SOC 2

Service Organization Control 2 is a type of certification that concerns the security, availability, processing integrity, data confidentiality and privacy of the services provided by service providers.

When talking about consultancy on SOC 2, we can think of the various aspects that are part of the process of obtaining and maintaining SOC 2 certification.

Our consultants proceed in a manner that ensures all the documentation and changes in a company are as compliant as possible with SOC 2 requirements.

A selection of the main elements of consultancy on SOC 2:

Audit preparation

The service provider needs to prepare all the necessary documents and procedures that prove its ability to comply with SOC 2 requirements. This may include elaborating policies, procedures, process documentation and other relevant materials.

Risk analysis: it is important to carry out a risk analysis that identifies potential threats and weak points in the security infrastructure and service processes. This analysis enables the provider to adopt appropriate measures to minimize risks.

Design and implementation of controls: based on the risk analysis, it is necessary to design and implement control measures and processes that will ensure data security, availability and confidentiality. These controls may include access control, monitoring, encryption, backup and other aspects.

Monitoring and assessment: it is necessary to have ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of the controls and processes that have been put in place and to regularly assess them. This includes event tracking, anomaly detection and incident response.

Training employees: employees play a key role when observing security and control measures. It is necessary to ensure that they are properly trained in data security and SOC 2 requirements.

SOC 2 Report:  during the consultancy and when preparing for the audit, a document entitled the SOC 2 Report is written up and subsequently submitted to the certifying body. Once the certification body has made notes in this report, service providers can share it with their customers, giving them confidence in the security and reliability of the services.

Internal audit and evaluation: once the work has been completed, an internal auditor will conduct an internal audit and assess whether the controls and processes put in place meet the SOC 2 requirements and the company is ready to be audited by a third independent authority, i.e. a certification body.

When the company is ready, it undergoes an audit by a third party, i.e. a certification authority.

The certification body takes the Report for review and conducts the audit (this includes physical visits to data centres, headquarters and branch offices, an evaluation of the documentation and interviews with key representatives from the service provider).

SOC 2 Report: Upon successful completion of the audit, the auditor issues a SOC 2 Report that contains their findings on compliance with the requirements, recommendations for improvement and the audit’s conclusions. Service providers can then share this report with their customers, giving them confidence in the security and reliability of the services.

Maintaining compliance: compliance with SOC 2 requirements is not a one-off matter. Service providers must continuously maintain and update their control measures and processes to take into account changing threats and needs. At least one SOC 2 internal audit must be conducted each year, and the client receives a report from it.

Consultancy on SOC 2 involves this entire process to help service providers achieve and maintain a high level of data security, availability and confidentiality in their services.

Consultants are not allowed to carry out the actual certification. This is to ensure the audit is independent. Likewise, the certification body cannot give advice on the documentation.