ISO/IEC FDIS 27555

Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection – Guidelines on personally identifiable information deletion

Sécurité de l’information, cybersécurité et protection de la vie privée – Lignes directrices relatives à la suppression des informations personnellement identifiables

General Information

• Status: Published
• ICS: 35.030 - IT Security
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27/WG 5 - Identity management and privacy technologies
• Current Stage: 5020 - FDIS ballot initiated: 2 months. Proof sent to secretariat
• Start Date: 07-Jul-2021
• Completion Date: 07-Jul-2021

Standards Content (sample)

FINAL
INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
DRAFT
STANDARD FDIS
27555
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27
Information security, cybersecurity
Secretariat: DIN
and privacy protection – Guidelines
Voting begins on:
2021­07­07 on personally identifiable information
deletion
Voting terminates on:
2021­09­01
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO
SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION
OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH
THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING
DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
Reference number
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES,
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON
OCCASION HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME STAN­
DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
NATIONAL REGULATIONS. ISO/IEC 2021
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO/IEC 2021

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may

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ISO copyright office
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Published in Switzerland
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
Contents Page

Foreword ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................vi

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

2 Normative references ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

3 Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

4 Symbols and abbreviated terms ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

5 Framework for deletion ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

5.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

5.2 Constraints ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

5.3 Clusters of PII ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

5.4 Retention period and regular deletion period ............................................................................................................. 5

5.4.1 Retention period .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

5.4.2 Regular deletion period ............................................................................................................................................. 5

5.4.3 Allocation of clusters of PII ..................................................................................................................................... 6

5.5 Archives and backup copies ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

5.6 Standard deletion periods, starting points, deletion rules and deletion classes ........................... 7

5.7 Special situations .................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

5.8 Documentation of policies and procedures ................................................................................................................... 8

6 Clusters of PII ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

6.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

6.2 Identification ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

6.3 Documentation ....................................................................................................................................................................................10

7 Specification of deletion periods ......................................................................................................................................................10

7.1 Standard and regular deletion periods ...........................................................................................................................10

7.2 Regular deletion period specifications............................................................................................................................11

7.3 Standard deletion period identification .........................................................................................................................11

7.4 Deletion period specifications for special situations ..........................................................................................12

7.4.1 General...................................................................................................................................................................................12

7.4.2 Modification of data objects ................................................................................................................................12

7.4.3 Need to extend period of active use .............................................................................................................13

7.4.4 Suspension of the deletion ...................................................................................................................................13

7.4.5 Backup copies ..................................................................................................................................................................13

8 Deletion classes ..................................................................................................................................................................................................14

8.1 Abstract starting points — abstract deletion rules ..............................................................................................14

8.2 Matrix of deletion classes ...........................................................................................................................................................15

8.3 Allocation of deletion classes and definition of deletion rules ...................................................................16

9 Requirements for implementation ................................................................................................................................................16

9.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................16

9.2 Conditions for starting points outside IT systems ................................................................................................18

9.3 Requirements for implementation for organization-wide aspects ........................................................18

9.3.1 General...................................................................................................................................................................................18

9.3.2 Backup ...................................................................................................................................................................................18

9.3.3 Logs ..........................................................................................................................................................................................19

9.3.4 Transmission systems ..............................................................................................................................................19

9.3.5 Repair, dismantling and disposal of systems and components ............................................19

9.3.6 Everyday business life ..............................................................................................................................................19

9.4 Requirements for implementation for individual IT systems .....................................................................20

9.5 Deletion in regular manual processes .............................................................................................................................21

9.6 Requirements for implementation for PII processor..........................................................................................21

9.7 Control deletion in special cases ..........................................................................................................................................21

9.7.1 Exception management...........................................................................................................................................21

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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)

9.7.2 Further sets of PII ........................................................................................................................................................22

10 Responsibilities ..................................................................................................................................................................................................22

10.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................22

10.2 Documentation ....................................................................................................................................................................................23

10.3 Implementation ...................................................................................................................................................................................24

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................25

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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical

Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are

members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical

committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical

activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international

organizations, governmental and non­governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the

work.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are

described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for

the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the

editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives or www .iec .ch/ members

_experts/ refdocs).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject

of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent

rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the

Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents) or the IEC

list of patent declarations received (see patents.iec.ch).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not

constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and

expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the

World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/

iso/ foreword .html. In the IEC, see www .iec .ch/ understanding ­standards.

This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,

Subcommittee SC 27, Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A

complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html and www .iec .ch/ national

­committees.
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
Introduction

Many functional processes and IT applications use personally identifiable information (PII), which is

subject to various compliance provisions relating to privacy. Thus, organizations need to ensure that

PII is not retained for longer than is necessary and that it is deleted at the appropriate time. This can

require organizations to fulfil the rights of PII principals, such as the right to obtain erasure (to be

forgotten). ISO/IEC 29100 defines principles of “data minimization” and “use, retention and disclosure

limitation” for PII, which can be enforced using deletion as a security control.

