SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is a widely recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for evaluating a service organization’s data security and privacy practices. The AICPA has established five trust principles that serve as the basis for SOC 2 compliance: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 compliance helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to protecting customer information, providing assurance to their customers and business partners. In order to demonstrate SOC 2 compliance, organizations are evaluated for the effectiveness of their controls related to the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customer data. SOC 2 compliance is not a one-time event. Organizations must undergo regular audits to maintain their SOC 2 compliance status.

SOC 2 compliance is important because it helps organizations enhance data security and privacy, build trust with their customers, and comply with regulatory requirements. SOC 2 compliance also assures customers and business partners that an organization has effective controls in place to protect their sensitive content.

To become SOC 2 compliant, an organization must undergo an audit conducted by an independent auditor. The audit evaluates the effectiveness of the organization’s controls relatedto the five trust principles established by the AICPA: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The audit process typically involves a risk assessment to identify potential security risks and implement controls to mitigate those risks. The audit process also includes a review of the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems, as well as interviews with employees and a site visit. Organizations must undergo regular audits to maintain their SOC 2 compliance status.

SOC 2 compliance offers several benefits to organizations, including: improved data security andprivacy practices by having identified areas for improvement and implementing effective controls; stronger trust with customers and business partners by demonstrating a commitment to data security and privacy; and additional business opportunities by having satisfied customer and partner requirements for data security and privacy.

The five trust principles established by the AICPA for SOC 2 compliance are:

• Security: The system is protected against unauthorized access, both physical and logical.
• Availability: The system is available for operation and use as committed or agreed upon.
• Processing integrity: System processing is complete, accurate, timely, and authorized.
• Confidentiality: Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed upon.
• Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and destroyed in accordance with the organization’s privacy notice and with the criteria set forth in the AICPA’s privacy principles.