Case Study

Gaining Customer Trust: How a Canadian SaaS Provider Used ISO 27017 & ISO 27018 to Win Enterprise Contracts

The Challenge: “Your Security Looks Good But Can You Prove It?”

This fast-growing Canadian SaaS provider served mid-market customers. Technically strong. Cloud-native. Security-aware.
But growth stalled at the enterprise level.

SOC 2 wasn’t enough. ISO 27001 alone felt too generic. One government agency and two enterprise buyers required cloud-specific security and privacy assurance including shared responsibility, PII handling, and cloud access governance.

The Risk: Losing High-Value Deals at the Finish Line

The SaaS provider faced three real risks:

• Failing enterprise and government procurement requirements
• Lengthy security questionnaires delaying deals
• Competitors with ISO 27017/27018 gaining an edge

The Decision: ISO 27017 & ISO 27018 with Canadian Cyber

The company partnered with Canadian Cyber to pursue ISO 27017 and ISO 27018, alongside its existing ISO 27001 foundation.

The Approach: From Cloud Controls to Business Proof

1) Cloud Security & Privacy Gap Assessment

Canadian Cyber performed a focused assessment across AWS architecture, identity and access management, logging and monitoring,
plus PII handling and data flows. Gaps were prioritized based on enterprise buyer expectations.

2) Clear Shared Responsibility Documentation

Using ISO 27017 guidance, we documented what the cloud provider secures, what the SaaS company owns, and how responsibilities are enforced.

3) Privacy-by-Design with ISO 27018

For ISO 27018, Canadian Cyber helped implement auditable privacy controls, including:

• Explicit consent and data use policies
• Data minimization practices
• Encryption of PII in transit and at rest
• Controlled access to customer data
• Clear data deletion and offboarding procedures

4) ISMS SharePoint as the System of Record

All policies, evidence, and approvals were centralized using Canadian Cyber’s ISMS SharePoint Platform:

• Cloud policies mapped to ISO 27017/27018 controls
• Evidence organized and version-controlled
• Audit trails automatically maintained

5) Audit Readiness & Certification Support

Canadian Cyber guided the team through readiness reviews, evidence validation, and certification audit preparation.
The audits passed without major findings.

The Result: Certification That Closed Deals

In sales conversations, ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 became a trust signal, a competitive differentiator, and a shortcut through due diligence.

Why ISO 27017 & 27018 Made the Difference

Enterprise buyers didn’t want promises. They wanted proof that cloud environments were securely configured,
privacy risks were actively managed, and PII wasn’t being misused or overexposed.

How Canadian Cyber Helped Turn Compliance into Growth

Canadian Cyber didn’t just help the company get certified. We helped them align cloud security with buyer expectations,
translate technical controls into business trust, and use compliance as a sales accelerator.

Final Takeaway

For SaaS companies selling into enterprise or government markets:
security isn’t enough, privacy isn’t optional, and proof is everything.
ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 helped this Canadian SaaS provider stand out, earn trust, and win contracts that were previously out of reach.

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