What this control covers
Controllers and processors must implement risk-based technical and organizational measures, like pseudonymisation and encryption, to ensure data security, confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with regular testing and restricted access per controller instructions. This control addresses Security of Processing.
Why it matters
Risk is the language an executive team understands; this control connects technical reality to board-level decisions and budget allocation.
How to implement
AWS
Codify the policy intent as SCPs, AWS Config conformance packs, and Security Hub standards so the cloud enforces what the document says.
Azure
Codify in Azure Policy initiatives (built-in regulatory compliance for CIS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA) and assign at management-group level.
GCP
Use Cloud KMS with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) for BigQuery, GCS, and Compute. Sensitive Data Protection (DLP API) inspects/de-identifies PII at scale.
Google Workspace
Enable client-side encryption for Drive/Docs and turn on Drive Labels + DLP rules to prevent external sharing of regulated data classes.
GitHub
Apply branch protection on default and release branches: require PR review, status checks, signed commits, linear history, and dismiss stale reviews on new commits. Use CODEOWNERS for required reviewers, Dependabot + CodeQL for SAST, and the Dependency graph / SBOM export for vendor disclosures.
On-premises
Maintain a policy library with a documented review cadence (annual minimum); store in your GRC tool with attestation tracking. Map each policy to controls so an audit pull cites the exact policy clause.
Evidence to collect
policy_document— A signed, version-controlled policy stating leadership intent and the named owner.infra_scan— See the iCompaas Evidence library for the canonical source for this evidence type.
Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Security of processing.
Quick checklist
- Data — Controller / Controllers
- Processor — Controller / Controllers
- Security — Controller / Controllers
- Confidentiality — Controller / Controllers
- Review — Controller / Controllers
Related articles on this site
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- Ensure that encryption at rest is enabled for Amazon Athena query results stored in Amazon S3 in order to secure data and meet compliance requirements for data-at-rest encryption.
- Ensure Amazon EFS Protects Sensitive Data with Encryption at Rest
- Ensure double encryption is used for Azure Data Box in high-security environments