What is SOC 2 Compliance?
SOC 2 is part of the Service Control Organization (SOC) platform at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Its purpose is to ensure the security and privacy of the information of the organization’s customers. The SOC 2 audit procedure ensures that your service providers securely manage the organization’s data, thus maintaining the protection of its business processes and the privacy of its customers.
SOC 2 defines criteria for managing customer data based on 5 “trust service principles”:
- securing
- availability
- integrity
- Confidentiality
- Information privacy
As a data protection framework, this is not an exhaustive list of controls, tools or processes. Instead, criteria required to maintain robust information security are specified, thus any organization can adopt the procedures and processes relevant to its goals.
Below are the 5 criteria of trust services
- Security: refers to the protection of information and systems from unauthorized access. For example, using IT security infrastructures such as firewalls, two-factor authentication and other measures to keep information safe from unauthorized access.
- Availability: examines whether the infrastructure, software or information undergoes ongoing maintenance using controls for operation, monitoring and maintenance. These criteria also measure maintaining minimum levels of acceptable network performance, mitigating potential external threats.
- Integrity: Ensures that systems will perform their functions as intended and without errors, delays, omissions and unauthorized manipulation. This means that data processing operations work properly and in an authorized, complete and accurate manner.
- Confidentiality: examines the company’s ability to protect data accessible only to a defined group of people or organizations. Including customer data intended only for company employees, confidential information such as business plans or intellectual property, and any other information required for protection according to law, regulations, contracts or agreements.
- Privacy: Verifies the organization’s ability to protect personal information (PII) from unauthorized access. This information can include name, identity and social security numbers, address, health information, etc.
SOC 2 services
SOC 2 is relevant to any technology service provider or SaaS company that processes or stores customer data. Third-party vendors, other partners, or support organizations that work with the organization must also maintain SOC 2 compliance to ensure the integrity of their data systems and protections.
There are 2 types of SOC 2 Compliance
- Type 1 – dated to a certain date and valid as of the date it was received. This type includes a description of the organization’s system and the design of the relevant controls, in which we will test the design and architecture of the organization’s controls, but not the operational effectiveness.
- Type 2 – can be spread over a time frame of 6 to 12 months. This type includes a description of the organization’s system like the first type, but unlike type 1 it tests the design and operational efficiency of the organization’s controls over time.
Being a SOC2 compliant organization assures its customers that the organization has the infrastructure, tools and processes to protect their information from unauthorized access – both inside and outside the office.
SOC 2 means
Awareness of proper activity and regular monitoring of malicious or unknown activity, documentation of configuration changes and monitoring of user access levels.
Implementation of tools for identifying threats and alerting the relevant parties, for the purpose of assessing the threat and taking the necessary actions to protect data and systems against unauthorized access or use.
The availability of relevant information on all security incidents for the benefit of understanding the scope of the problem, correcting systems or processes as necessary, and restoring data and the integrity of the information.
How CyberSafe can help?
The Cybersafe company will help your organization test its compliance with SOC 2’s reliable service criteria, and will allow you to map the business processes, and control the infrastructure and security procedures in the organization, and in the process identify and correct gaps or vulnerabilities. If you store customer data, SOC 2 compliance will ensure compliance with industry standards, and give your customers the confidence that you have the right processes and procedures in place to safeguard their data.
SOC 2 service with CyberSafe
Looking for a SOC 2 Compliance service for your organization? Contact us, Cybersafe is here for you with our team of experts. Contact us at 072-2570548
