SOC 2 Certification

What is a SOC 2 Certification?

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) developed the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 report. This report provides annual oversight and controls for a technology service provider. Specifically, any company storing customer data in the cloud (private or public) must meet the standards designed to minimize risk and exposure.

To become SOC 2 certified, a third-party audit firm must complete a full review of the company, requiring IT partners to not only establish procedures, but also to follow strict security policies. This certification affords assurance an IT provider follows the “trust principles” laid out by the AICPA. In other words, a SOC 2 certification ultimately provides reassurance to an organization that its consumer data is secure, available, confidential, and private.

Benefits of SOC 2 Certification

Organizations in any industry have data and people they want to protect. Having an IT partner who has gone through the SOC 2 audit and certification process provides business leaders with assurance. While many consumers do not fully appreciate the importance of a SOC 2 certification, businesses can certainly appreciate this commitment to security.

1- Security

Meeting the Security standard guarantees information and systems are protected against unauthorized access, transfer of data, or deletion of data.

2 - Availability

Availability refers to the performance of the system and the circumstances that allow access to a system. Monitoring system function and availability, as well as establishing protocols for handling a crisis are considered.

3 - Process Integrity

Process Integrity ensures data processing is authorized, timely, consistent, correct, and complete. The IT systems must meet the criteria set by the AICPA to ensure the processes used to manage data are secure.

4 - Confidentiality

Confidentiality is key when IT solution providers are working with companies who have large amounts of sensitive data, which is becoming more and more common in a remote, cloud-based era. The confidentiality principle ensures your system protects consumer data and only approved users have access to the data.

5 - Privacy

Privacy refers to the way a system retrieves, holds, discloses, and removes sensitive personal information. This process must be done in accordance with an organization’s privacy notice, as well as generally accepted privacy principles (GAPP).