The SOC 2 Compliance Checklist

A SOC 2 report is regarded as the primary document that proves your company is taking proper security measures and managing customer according to a set of standards created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Securing a SOC 2 report is the most trusted way to show your customers and prospects that your security practices can protect their data.

How do we prepare for a SOC 2?

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SOC 2 reporting has typically been a multi-stage, costly process involving many hours of preparation, time-intensive interviews, gap assessments, process changes, and the collection of detailed proof that you uphold your security controls. That’s all before the on-site audit itself, which includes more interviews and additional evidence collection, followed by your auditor’s time to write the report documenting this lengthy process and representing your achievement of a clean SOC 2 audit. But it doesn’t need to be this way anymore.

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Consider using a comprehensive automated compliance platform that can alleviate the pain points listed above. Vanta's SOC 2 compliance platform automates your security monitoring and helps you get SOC 2 certified in weeks instead of months. Vanta integrates with your existing security tools, offers lightweight templates, provides a single source of truth for all users, and automates the tedious work involved in prepping for your SOC 2.

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The SOC 2 compliance checklist with Vanta

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1. Building your SOC 2 report: Start with the Trust Service Criteria.

Your SOC 2 report will be built from a selection of the five Trust Service Criteria, according to your customers’ needs and your unique business model. Vanta will help walk you through this process.

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Every SOC 2 report includes the Security category.
The other categories that you could include in your SOC 2 report are Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. Vanta will help you choose which areas are necessary to include. Our Trust Services Category guide provides more detail on these choices.

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2. Let your technology do the talking.

When you work with Vanta, you get to use automated checks that are designed to the SOC 2 standard. First, we build a list of rules tailored to your company. Then, we connect to your company’s infrastructure, admin, and key services to continuously monitor your systems and services. We’ll then walk you step-by-step through the process of closing any gaps in your security implementation, so your holistic security hums before audit time.

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3. Talk with Vanta and your auditor.

You could spend days (or weeks!) walking an auditor through your company’s systems and processes. Or, when you work with Vanta, your engineers and the Vanta team work with an auditor — and get on the same page about the details of your systems in just a couple of hours.

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4. Vanta reviews your continuously monitored data with your auditor...

… and you emerge on the other side with a complete SOC 2 report with less time and effort and more security assurance.

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5. You’re done!

With Vanta, what used to be a costly and time-consuming process — preparing for your SOC 2 audit, getting audited, and waiting for your audit report — is transformed into an automated part of your business that runs in the background.

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Prepare for a successful audit with Vanta

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Vanta provides continuous security monitoring so that you don’t lose unnecessary time preparing for and working through a lengthy manual audit process. Continuous monitoring ensures that you stay secure all year long and you are confident that you're security goes beyond just a point in time review process.

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A smooth, automated audit and a clean SOC 2 report are the direct outcomes of working with Vanta. With Vanta, you’re able to maintain the highest levels of security compliance while staying focused on your company’s — and your clients’ — big-picture goals.

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The SOC 2 Compliance Checklist

Most businesses look at security compliance as a mountain that is impossible to conquer without an equally mountainous budget and ample time with endless frustrations. The truth is that every organization’s experience will vary, but in most cases, you can achieve compliance and certification easier than you think if you only prepare properly.

That begins with educating yourself about the road ahead and having the right tools in your toolbox, like automated compliance software. If you’re preparing to guide your organization through SOC 2 compliance, our SOC 2 compliance checklist will break down the process and give you a digestible view of the road ahead.

Pre-Work for Your SOC 2 Compliance

Choose the right type of SOC 2 report:

A SOC 2 Type 1 report assesses how your organization aligns with the security controls and policies outlined in SOC 2

A SOC 2 Type 2 report has all the components of a Type 1 report with the addition of testing your controls over a period of time

The correct report will depend on the requirements or requests of the client or partner that is requested a SOC 2 report from you

Determine the framework for your SOC 2 report. Of the five Trust Service Criteria in SOC 2, every organization needs to comply with the first criteria (security), but you only need to assess and document the other criteria that apply. Determining your framework involves deciding which Trust Service Criteria and controls are applicable to your business using our Trust Service Criteria Guide.

Estimate the resources you expect to need. This will vary depending on how closely you already align with SOC 2 security controls but it can include several costs such as:

Compliance software

Engineers and potentially consultants

Security tools such as access control systems

Administrative resources to draft security policies

Auditing for your compliance certification

Obtain buy-in from your organization leadership to provide the resources your SOC 2 compliance will need.

Work Toward SOC 2 Compliance

Begin with an initial assessment of your system using automated compliance software to determine which necessary controls and practices you have already implemented and which you still need to put in place.

Review your Vanta report to determine any controls and protocols within the “Security” Trust Service Criteria that you do not yet meet and implement these one by one. These are multi-tiered controls across several categories of security, including:

CC1: Control Environment

CC2: Communication and Information

CC3: Risk Assessment

CC4: Monitoring Activities

CC5: Control Activities

CC6: Logical and Physical Access Controls

CC7: System Operations

CC8: Change Management

CC9: Risk Mitigation

Using Vanta’s initial assessment report as a to-do list, address each of the applicable controls in the other Trust Services Criteria that you identified in your initial framework but that you have not yet implemented.

Using Vanta’s initial assessment report, draft security policies and protocols that adhere to the standards outlined in SOC 2. Vanta’s tool includes thorough and user-friendly templates to make this simpler and save time for your team.

Run Vanta’s automated compliance software again to determine if you have met all the necessary criteria and controls for your SOC 2 report and to document your compliance with these controls.

Complete a SOC 2 Report Audit

Select and hire an auditor affiliated with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the organization that developed and supports SOC 2.

Complete a readiness assessment with this auditor to determine if you have met the minimum standards to undergo a full audit.

If your readiness assessment indicates that there are SOC 2 controls you need to address before your audit, complete these requirements. However, if you have use automated compliance software to guide your preparations and your SOC 2 compliance, this is unlikely.

Undergo a full audit with your SOC 2 report auditor. This may involve weeks or longer of working with your auditor to provide the documentation they need. Vanta simplifies your audit, however, by compiling your compliance evidence and documentation into one platform your auditor can access directly.

When you pass your audit, the auditor will present you with your SOC 2 report to document and verify your compliance.

Maintain Your SOC 2 Compliance Annually

Establish a system or protocol to regularly monitor your SOC 2 compliance and identify any breaches of your compliance, as this can happen with system updates and changes.

Promptly address any gaps in your compliance that arise, rather than waiting until your next audit.

Undergo a SOC 2 re-certification audit each year with your chosen SOC 2 auditor to renew your certification.

Prioritizing Your Security and Opening Doors with SOC 2 Compliance

Information security is a vital priority for any business today from an ethical standpoint and from a business standpoint. Not only could a data breach jeopardize your revenue but many of your future clients and partners may require a SOC 2 report before they consider your organization. Achieving and maintaining your SOC 2 compliance can open countless doors, and you can simplify the process with the help of the checklist above and Vanta’s compliance automation software. Request a demo today to learn more about how we can help you protect and grow your organization.