Technical Controls Checklist

This comprehensive checklist helps verify implementation of all technical controls required for ISO 27018 compliance.

ENCRYPTION CONTROLS

Data at Rest Encryption

All PII encrypted with AES-256 or stronger
Database-level encryption enabled (TDE)
File system encryption configured
Application-level encryption for sensitive fields
Cloud storage encryption enabled (S3, Azure Blob, GCS)
Backup encryption implemented
Key management system (HSM/KMS) in use
Automated key rotation (annual minimum)
Key access logging enabled
Encryption verified through testing

Data in Transit Encryption

TLS 1.3 (or minimum 1.2) enforced on all endpoints
Strong cipher suites only (AEAD ciphers)
Valid certificates from trusted CAs
Certificate expiry monitoring
Perfect Forward Secrecy enabled
HSTS headers configured
Internal service-to-service mTLS
Database connections encrypted
API communication secured
VPN for admin access

Key Management

Keys stored in HSM or equivalent
Separation of duties for key management
Key backup and recovery procedures
Key rotation automated
Key access audited
Cryptographic erasure capability
Key lifecycle documented
Emergency key recovery tested

ACCESS CONTROL

Authentication

Multi-factor authentication for PII access
Strong password policies enforced
Password complexity requirements
Account lockout after failed attempts
Session timeout configured (30 min max for PII)
Re-authentication for sensitive operations
SSO integration (if applicable)
API key/token management

Authorization

Role-based access control implemented
Least privilege principle enforced
Need-to-know access only
Field-level access control
Database row-level security
API scope-based authorization
Separation of duties implemented
Emergency "break glass" procedures

Access Monitoring

All PII access logged
Real-time anomaly detection
Failed access attempt monitoring
Privileged access monitoring
Access log retention (1 year minimum)
Regular access reviews (quarterly)
Automated alerting for suspicious access
Access audit reports generated

DATA DELETION

Deletion Capabilities

Soft delete with grace period
Hard delete (permanent removal)
Cryptographic erasure option
Deletion covers all storage locations
Replica deletion automated
Backup purge procedures
Cache clearing implemented
Search index deletion

Deletion Verification

Deletion verification process
Automated verification checks
Deletion certificates generated
Sub-processor deletion tracked
Deletion audit trail complete
Customer notification of deletion
Backup verification
Recovery impossibility confirmed

Retention Enforcement

Retention policies defined
Automated deletion based on retention
Legal hold capability
Deletion scheduling system
Retention exceptions documented
Regular purge jobs running
Retention compliance monitoring

SUB-PROCESSOR CONTROLS

Sub-processor Management

Public sub-processor registry
Customer notification system (30 days)
Objection handling process
DPAs with all sub-processors
Sub-processor security verification
Certification tracking
Annual audit schedule
Continuous monitoring

Data Flow Control

Sub-processor data access tracked
Data flow documentation current
Sub-processor deletion requests automated
Deletion verification from sub-processors
Sub-processor incident notification
Data location tracking
Transfer documentation

NETWORK SECURITY

Perimeter Security

Firewall configured and maintained
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Intrusion prevention system (IPS)
DDoS protection enabled
Network segmentation implemented
DMZ for public-facing services
VPN for remote access
Network access control (NAC)

Internal Security

VLAN segmentation for PII systems
Internal firewall rules
Micro-segmentation (if applicable)
Zero-trust architecture
Network monitoring and logging
Traffic analysis for anomalies
Bandwidth monitoring

APPLICATION SECURITY

Secure Development

Security requirements in SDLC
Code review for PII handling
Static application security testing (SAST)
Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Dependency vulnerability scanning
Security testing before deployment
Secure coding guidelines followed
PII handling documented in code

Runtime Protection

Web application firewall (WAF)
API gateway with security policies
Rate limiting implemented
Input validation on all inputs
Output encoding
SQL injection prevention
XSS prevention
CSRF protection

Security Headers

Content-Security-Policy
X-Frame-Options
X-Content-Type-Options
Strict-Transport-Security
X-XSS-Protection
Referrer-Policy

LOGGING AND MONITORING

Comprehensive Logging

All PII access logged
Authentication events logged
Authorization failures logged
System events logged
Security events logged
Log integrity protected (immutable)
Log retention (1 year minimum)
Centralized log management

Monitoring and Alerting

Real-time security monitoring
24/7 monitoring coverage
Automated alerting configured
SIEM solution deployed
Threat intelligence integration
Incident response procedures
Security dashboard
Regular log review

Audit Trail

Complete audit trail for PII
Tamper-evident logging
Audit log backup
Audit log analysis
Compliance reporting from logs
Forensic investigation capability
Log export capability

BACKUP AND RECOVERY

Backup Controls

Regular automated backups
Backup encryption enabled
Offsite backup storage
Backup retention policy
Backup integrity verification
Backup access control
Backup deletion procedures
Backup audit logging

Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery plan documented
RPO defined and achievable
RTO defined and achievable
DR testing (annual minimum)
Failover procedures documented
Alternative processing site
Data replication configured
Communication plan

VULNERABILITY MANAGEMENT

Scanning and Assessment

Automated vulnerability scanning
Regular penetration testing (annual)
Patch management process
Critical patch SLA (<30 days)
Vulnerability tracking system
Risk-based prioritization
Remediation verification
Third-party security assessments

Configuration Management

Security baselines defined
Configuration management database
Hardening standards applied
Unnecessary services disabled
Default passwords changed
Security configuration audits
Change control process
Configuration drift detection

INCIDENT RESPONSE

Incident Handling

Incident response plan documented
Incident response team defined
24/7 incident response capability
Incident classification procedure
Escalation procedures
Communication templates
Forensic investigation capability
Post-incident review process

Breach Notification

Breach assessment procedures
Customer notification process (24 hours)
Regulatory notification procedures
Breach notification templates
Breach tracking system
Breach impact assessment
Remediation planning
Public disclosure procedures (if required)

IMPLEMENTATION SCORING

Calculate your completion:

Total Controls: 200+
Implemented: _____
Percentage: _____

Scoring:
95-100%: Excellent - Audit ready
85-94%: Good - Minor gaps
75-84%: Fair - Significant work needed
<75%: Poor - Major implementation required

By Category:

Encryption: ___ / 30
Access Control: ___ / 25
Data Deletion: ___ / 20
Sub-processors: ___ / 15
Network Security: ___ / 20
Application Security: ___ / 20
Logging & Monitoring: ___ / 20
Backup & Recovery: ___ / 15
Vulnerability Management: ___ / 15
Incident Response: ___ / 15

REMEDIATION PRIORITIES

Critical (Address Immediately):

Unencrypted PII
No access controls on PII
No audit logging
No incident response plan
Unpatched critical vulnerabilities

High (Address Within 30 Days):

Weak encryption
Inadequate access controls
Missing backup encryption
No deletion capability
Limited monitoring

Medium (Address Within 90 Days):

Incomplete logging
Manual processes
Documentation gaps
Testing backlog
Training needs

Congratulations!

You've completed Module 3: Technical Implementation. You now have the technical knowledge and tools to implement ISO 27018 cloud privacy controls.

Next Module: Compliance & Certification - Learn documentation requirements, audit preparation, and how to achieve ISO 27018 certification.