SOC 2 compliance provides a structured approach to ensuring data security, availability, and processing integrity, among other aspects. This article will dive into the specifics of SOC 2 and its impact on cloud security, shedding light on the technical controls, best practices, and the vital role of third-party attestations in bolstering trust between service providers and their clients.
Understanding the structure of a SOC 2 report is essential for both businesses and service providers who are thinking ahead to their audit and attestation. It will serve as the “story” of an organization’s SOC 2 journey, covering the evaluation of their adherence to the Trust Services Criteria (TSC)–security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
In this blog post, we will provide an overview of the standard structure of a SOC 2 report, encompassing its various sections and the information included in each of these segments.
SSAE 18 is a statement that sets standards for reporting on the controls and processes related to financial reporting. It comes from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, outlining the framework for reporting on internal controls. The SSAE 18 is designed to provide assurances that the reporting of service organizations is secure, thorough, and on point. For SOC reports, an SSAE 18 statement outlines controls to ensure they’re reliable.
Most organizations have at least heard of SOC reports. Published and administered by the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), the SOC umbrella of attestations helps organizations demonstrate adherence to best practices around data privacy, cybersecurity, risk assessment and financial reporting.
Since SOC requirements come directly from the AICPA, the organization releases documents pertaining to guidance for audits and compliance. One of the primary documents for SOC compliance is Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements no. 18 (SSAE 18).