PII deletion requires a set of carefully designed, clear and easily understood deletion rules, embodying

appropriate retention periods that satisfy the demands of multiple stakeholders. These rules should

also conform with requirements originating from codes of practice and other standards. Mechanisms

are to be correctly implemented and appropriately operated. In order to ensure the legally compliant

deletion of PII, the PII controller needs to develop policies and procedures for deletion that include a set

of rules and responsibilities for the processes involved. The chances of success for the development and

implementation of these policies and processes can be improved if the PII controller uses an approved

approach to their design and implementation.

This document provides a framework for developing and establishing policies and procedures for PII

deletion that can be implemented by an organization. This framework allows for consistent deletion of

PII throughout an organization.
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FINAL DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection
– Guidelines on personally identifiable information
deletion
1 Scope

This document contains guidelines for developing and establishing policies and procedures for deletion

of personally identifiable information (PII) in organizations by specifying:
— a harmonized terminology for PII deletion;
— an approach for defining deletion rules in an efficient way;
— a description of required documentation;
— a broad definition of roles, responsibilities and processes.

This document is intended to be used by organizations where PII is stored or processed.

This document does not address:
— specific legal provision, as given by national law or specified in contracts;

— specific deletion rules for particular clusters of PII that are defined by PII controllers for processing

PII;
— deletion mechanisms;
— reliability, security and suitability of deletion mechanisms;
— specific techniques for de-identification of data.
2 Normative references

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content

constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For

undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO/IEC 29100:2011, Information technology — Security techniques — Privacy framework

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 29100 and the following

apply.

ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)
3.1
cluster of personally identifiable information
cluster of PII

personally identifiable information which is processed for a consistent functional purpose

Note 1 to entry: Clusters of PII are described independently of the technical representation of data objects. On a

regular basis, the clusters of PII also include PII which is not stored electronically.

3.2
data object
element which contains personally identifiable information (PII)

EXAMPLE Examples of elements include files, documents, records or attributes. Concrete data objects

include, for example, invoices, contracts, personal files, visitor lists, personnel planning sheets, photos, voice

recordings, user accounts, log entries and consent documents.

Note 1 to entry: In the context of this document, data objects usually contain PII and can be combined with other

data objects in a cluster of PII (3.1). The individual data object can be of varying complexity.

3.3
deletion

process by which personally identifiable information (PII) is changed so that it is no longer present or

recognizable and usable and can only be reconstructed with excessive effort

Note 1 to entry: In this document the term deletion has the following synonyms: disposition mechanism, erasure,

destruction, destruction of data storage media.

Note 2 to entry: In this document the term deletion refers to the elimination of the bit patterns or comparable

practices, not simply marking or moving the data to be hidden. As a result, excessive effort for PII reconstruction

is required, considering all the means likely to be used, e.g. available state-of-the-art technology, human and

technical resources, costs and time.

Note 3 to entry: For selecting the methods for deletion, a risk-based approach should be taken into account,

including sensitivity of PII and potential use of forensic tools. Required measures can change over time depending

on the state of the art of technology and other factors.

Note 4 to entry: PII can be also changed by applying an irreversible de-identification technique. Such data often fall

out of privacy legislation. Further guidance on a de-identification technique can be found in ISO/IEC 20889:2018,

Clause 11.
3.4
deletion class

combination of a standard deletion period (3.7) and an abstract starting point for the period run

Note 1 to entry: All clusters of personally identifiable information (PII) which are subject to the same deletion

period (3.6) and the same abstract starting point are combined in a deletion class. As opposed to the (specific)

deletion rule (3.5) for a cluster of PII (3.1), the (abstract) deletion class relates only to the abstract starting point

and not to a specific condition for the start of the period run (see also Clause 8).

3.5
deletion rule

combination of deletion period (3.6) and specific condition for the starting point of the period run

3.6
deletion period

time period after which a specific cluster of personally identifiable information (PII) (3.1) should be

deleted

Note 1 to entry: As a generic term, the deletion period comprises all deletion periods. This includes the standard

deletion periods (3.7) and the regular deletion periods (3.8), which form special groups. However, the term also

includes, for instance, the specific deletion periods for some clusters of PII or deletion periods in special cases.

For details, see Clause 7.
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)

Note 2 to entry: The deletion period for a cluster of PII extends beyond the end of the retention period (3.9), by at

least an amount commensurate with the time required to achieve deletion of the relevant data objects (3.2).

3.7
standard deletion period

unified deletion period for the personally identifiable information (PII) controller

Note 1 to entry: A standard deletion period is a deletion period (3.6) used for several clusters of PII (3.1) to

standardize several deletion periods lying close to one another (see 7.1).
3.8
regular deletion period

maximum time period after which the data objects (3.2) of a cluster of personally identifiable information

(PII) (3.1) should be deleted if used in regular processing in the processes of the PII controller

Note 1 to entry: For the boundary conditions of period specifications, see 5.4.
3.9
retention period

time period within which the data objects (3.2) of the cluster of personally identifiable information (PII)

(3.1) are required to be available in the PII controller’s organization because of functional use or legal

retention obligations

Note 1 to entry: A specific cluster of PII typically has the same retention period.

