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SOC 2
An auditing framework developed by AICPA that evaluates service organizations on five trust service criteria for data security.
What is SOC 2?
SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is an auditing procedure developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) that evaluates service providers on five Trust Service Criteria related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
Trust Service Criteria
- Security: Protection against unauthorized access
- Availability: System accessibility as committed
- Processing Integrity: System processing is accurate
- Confidentiality: Protection of confidential information
- Privacy: Personal information handling
SOC 2 Report Types
Type I:
- Point-in-time assessment
- Controls are suitably designed
- Less rigorous, faster to obtain
Type II:
- Assessment over a period (typically 6-12 months)
- Controls are operating effectively
- More valuable, preferred by customers
Who Needs SOC 2?
- SaaS providers
- Cloud service providers
- Data centers
- Managed service providers
- Any organization storing customer data
SOC 2 Audit Process
- Define scope and criteria
- Gap assessment
- Remediate gaps
- Readiness assessment
- Audit period (Type II)
- Final audit and report
- Annual audit renewal