Three distinct disciplines, not a generic package
Many technology companies conflate privacy compliance, technical security testing, and external certification into a single vague requirement. In practice, they involve different skill sets, different stakeholders, and separate verification methods:
- Privacy compliance (such as the DPDP Act or GDPR) is primarily about governance, legal basis, data minimization, notice, consent mechanisms, and honoring rights requests from individuals. It requires collaboration between legal counsel, product managers, and database administrators.
- Cybersecurity and technical testing (such as VAPT) is an adversarial, technical evaluation of code, cloud configurations, network boundaries, and API logic. It requires ethical hacking expertise and outputs code-level remediation tickets for engineers.
- Compliance readiness (such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2) is a formal audit preparation process. It focuses on documented policies, management oversight, operating effectiveness of controls, and building an audit evidence vault for external accredited auditors.
We deliver each service with dedicated subject-matter expertise rather than applying a superficial generic checklist across your business.
Our service practices
1. Privacy and Data Protection
India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules establish clear statutory responsibilities for organisations acting as Data Fiduciaries or Data Processors. We help you review personal data flows, establish consent notices, implement withdrawal procedures, and structure subprocessor agreements.
- DPDP Compliance Services — Comprehensive readiness programmes for Indian businesses preparing for DPDP Act obligations
- DPDP Gap Assessment — Diagnostic review of current systems, contracts, notices, and rights mechanisms against statutory requirements
- DPDP Implementation Support — Drafting policies, notice language, consent registries, and operational data-handling procedures
- DPDP for SaaS Companies — Tailored advisory covering multi-tenant data segregation, tenant telemetry, and subprocessor due diligence
- Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA/DPIA) — Structured evaluation of privacy risks prior to launching new software products or AI features
- Privacy Notice & Consent Flow Review — Audit of public-facing privacy policies, cookie banners, and website sign-up workflows
- Data Breach Response Planning — Incident escalation workflows, notification templates, and readiness exercises
- GDPR Compliance Consulting — Targeted privacy advisory for Indian firms processing personal data of individuals in the EU or UK
2. Cybersecurity and Technical Assessments
Before launching a product, closing an enterprise contract, or expanding your API footprint, technical vulnerabilities must be identified and eliminated. Our security assessments follow recognised methodologies (OWASP Top 10, ASVS, NIST) and provide reproduction steps your engineering team can follow immediately.
- Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT) — Scoped, authorised penetration testing across networks, applications, and APIs
- Website & Web App Security Audit — Authentication, session handling, access control, and injection vulnerability testing
- API Security Testing — In-depth inspection of REST and GraphQL endpoints for broken object-level authorization (BOLA), rate-limiting gaps, and data leakage
- Mobile Application Security Testing — Static and dynamic assessment of Android and iOS client storage, encryption, and API transport security
- Cloud Security Assessment — IAM privilege review, storage permissions, network security groups, and logging configurations across AWS, Azure, and GCP
- Security Remediation & Hardening — Engineering guidance to resolve findings, followed by verification retesting and formal attestation
3. Compliance, Governance and Assurance Readiness
Enterprise buyers and institutional clients increasingly require third-party assurance before signing contracts. We prepare your team, documentation, and technical evidence so you can pass formal audits conducted by independent certification bodies or CPA firms without operational paralysis.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Consulting & Readiness — Scoping, Statement of Applicability (SoA), Information Security Management System (ISMS) documentation, and pre-audit reviews
- SOC 2 Type I & Type II Readiness — Mapping controls against AICPA Trust Services Criteria (Security, Availability, Confidentiality) and establishing evidence trackers
- ISO/IEC 27701 Privacy Management — Extending your existing ISMS into a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS)
- CERT-In Directions Compliance — Aligning internal incident reporting procedures and 180-day log retention with mandatory national directives
- PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness — Evaluating cardholder data environments, reducing scope, and preparing self-assessment questionnaires or QSA audits
- Vendor & Third-Party Risk Assessment — Evaluating SaaS vendors and subprocessors to protect your supply chain and satisfy buyer questionnaires
- Virtual CISO (vCISO) Advisory — Fractional information security leadership, board reporting, and ongoing governance oversight
Which service does your business need?
If you are unsure where to begin, match your current commercial trigger to the recommended engagement:
| Your Current Situation or Trigger | Primary Need | Recommended Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| An enterprise prospect has sent a 100-question security questionnaire or asked for a SOC 2 report | Assurance evidence & customer audit defense | SOC 2 Readiness or ISO 27001 Consulting |
| Preparing for India's DPDP Act and wondering what data collection or notices need updating | Regulatory gap identification & governance roadmap | DPDP Gap Assessment & Roadmap |
| Launching a new web app or API and need to ensure there are no exploitable security flaws | Technical vulnerability discovery & verification | VAPT & API Security Testing |
| Enterprise customers require a recent third-party penetration testing report before going live | Independent security testing attestation | Website Security Audit + Verification Retest |
| Need senior security guidance to structure policies, manage customer audits, and oversee team hygiene | Ongoing strategic security leadership | Virtual CISO Advisory |
In accordance with professional standards (including ISO/IEC 17021 and AICPA guidelines), an advisory firm cannot audit or issue certification for a system it helped design. 3 Arrows Consulting provides readiness consulting, technical testing, and operational support. Formal ISO 27001 certificates are issued solely by independent accredited certification bodies; SOC 2 examination reports are issued solely by licensed CPA firms; and PCI DSS certificates are issued by Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs). We collaborate smoothly with your appointed auditor to ensure seamless validation.