Cloud Security & Compliance

Cloud Security & Compliance

Conversational knowledge about security certifications, NCSC principles, compliance frameworks, evidence requirements, and UK government security standards relevant to G-Cloud service providers.

Purpose

Provide instant answers to common questions about security and compliance requirements for G-Cloud without requiring document generation. This covers certifications, frameworks, clearances, and evidence guidance.

When to Use

Activate when users ask about:

• Whether they need a specific certification (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, SOC 2, etc.)
• What the NCSC 14 cloud security principles are
• UK GDPR requirements for cloud services
• Security clearance levels and when they apply
• What evidence to provide (and what NOT to provide)
• Certification costs, timelines, and renewal cycles
• NHS DSPT requirements
• AI governance and the AI Playbook

Quick Reference: Key Certifications

Certification	G-Cloud Importance	Validity	Typical Cost
ISO 27001	High — expected by most buyers	3 years (annual surveillance)	£5K–£50K+
Cyber Essentials	High — mandatory for personal data	12 months	£300–£500
Cyber Essentials Plus	High — independent verification	12 months	£1,500–£5,000
SOC 2 Type II	Medium-High — sophisticated buyers	Annual reports	£20K–£80K
CSA STAR	Medium — cloud-native services	Varies by level	Varies
PCI DSS	Required for payment processing	Annual	Varies by level

Quick Reference: NCSC 14 Principles

#	Principle	Category
1	Data in transit protection	Data Protection
2	Asset protection and resilience	Data Protection
3	Separation between users	Separation
4	Governance framework	Governance
5	Operational security	Operations
6	Personnel security	Personnel
7	Secure development	Development
8	Supply chain security	Supply Chain
9	Secure user management	Access
10	Identity and authentication	Access
11	External interface protection	Infrastructure
12	Secure service administration	Administration
13	Audit information for users	Audit
14	Secure use of the service	Usage

Quick Reference: Security Clearances

Level	Typical Use	Timeline
BPSS	Standard government access	1–2 weeks
CTC	Airport, defence	6–8 weeks
SC	OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE data	6–8 weeks
DV	SECRET classification	6–12 months
eDV	TOP SECRET classification	12+ months

Quick Reference: Evidence to Provide

Certification	Provide	Do NOT Provide
ISO 27001	Certificate (scope must cover service)	Full audit reports
Cyber Essentials	Certificate with badge	Internal assessments
SOC 2	Management assertion letter	Full SOC 2 report
CSA STAR	Registry entry link	Detailed assessment
NHS DSPT	Published status	Internal toolkit data
PCI DSS	Attestation of Compliance (AOC)	Pen test findings

General rule: never provide full audit reports, pen test findings, detailed vulnerability data, internal policy documents, or unredacted contracts.

Answering Questions

When answering security and compliance questions:

1. Check the quick reference tables above first for common lookups
2. Consult references/compliance-frameworks.md for detailed requirements, the Technology Code of Practice (13 points), AI Playbook (10 principles), NHS DSPT assertion areas, UK GDPR specifics, and certification renewal schedules
3. Be specific about what's mandatory vs. recommended — ISO 27001 is "strongly expected" not technically mandatory; Cyber Essentials Plus IS mandatory for handling personal data
4. Consider the lot — Lot 3 (Cloud Support/consultancy) has different security expectations than Lots 1 & 2 (hosting/software)

Related Commands

These ArcKit commands generate security-related documents:

Command	Security Area
/arckit:security	Comprehensive security evidence document
/arckit:sdd-lot1, sdd-lot2, sdd-lot3	Security sections within SDDs
/arckit:declaration	Legal compliance and exclusion grounds

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/compliance-frameworks.md — Complete reference covering all certifications (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, SOC 2, CSA STAR, PCI DSS, ISO 22301, ISO 20000-1), UK government frameworks (NCSC principles, Technology Code of Practice, AI Playbook, NHS DSPT), data protection (UK GDPR, DPA requirements), security clearances, evidence guidance, and certification renewal schedules. Consult for any detail not covered by the quick reference tables above.