Your complete guide to the international standard for security printing process management, trusted by security printers, government clients, and procurement bodies worldwide.
Security printing is one of the most sensitive and accountable industries in the world. From banknotes and passports to identity documents and tax stamps, the organisations producing these materials operate under exceptional scrutiny. ISO 14298 provides the internationally recognised framework for managing security printing processes, covering facility security, personnel vetting, material control, and subcontractor oversight. Pacific Certifications supports security printing organisations in demonstrating compliance through accredited management system certification and conformity assessment services.
ISO 14298 is the international standard for the Management of Security Printing Processes, developed by the International Organization for Standardization under its graphic technology committee. It defines the requirements for a management system specifically designed to address the security, confidentiality, and process integrity demands unique to organisations involved in producing security documents and materials.
The current version, ISO 14298:2021, updated and strengthened the original 2013 publication, reflecting the evolving threat landscape facing the security printing industry, including advances in counterfeiting technology, growing cyberthreats to digital production assets, and increasing complexity in global security printing supply chains. The 2021 version introduces enhanced requirements around information security, digital asset management, supply chain security, and sensitive data management throughout the production lifecycle.
Unlike ISO 9001, ISO 14298 is written specifically for the security printing context. It addresses requirements unique to this industry including the physical and logical security of production facilities, control and destruction of sensitive waste, vetting of personnel with access to secure materials, management of security features and substrates, and oversight of subcontractors involved in any part of the process.
The standard applies to any organisation in the security printing supply chain, including producers of banknotes, passports, identity cards, driving licences, certificates, tax stamps, and any product where authenticity, integrity, and resistance to counterfeiting are fundamental requirements.
Get in touch with Pacific Certifications today for a seamless, transparent path to accredited registration. Our global experts are available 24/7 to support your operational needs.
ISO 14298 is a sector-specific process management standard rather than a generic Annex SL management system standard. Its framework is built around four interconnected management domains that together define how security printing processes must be governed.
From initial security assessment to certified status, our auditors bring specialist understanding of security printing environments to every stage of your certification journey.
Receive an independently audited, internationally recognised ISO 14298 certificate through a structured audit process tailored to the security printing industry.
Build internal expertise across your security, operations, and quality teams with training pathways from awareness through to lead auditor level.
Already certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 27001? We align your security printing audit with existing certifications into a single, efficient programme that reduces duplication and disruption.
Review your current practices internally against ISO 14298:2021 requirements before the formal audit, so your security controls, process documentation, and subcontractor arrangements are ready when it counts.
The 2021 revision significantly strengthened the standard, reflecting the evolving security threats and operational complexities facing the security printing industry.
| Parameter | ISO 14298:2013 | ISO 14298:2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Information Security | General physical and document security requirements. | Enhanced requirements aligned with ISO 27001 principles covering digital assets and cybersecurity threats. |
| Digital Asset Management | Limited guidance on digital file security. | Explicit requirements for secure creation, storage, transmission, and destruction of digital production files. |
| Supply Chain Security | Requirements focused on direct suppliers. | Strengthened requirements covering multi-tier supplier relationships across the full supply chain. |
| Personnel Security | Vetting requirements for secure area access. | Enhanced vetting with clearer criteria and more comprehensive background screening expectations. |
| Waste Management | Secure destruction of sensitive waste materials. | More detailed and prescriptive requirements across all sensitive material waste categories. |
| Incident Management | Security breach reporting requirements. | Strengthened framework with clearer investigation, reporting, and corrective action requirements. |
Establish and maintain a documented management system with defined policies, procedures, responsibilities, and governance structures.
Implement facility security controls including access control, perimeter security, and monitoring appropriate to security printing operations.
Vet and monitor all personnel with access to secure materials, data, or production areas, with documented vetting records and ongoing obligations.
Protect digital assets, production files, and sensitive client data through appropriate technical and organisational controls.
Track and account for all security substrates, features, and sensitive materials from receipt through production to delivery or verified destruction.
Document and control all security printing processes to ensure integrity and traceability at every production stage.
Classify, control, and verifiably destroy all sensitive waste materials generated during production.
Assess, approve, and monitor subcontractors against defined security criteria with documented agreements and ongoing oversight.
Report, investigate, and resolve security incidents implementing corrective actions and communicating with relevant parties.
Conduct regular internal audits and management reviews to assess compliance and drive improvement.
ISO 14298 defines the specific security printing process requirements unique to this industry. ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 provide complementary frameworks that together create a comprehensive quality and security governance picture.
