Do you wish to implement or upgrade your SOC 2 compliance program? This  Service Organization Control Framework Guide serves as a beginning point for understanding. Executing its program, which comprises the following components:

Implementation and Understandings

• In a word, this is an explanation of the SOC 2 framework structure and requirements.
• Its essential phases and process include scoping, foundation application, and paradigm implementation. Moreover, it has internal and external framework assessments and ongoing compliance.

What Is the SOC 2 Framework?

It stands for Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy Controls at a Service Organization. Furthermore, it is an external attestation report that service firms may provide to their consumers to demonstrate their cybersecurity control environment.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) allows firms to control cyber threats. Furthermore, it is an optional cybersecurity framework that service organizations typically use with mostly US-based clients  ISO 27001.

Businesses with customers outside the United States utilize this for the same reason.

Criteria

All sorts of service organizations can use the Service Organization Control framework. As a result, the criteria allow flexibility in how they might be implemented and audited. Unlike more prescriptive cybersecurity frameworks, it lets the service organization determine how its cybersecurity controls.

It closely connects with the 17 principles outlined in the COSO framework, published in 2013. It bases many of the Common Trust Services Criteria on these ideas outlined in the next section.

Advantages

It offers the following advantages to both service firms and their customers:

• A report providing independent testimony of stated, shared criteria.
• Criteria define using industry best practices.
• Moreover, it provides a generally acknowledged benchmark against an organization’s third-party evaluation procedure.

In the United States, SOC 2 has become the de facto norm for service businesses to certify the quality of their controls connected to offered services. Service firms that want to do business with clients in the United States will discover that maintaining a Service Organization Control compliance and audit program is vital to getting new and retaining existing business.

What Are the SOC 2 Requirements?

Trust Service Categories:

It comprises five Trust Services Categories — Security (Common Criteria), Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy — that serve as the framework’s high-level parts. Each of the five categories has a distinct focus:

• Security (Common Criteria): Data and devices safeguard against unauthorized access and unauthorized dissemination of information. Moreover, its system damage could jeopardize the availability, decency, secrecy, and privacy of information or systems and impair the entity’s ability to achieve its goals.
• Availability: Information and systems are available for operation and usage to achieve the entity’s goals.
• Processing Integrity: It Provides Technology and industry complete, valid, accurate, and timely to achieve the entity’s goals.
• Confidentiality: Information is labeling as a confidential safeguard to achieve the entity’s goals.
• Personal information is gathered, utilized, maintained, released, and disposed of to achieve the entity’s goals. While secrecy relates to sensitive information, privacy solely refers to personal information.

Relationship Between SOC for Cybersecurity and SOC 2

Although Service Organization Control 2 and Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity have distinct aims and functions, their output and structure are identical. Both give objective assurance on an organization’s internal controls for cybersecurity management and information security at a high level.

An independent CPA must conduct all Service Organization Control audits (Certified Public Accountant). Both reporting frameworks include management’s explanation of criteria, management’s claims, and practitioners’ formal views.

Furthermore, both cybersecurity frameworks intend to employ by various companies. However, its implementation will determine a company’s unique demands regarding business partners and clientele.

Critical Differences Between SOC for Cybersecurity and SOC 2

Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity and Service Organization Control 2 differ significantly in terms of purpose and audience.

Scope

A Service Organization Control 2 report evaluates third-party data management and focuses on information security practices for specific departments or services. In contrast, the Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity examines the organization’s information risk management program.

Control Criteria

Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity does not have a predefined baseline for assessment. However, it can utilize any cybersecurity methodology the business already uses (such as ISO 27001 or the NIST Cybersecurity Framework). Service Organization Control 2 restricts the AICPA’s Trust Service Criteria, which comply with the COSO frameworks.

Audience

The Cybersecurity Service Organization Control intends for broad usage. It has a wide audience. Thus it is appropriate for stakeholders who want to ensure that the entity’s cybersecurity objectives and activities are well-designed. 

Service Organization Control 2 is intended for active users and provides thorough information on information security procedures. Thus, its audience is limited and specialized.

Third-Party Risks

All third-party risks must be reviewed and analyzed at a high level in a Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity report.

The reports are more complicated. Determine which third parties are “subservice organizations” according to the Service Organization Control 2 standard. These are third-party services that assist you in satisfying your Service Organization Control 2 trust services criterion. Cloud hosting providers and data centers are typical instances of subsurface businesses; you rely on their internal controls to fulfill your Service Organization Control 2 criteria.

Documentation of due diligence and vendor management practices for all subsurface entities is required in Service Organization Control 2 reports. You may additionally specify the actual controls done by certain sub-service companies in some circumstances.

Sensitive Information

Service Organization Control 2  report includes the Trust Services Criteria and the findings of the auditor’s control tests. It may contain sensitive information that discloses to a restricted audience. On the other hand, the Service Organization Control  for Cybersecurity is more comprehensive in scope and meant for a larger audience. Therefore, it does not include sensitive data. It may, for example, be made public on your company’s website.

Summing Up

All sorts of service organizations can use the Service Organization Control framework. As a result, the criteria allow flexibility in how they might be implemented and audited. A Service Organization Control 2 report evaluates third-party data management and focuses on information security practices for specific departments or services.

In contrast, the Service Organization Control for Cybersecurity examines the organization’s information risk management program. The reports are more complicated. Determine which third parties are “subservice organizations” according to the Service Organization Control 2 standard.

These are third-party services that assist you in satisfying your Service Organization Control 2 trust services criterion. Cloud hosting providers and data centers are typical instances of subsurface businesses; you rely on their internal controls to fulfill your Service Organization Control 2 criteria.

It may contain sensitive information that discloses to a restricted audience. On the other hand, the Service Organization Control  for Cybersecurity is more comprehensive in scope and meant for a larger audience. Therefore, it does not include sensitive data. It may, for example, be made public on your company’s website.

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