Many organizations pursue ISO 27001 as the foundation for their security program, add ISO 27017 for cloud-specific controls, and pursue SOC 2 to meet customer requirements. The choice depends on customer requirements, market expectations, and compliance strategy.
What are the implications of AI-powered services for compliance?
AI-powered services introduce additional compliance considerations including transparency, bias, data protection, and ethical use. Technology organizations must ensure AI systems comply with GDPR, CCPA, and emerging AI regulations like the EU AI Act. ISO/IEC 42001 provides a management system for artificial intelligence, addressing AI risk, transparency, and ethical use requirements. Organizations must also consider data protection implications of AI training data, model security, and AI decision-making processes. Many organizations pursue ISO 42001 to demonstrate AI governance capabilities.
How should technology organizations approach third-party risk management?
Third-party risk management is critical in technology given reliance on vendors for cloud services, software components, APIs, and business processes. Organizations should assess vendor security capabilities, require appropriate certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001), ensure DPAs are in place for GDPR, monitor vendor compliance, and have incident response plans that include vendors. Many technology breaches originate from third-party vendors, making vendor risk management a priority. ISO 27001 includes vendor management requirements, and organizations should also consider software supply chain security.

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