ISO 9001 supports the process control and quality management requirements of ISO 14298. ISO 27001 directly addresses the digital asset, data protection, and cybersecurity requirements that ISO 14298:2021 has significantly strengthened. Pacific Certifications certifies security printing organisations across all three standards through integrated audit programmes that reduce duplication and operational disruption.
Everything you need to prepare for ISO 18788 certification, in one place.
The path to certification balances system building with rigorous auditing.
Submit your application and tell us about your organisation, the security printing products and processes in scope, and any existing certifications.
Review your existing practices internally against ISO 14298:2021 requirements to identify and address gaps in security controls, process documentation, and subcontractor management.
A documentation review confirming your management system, security policies, and subcontractor arrangements are ready for the main assessment.
An on-site evaluation of facility security, personnel controls, material management, process integrity, waste management, and subcontractor oversight.
Upon successful completion, your ISO 14298 certificate is issued, valid for three years.
Annual surveillance audits maintain your certification, followed by full recertification at the end of the three-year cycle.
For a standard security printing organisation, the process typically follows a ten to twelve week timeline reflecting the depth of security assessment required.
| Week | Activity | Core Milestones & Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Application & Scoping | Define scope covering security printing products, processes, facilities, and subcontractors. |
| Week 2 | Gap Analysis | Review security controls, process documentation, and subcontractor arrangements against ISO 14298:2021. |
| Weeks 3-5 | Implementation | Develop security policies, process controls, material tracking, waste procedures, and subcontractor frameworks. |
| Weeks 6-7 | Stage 1 Audit | Documentation review of security policies, process controls, and subcontractor arrangements. |
| Weeks 8-9 | Stage 2 Audit | Full on-site evaluation of facility security, personnel controls, material management, and process integrity. |
| Week 10 | Technical Review | Address findings, close non-conformities, and finalise the certification review. |
| Weeks 11-12 | Certificate Issuance | Receive your accredited ISO 14298 certificate upon successful completion. |
Note: On-site audit is required for all ISO 14298 assessments. Timeline may vary depending on facility complexity, number of sites, and completion of corrective actions.
ISO 14298 certification costs vary depending on the size of your organisation, the number of facilities, the range of security printing products and processes in scope, and the complexity of your subcontractor network. Organisations pursuing integrated certification across ISO 14298, ISO 9001, and ISO 27001 will find a combined programme more efficient and cost-effective than standalone assessments.
At Pacific Certifications, we offer transparent, competitive pricing with no hidden charges. Contact us for a tailored quote or use our free cost calculator to get an instant estimate.
Government clients, central banks, and institutional procurement bodies are tightening supplier qualification requirements, and ISO 14298 certification is increasingly the baseline expectation rather than a premium credential. Today, advances in counterfeiting technology and growing cyberthreats to digital production assets mean that security printing organisations must demonstrate not just that their products are secure, but that every stage of the process that creates them is governed by independently verified controls. Organisations without certified compliance are finding themselves excluded from tender shortlists before technical evaluation even begins.
We provide deep, sector-specific auditing aligned directly with your daily operations.
Build the internal expertise your organisation needs to implement, maintain, and audit an ISO 14298 compliant security printing management system.
For quality and security professionals looking to conduct and lead ISO 14298 audits with confidence and internationally recognised credentials.
For those responsible for implementing and maintaining a security printing management system meeting ISO 14298:2021 requirements.
For production, security, and quality teams who need a clear, practical understanding of ISO 14298 and what it means for their day-to-day responsibilities in a security printing environment.
We are not just a certification body, we are the partner that helps your organisation earn trust, improve performance, and grow with confidence.
Accredited by the ABIS (Accreditation Board for International Standards), our certificates are accepted by clients, regulators, and procurement bodies worldwide.
Our auditors bring sector-specific knowledge to every engagement, ensuring your audit is relevant, thorough, and conducted by someone who understands your business.
We operate globally with the capability to conduct both remote and on-site audits, delivering consistent, high-quality certification services wherever you are.
From your first enquiry to your final certificate, we keep things clear, efficient, and tailored to your organisation — no unnecessary delays, no hidden costs.
ISO 14298 is the international standard for managing security printing processes. It defines requirements for physical security, personnel vetting, material control, process integrity, waste management, and subcontractor oversight. For organisations supplying government and institutional clients, certification is increasingly a prerequisite for doing business rather than an optional credential.
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