December 2025: Major Information Technology Standards for Energy, Finance, Health, and Construction Unveiled

The December 2025 publication period brings significant advancements in international information technology standards, with five essential documents released that cover diverse sectors ranging from energy utilities and health informatics to finance, education, and the construction industry. These new standards introduce updated controls, methodologies, and best practices designed to boost cybersecurity, foster digital inclusion, streamline health data governance, enable secure mobile payments, and standardize information exchange in construction. For IT leaders, compliance officers, and quality managers, understanding these updates is critical to effective implementation and competitive differentiation.

Overview

Information Technology continues to grow in complexity and reach across all industries. Standards play a vital role in ensuring security, interoperability, accessibility, and efficiency. The newly published standards for December 2025 offer essential guidance for practitioners tasked with implementing technologies securely and inclusively, maintaining regulatory compliance, and optimizing cross-domain collaboration.

This article presents a detailed look at:

• New cybersecurity controls for the energy sector
• Accessibility metadata for digital learning
• Data governance in health informatics
• QR code standards for mobile banking
• Methodologies for digital building information management

Whether you are an IT manager, systems integrator, healthcare administrator, financial services provider, or construction project lead, these standards will shape your digital strategies in the coming year.

Detailed Standards Coverage

EN ISO/IEC 27019:2025 - Information Security Controls for the Energy Utility Industry

Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Information security controls for the energy utility industry (ISO/IEC 27019:2024)

This updated standard builds upon ISO/IEC 27002:2022 and is tailored for the specific cybersecurity and privacy requirements of the energy utility industry. Covering generation, transmission, storage, and distribution of electric power, gas, oil, and heat, EN ISO/IEC 27019:2025 extends information security risk management to address the unique operational technologies and supporting processes found in critical infrastructure.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Comprehensive controls spanning organizational, people, physical, and technological domains
• Asset management, access control, cloud service security, physical perimeters, and secure facility operations
• Incident response planning, monitoring, business continuity, and supplier relationship management
• Enhanced protections for control centers, equipment rooms, and interconnected systems
• Requirements for privacy, legal and regulatory compliance, PII (Personally Identifiable Information) safeguards

Who Should Comply:

• Energy producers, grid operators, utilities, oil & gas companies, and their suppliers
• IT and OT (Operational Technology) security officers in critical infrastructure sectors

Implementation Impact: Organizations in the energy space must bolster their security management systems, particularly as new digital threats emerge through increased connectivity. The 2025 revision consolidates best practices for incident learning, remote work policies, robust access management, and supply chain security.

Key highlights:

• Specific technological controls for industry-specific assets and endpoints
• Updated guidance for secure use of cloud platforms and remote access
• Incident management procedures tailored to operational environments

Access the full standard:View EN ISO/IEC 27019:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO/IEC 4932:2025 - AfA Metadata for Accessibility Core Properties

Information Technology — Learning, education and training — Access for All (AfA) metadata for accessibility core properties

ISO/IEC 4932:2025 establishes an interoperable, extensible set of accessibility metadata properties supporting the discovery and delivery of digital content that meets individual user needs. It covers both content and user preferences, recognizing that accessibility is a broader issue than traditional notions of disability.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Definition of core AfA properties, enabling detailed description of resource accessibility features
• Mechanisms for personalization and network-supported individualization of resources
• Support for registries, application profiles, multilingual vocabularies, and local extensions
• Interoperability with international standards such as ISO/IEC 19788, W3C RDF, and Dublin Core
• Avoidance of medical labels; instead, a focus on user-agency and context-driven needs

Who Should Comply:

• E-learning content providers, LMS vendors, educational technology developers
• Public sector digital service providers, accessibility officers, and IT architects

Implementation Impact: Technology developers and content publishers can now adopt a unified approach to accessibility metadata, improving resource matching, compliance with global accessibility legislation, and overall user experience.

Key highlights:

• Inclusive framework covering all user needs and preferences
• Support for flexible extension and localization of accessibility vocabularies
• Enhanced interoperability across learning, education, and training platforms

Access the full standard:View ISO/IEC 4932:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO/TR 14872:2025 - Health Informatics: Maintenance of IDMP Identifiers and Terms

Health informatics — Identification of medicinal products — Core principles for maintenance of identifiers and terms

This technical report details the core principles supporting the development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of identifiers and controlled vocabularies under the International Standards for IDMP (Identification of Medicinal Products). It addresses governance, operational models, and best practices for terminology service provision.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Overview of IDMP maintenance organizations and their global collaborations
• Guidance on terminology mapping, data governance, and updates, including coordination between regulators (e.g., ICH, EMA) and standards development organizations
• Recommendations for managing substances, dose forms, units, and product identifiers
• Emphasis on quality management and conformance with service level agreements

Who Should Comply:

• Regulatory authorities, pharmaceutical industry, CROs, data stewards
• Health IT solution providers supporting pharmaceutical data management

Implementation Impact: Aligning with this technical report ensures reliable data interoperability, supporting regulatory submissions, pharmacovigilance, and product lifecycle management on a global scale.