Note 2 to entry: For the boundary conditions of period specifications, see 5.4 and Clause 7.

3.10
legal retention period

time period within which the data objects (3.2) of a cluster of personally identifiable information (PII)

(3.1) are available in the PII controller’s organization as required by legal provisions

4 Symbols and abbreviated terms
CD compact disc
DVD digital versatile disk
IT information technology
PII personally identifiable information
PDF portable document format
SD secure digital
USB universal serial bus
5 Framework for deletion
5.1 General

This document describes how an organization acting as PII controller can establish policies and

procedures for deletion of PII. For this, the PII controller should specify:
— which deletion rules apply to which PII;
— how the deletion is implemented using the deletion rules;
— how the deletion rules and the deletion measures are documented;
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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)

— who is responsible for the deletion rules, deletion processes and their documentation.

To establish deletion policies and procedures, the following steps are recommended:

— select a minimum number of standard deletion periods which form the basis of deletion classes;

— base deletion classes on the standard deletion periods identified;
— allocate each cluster of PII to a deletion class;
— identify and document the deletion procedure.

The PII controller should implement deletion mechanisms for each cluster of PII based on the established

policies and procedures (see 10.3).
5.2 Constraints

The PII controller should establish policies and procedures for deletion of PII which enable the

organization to demonstrate compliance with relevant legal, regulatory and other requirements.

Where the organization is performing the role of a PII processor, they should ensure deletion rules are

implemented in accordance with the relevant PII controller instructions.

Where compliance and/or contractual requirements state that PII should be deleted when it is no longer

required for the defined purpose, the principles contained in ISO/IEC 29100 should be considered when

designing the deletion processes:
a) use, retention and disclosure limitation;
b) data minimization.

EXAMPLE The deletion rule for the cluster of PII named “Accounting data” can be 10 years after the end of

the financial year in which the accounting entry was made in the balance sheet.

Compliance and/or contractual requirements can require special measures, particularly where clusters

of PII are retained only to fulfil retention obligations. In such cases, restricting the processing of the

clusters of PII concerned can be required.
5.3 Clusters of PII

Clusters of PII should be named individually and unambiguously and according to their functional

purposes. Each cluster of PII should be allocated one deletion rule (see 6.2).

EXAMPLE For a telecommunications provider, customer data, location data, traffic data, billing data and

itemized bill data are possible names of clusters of PII.
The same PII can be part of more than one cluster of PII because of two cases:
— clusters of PII contain one or more data objects;

NOTE Some attributes, such as name or address, can occur in several data objects in the same or different

clusters of PII, e.g. in the customer master data, an invoice and a letter to the customer. Deletion is usually applied

on the data object as a whole (and not on single attributes within the data object).

— copies of a data object can be part of different clusters of PII.

EXAMPLE Assume an invoice documents materials and actions performed to repair an engine. Functional

processes can require that three copies of the document are stored in different clusters of PII: “bookkeeping data”

(deleted 11 years after payment), “engine documentation file” to document the history and parts of the engine

(deleted 5 years after destruction of the engine) and “supplier file” to document the history of the relationship

and operations with the supplier (deleted 15 years after receiving the data object).

PII should not be deleted upon individual case decisions only, but in accordance with appropriate

deletion rules wherever possible. Therefore, the PII controller should develop deletion rules in

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ISO/IEC FDIS 27555:2021(E)

accordance with their deletion policy. Every deletion rule should include a definition of the deletion

period and when the deletion period begins (starting point).
5.4 Retention period and regular deletion period
5.4.1 Retention period

The period of time for which a cluster of PII is retained, based on its functional purposes (which

can include retention period complying with business requirements as well as legal and statutory

obligations), is its retention period. This time period includes the time period in which a cluster of PII is

actively used in functional processes, in accordance with compliance and/or contractual purposes and

in accordance with the organization's long-term storage requirements.

EXAMPLE The legal retention obligations for clusters of PII include, for example, the provisions of tax laws

for trade letters and accounting documents. Functional purposes include, for example, guarantee commitments

and potential equipment recall actions.
5.4.2 Regular deletion period

Clusters of PII should not be deleted until the end of their defined retention period, unless specific

approvals have been obtained.

Legal obligations can allow for time flexibility to perform deletion after the retention period has been

reached. This flexibility can be used to apply a process and mechanisms for deletion which may take

into account the availability of technical solutions as well as the general organizational requirements.

The combination of the retention period and the maximum time period for the deletion process is

defined as the regular deletion period. The PII controller should estimate the maximum time period

that is acceptable for the deletion process.

Each deletion rule should be applied by deleting data objects within a cluster of PII in all systems and

all storage places. This should include the deletion of data objects stored in physical documents. Also

included is the deletion of clusters of PII processed by PII processors contracted by the PII controller.

Figure 1 shows an example of how to derive a regular del
...