ISO Certifications for Software as a Service (SaaS), Requirements and Benefits
Introduction
The SaaS industry is expanding faster than any other IT segment, powering everything from CRM systems and accounting tools to AI-driven platforms. According to Gartner’s recent Cloud Study, SaaS revenue is expected to exceed USD 290 billion by this year, driven by rising enterprise adoption and data compliance needs.
In SaaS, trust is the real product—ISO certification is how you prove you’ve built it. — Pacific Certifications
For providers, ISO certifications establish trust by proving that their software, infrastructure, and data management meet international standards for security, reliability, and quality—helping them scale globally while ensuring customer confidence.
For ISO certification support, contact [email protected]!
Quick Summary
ISO certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO 9001, and ISO 22301 are essential for SaaS companies to ensure data protection, service reliability, and customer trust. They strengthen information security, reduce downtime, and enhance compliance, making certified SaaS providers more competitive in global markets.
Applicable ISO Standards for SaaS Companies
Below are the applicable ISO standards for SaaS companies:
Standard | Description | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
ISO/IEC 27001 – Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) | Defines the framework for managing and protecting information assets. | Ensures secure storage, processing, and transmission of client and application data. |
ISO/IEC 27017 – Cloud Security Controls | Provides guidelines for cloud service providers and users. | Enhances SaaS infrastructure security across hosting, access control, and shared responsibilities. |
ISO/IEC 27018 – Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) | Focuses on privacy protection for cloud environments. | Helps SaaS providers meet GDPR, CCPA, and other global privacy laws. |
ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems (QMS) | Establishes consistent quality and customer satisfaction processes. | Improves software delivery quality, service uptime, and user experience. |
ISO/IEC 20000-1 – IT Service Management Systems (ITSM) | Defines best practices for delivering managed IT and SaaS services. | Ensures reliable service delivery, incident handling, and support management. |
ISO 22301 – Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS) | Focuses on resilience and recovery during outages or cyberattacks. | Ensures SaaS platform availability and data recovery after disruptions. |
ISO 31000 – Risk Management Guidelines | Provides a framework for risk identification and control. | Helps SaaS companies assess risks across cloud, compliance, and operations. |
ISO/IEC 27701 – Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS) | Extends ISO 27001 for privacy and data protection management. | Demonstrates accountability in handling customer data and privacy risks. |
ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management
This is crucial for SaaS companies as it outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS).
ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems
ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is based on several quality management principles, including a strong customer focus, the involvement of high-level company management, a process approach, and continual improvement.
ISO/IEC 20000-1: Service Management
This standard specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a service management system (SMS). SaaS companies, which inherently are service providers, will find this standard essential in demonstrating their capability to consistently meet customer service requirements.
ISO/IEC 27017: Cloud Services Security
This provides guidelines on information security controls for cloud services. For SaaS businesses operating in the cloud, this certification can further strengthen their security framework.
ISO/IEC 27018: Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Public Clouds
As SaaS companies often handle significant amounts of PII, compliance with ISO/IEC 27018 shows their dedication to protecting personal data in line with privacy regulations (such as GDPR).
Click here to find out more applicable standards to your industry
What are the requirements of ISO Certifications for SaaS companies?
Below are the generic requirements of applicable ISO standards:
- Risk Assessment & Controls: Identify vulnerabilities in applications, APIs, and infrastructure; apply mitigation measures.
- Information Security Policy: Define policies covering data confidentiality, availability, and integrity.
- Access Management: Restrict access to systems and data based on roles and responsibilities.
- Incident Response Plan: Document and test response plans for data breaches and service outages.
- Data Backup & Recovery: Implement regular backups and disaster recovery testing.
- Change Management: Establish version control and approval workflows for updates and deployments.
- Service Level Management: Monitor uptime, latency, and customer satisfaction metrics.
- Vendor & Third-Party Control: Evaluate and manage risks from cloud providers or integrations.
- Training & Awareness: Conduct security and quality training for development and operations teams.
- Internal Audits & Management Review: Regularly assess compliance and system performance to ensure continual improvement.
Tip: Start with ISO/IEC 27001 and 27018 before expanding to 22301 or 9001—these create the strongest foundation for SaaS security and trust.
What are the benefits of ISO Certifications for SaaS companies?
- Data Security & Compliance – Meets global data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
- Trust & Credibility – Demonstrates transparency, reliability, and commitment to security.
- Efficiency – Streamlines internal workflows through defined ISO processes.
- Reduced Downtime & Service Risk – ISO 22301 ensures fast recovery and minimal disruption.
- Market Access – Certifications are often required by enterprise clients and government tenders.
- Software Quality – ISO 9001 ensures consistent development, testing, and deployment standards.
- Stronger Cloud Governance – ISO/IEC 27017 clarifies responsibilities between SaaS providers and cloud infrastructure hosts.
Lower Risks – Certified processes minimize data breaches and compliance penalties.
- Continuous Improvement – ISO systems promote audit-driven innovation and performance monitoring.
- Investor & Partner Confidence – Boosts credibility with investors, resellers, and technology partners.
The global SaaS market is projected to surpass USD 500 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.2%, according to Allied Market Research. With growing concerns around data privacy and cyber resilience, ISO/IEC 27001 and 27701 are becoming prerequisites for enterprise SaaS vendors.
SaaS companies adopting integrated ISO systems (27001 + 9001 + 22301) report up to 40% fewer service disruptions and higher client retention rates.
Additionally, cloud clients increasingly prefer ISO-certified providers as part of vendor security assessments and procurement criteria.
How Pacific Certifications Can Help
Pacific Certifications, accredited by ABIS, provides independent auditing and certification services for SaaS and technology companies. We ensure impartial, accredited certification recognized globally.
Pacific Certifications can help by:
Conducting audits for ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018, 27701, 9001, and 22301.
Issuing accredited certificates accepted in global SaaS and IT markets.
Supporting integrated management system certification for multi-site or multi-cloud operations.
If you need support with ISO certification for your SaaS business, contact us at [email protected] or +91-8595603096.
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Contact Pacific Certifications to begin your certification journey today!
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