Key highlights:

• Consolidated governance principles for IDMP data
• Strategies for harmonizing global, regional, and local terminologies
• Emphasis on quality, consistency, and transparent maintenance processes

Access the full standard:View ISO/TR 14872:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 18184:2025 - QR Code Specification for Mobile Credit Transfers

Financial services — Specification of QR codes for mobile initiated (instant) credit transfers

Addressing the rapid adoption of mobile banking and instant payment services, EN 18184:2025 provides a standardized specification for QR codes enabling mobile-initiated credit transfers (MCTs). It facilitates secure data exchange between payers and payees, supporting compliance with PSD2 and other regulatory frameworks.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Standardizes QR code format and data sets for both payee-presented and payer-presented codes
• Ensures interoperability among mobile credit transfer service providers
• Addresses security, minimum data requirements, and payload encoding
• Excludes details of backend infrastructure and implementation of payloads

Who Should Comply:

• Financial institutions, payment service providers, fintech developers
• Merchants and mobile application providers supporting instant payments

Implementation Impact: Adopters benefit from streamlined payment initiation, improved user experience, and reduced operational risk associated with fragmented QR code solutions. The specification also serves as a foundation for regional and cross-border payment interoperability.

Key highlights:

• Consistent QR code formatting across all participating payment providers
• Clear definition of minimum data sets for transaction processing
• Security measures against fraud and unauthorized data access

Access the full standard:View EN 18184:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 29481-1:2025 - Methodology for Information Delivery Manual (BIM Data Exchange)

Building information models — Information delivery manual — Part 1: Methodology and format (ISO 29481-1:2025)

A key document for the digital transformation of the construction industry, EN ISO 29481-1:2025 prescribes a methodology for specifying information exchange requirements throughout an asset’s lifecycle. It supports the creation of Information Delivery Manuals (IDM) to enable reliable, repeatable, and high-quality BIM data exchanges across diverse software platforms.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Provides a framework for documenting use cases, business contexts, and interaction maps
• Defines detailed information exchange requirements at various project stages
• Promotes digital collaboration, clarity in data responsibility, and increased efficiency for stakeholders
• Facilitates configuration for project-specific, local, or national needs
• Aligns with other international information management standards including ISO 19650

Who Should Comply:

• Construction project teams, BIM managers, architects, and engineers
• Software developers serving the building and infrastructure sectors

Implementation Impact: Project teams gain a clear and structured approach to specifying and managing data flows, reducing miscommunication, rework, and information loss. The standard supports digital transformation across the industry, elevating performance, quality, and stakeholder collaboration.

Key highlights:

• Methodology applicable to all building and infrastructure asset lifecycles
• Compatibility with multiple information formats and software tools
• Facilitates compliance with information management requirements in regulated environments

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 29481-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Adopting these new information technology standards equips organizations with the frameworks and benchmarks needed to stay ahead of innovation, regulatory expectations, and operational threats. Here are a few vital implications:

Business Impacts:

• Enhanced cybersecurity for critical energy and infrastructure operations
• New accessibility paradigms in digital content delivery, improving compliance with disability and inclusion legislation
• Streamlined health data governance, enabling safe global pharmaceutical operations
• Faster, safer transactions in the expanding instant payments ecosystem
• Improved data quality and collaboration in construction projects

Compliance Considerations:

• Many of these standards form the basis of sectoral regulations (e.g., PSD2 for finance, NIS/NERC for energy)
• Organizations should conduct gap assessments and update policies, technology, and training to align with new requirements
• Mandatory adoption may be driven by client contracts, public sector procurement, or regulator mandates

Benefits of Early Adoption:

• Reduced risk of data breaches, fraud, and costly compliance failures
• Competitive advantage through faster onboarding of new technologies and markets
• Access to international best practices and harmonized methods enabling global operations

Risks of Non-Compliance:

• Exposure to fines, contractual disputes, reputation damage, or security incidents
• Incompatibility with co-operating partners, platforms, or public tenders
• Higher operational costs due to inefficient legacy processes

Technical Insights

Common Technical Requirements:

• Many of these standards require organizations to update risk management processes and technical security controls
• Interoperable metadata structures (e.g., AfA properties, QR code payloads) ensure seamless integration between platforms
• Reliable IDMP maintenance demands robust data governance and service-level monitoring
• For BIM/IDM, a clear specification of information requirements underpins successful project outcomes

Implementation Best Practices:

1. Conduct readiness assessments to identify process, technology, or skill gaps
2. Update or develop policies and procedures for areas like cybersecurity, accessibility, data governance, and payment initiation
3. Invest in staff training to raise awareness and ensure accurate application and compliance
4. Engage technology partners to validate interoperability, especially for QR codes, accessibility metadata, and BIM exchanges
5. Review contractual frameworks to incorporate new standards into supplier agreements and client deliverables

Testing and Certification:

• Where available, pursue formal certification or conformance testing for relevant standards to demonstrate compliance
• Establish continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms, especially for evolving areas like cyber risk and data sharing
• Leverage sectoral guidance for aligning with national/regional implementations

Conclusion and Next Steps

The December 2025 release of these significant information technology standards marks another leap towards safer, more inclusive, and more efficient digital practices in critical industries. Energy utilities, financial services providers, healthcare regulators, education technology developers, and construction professionals all stand to benefit from timely adoption and diligent implementation.

Key Takeaways:

• Comprehensive new controls and best practices for security, data exchange, and operational excellence
• Inclusive, user-driven frameworks for accessibility and collaboration
• Promotion of international interoperability and compliance

Recommendations:

• Review the full text of each standard linked above on iTeh Standards to understand specific requirements as they relate to your organization
• Engage with industry groups and regulatory bodies to stay up-to-date on implementation roadmaps
• Start preparing now, as early adoption reduces risk and supports digital transformation efforts

For further guidance, implementation resources, and complete access to these new standards, visit iTeh Standards. Stay informed, stay compliant, and drive value with the latest in information technology standardization.