System and Organization Controls (SOC 2)

[iamshellyan]

Details

SOC 2 is a framework established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to assess and audit the internal controls, policies, and procedures related to data security and privacy within an organization. It aims to determine whether these controls meet specific trust service criteria, which typically include security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 compliance is often pursued by service organizations that handle sensitive data and want to demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding this information. It involves an independent audit by certified public accountants who evaluate the organization's ability to protect and manage data securely, with the audit resulting in a SOC 2 report that is often shared with customers and stakeholders to provide assurance regarding data security.

Implementing SOC 2

Requirements	Description
Understand the Trust Service Criteria	Begin by understanding the specific trust service criteria that are relevant to your organization. These may include security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Knowing the criteria will guide your implementation efforts.
Scope Definition	Clearly define the scope of your SOC 2 compliance effort. Identify the systems and processes that are within the scope of the audit and will be assessed for compliance.
Policies and Procedures	Develop and document comprehensive policies and procedures for data security and privacy. These should align with the trust service criteria and best practices. Ensure that these policies are effectively communicated and followed throughout your organization.
Risk Assessment	Conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats to your systems and data. Develop strategies to mitigate these risks and establish ongoing risk management processes.
Controls Implementation	Implement controls to address the trust service criteria. These controls may include access controls, encryption, data protection, incident response plans, and more. Ensure that these controls are well-documented and consistently applied.
Monitoring and Testing	Regularly monitor and test the effectiveness of your controls. Continuous monitoring helps identify and address vulnerabilities and threats in real-time.
Training and Awareness	Train your staff on data security and privacy best practices and the importance of SOC 2 compliance. Create a culture of awareness and responsibility throughout your organization.
Third Party Assessments	Engage a certified public accountant (CPA) to conduct the SOC 2 audit. They will evaluate your controls and practices against the trust service criteria and produce a SOC 2 report.
Continuous Improvement	Use the results of the SOC 2 audit to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to enhance data security and privacy.

[iamshellyan]

@wycliffepeart we can have some discussion around how we need to implement the SOC

[wycliffepeart]

@iamshellyan yes some more discussions are needed