TISAX & ISO 27001 Mapping

TISAX and ISO 27001: How Are They Related?

ISO 27001 and TISAX are based on the same fundamental principles of information security but have different focuses. ISO 27001 is a cross-industry standard for Information Security Management Systems. TISAX is an automotive-specific assessment, based on the VDA ISA catalog and imposing additional requirements for prototype protection, data protection, and availability.

The good news: Organizations already certified to ISO 27001 have approximately 60-70% of TISAX requirements already covered. The challenge lies in the delta — the automotive-specific requirements that ISO 27001 does not address.

Cross-Reference: ISA Chapters Mapped to ISO 27001 Annex A

What ISO 27001 Already Covers

If you are ISO 27001 certified, you already have a solid foundation:

• ISMS core structure: Risk management, policies, control measures, and continuous improvement are in place
• Documentation: Policies, process descriptions, and evidence already exist
• Technical controls: Access control, cryptography, network security, and patch management are implemented
• Organizational measures: Roles and responsibilities, training programs, and internal audits are established
• Incident management: Processes for detecting, reporting, and handling security incidents exist

The TISAX Delta: What Is Additionally Required

Despite the high overlap, there are TISAX-specific requirements that ISO 27001 does not cover:

Prototype Protection

Prototype protection is entirely TISAX-specific and has no counterpart in ISO 27001. Physical security zones for prototypes, camouflage wrapping for test vehicles, no-photography policies, and NDA management are requirements that do not arise from ISO 27001 certification.

Maturity Model

ISO 27001 has no maturity model — controls are either implemented or not. TISAX requires a demonstrable maturity level of at least 3 for each assessment objective, which demands standardized processes, KPIs, and improvement histories. Even if a measure is already implemented under ISO 27001, the maturity level must be documented separately for TISAX.

Automotive-Specific Data Protection

TISAX has its own data protection modules that go beyond the GDPR requirements of ISO 27001 Annex A.18. Commissioned data processing (DPA) in the OEM context, special categories of personal data, and automotive-specific TOMs are assessed separately.

Availability Labels

The availability labels introduced since 2023 impose elevated requirements for business continuity that go beyond ISO 27001 baseline requirements — particularly production-related RTO/RPO values and redundancy concepts.

Dual Certification Strategy

Many organizations face the question: ISO 27001 first, then TISAX? Or the other way around? Both strategies have advantages and disadvantages:

Option 1: ISO 27001 First, Then TISAX

Advantages: You build a solid, cross-industry ISMS that is valuable for other customers (not just automotive). TISAX becomes a "delta project" with significantly less effort (6-10 weeks instead of 4-6 months). The ISO 27001 certification signals professionalism to all business partners.

Disadvantages: Longer total duration. ISO 27001 certification takes 6-12 months, then another 6-10 weeks for TISAX. Higher total costs if TISAX is the only objective.

Option 2: TISAX Directly

Advantages: Faster to the goal. If only automotive customers require a label, the direct TISAX path is more efficient. Lower total costs if ISO 27001 is not additionally needed.

Disadvantages: The ISMS built is tailored to TISAX and may not be reusable for other certifications. Higher initial effort since there is no existing ISMS as a foundation.

Recommendation: Parallel Approach with Kopexa

With Kopexa, you can manage both frameworks in parallel. The cross-mapping instantly shows you which ISO 27001 controls cover which TISAX assessment objectives — and vice versa. You implement each measure only once and assign it to both frameworks. This typically saves 30-40% of total costs compared to two separate projects.

For an overview of all TISAX requirements, read our page on TISAX requirements. The detailed questionnaire catalog is available on our VDA ISA catalog page. A step-by-step guide can be found in the TISAX checklist.