
SOC 2 Type 2 is a rigorous framework designed by Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It is an auditing standard that evaluates the operational effectiveness of an organization’s internal controls.
Control Environment
Formal disciplinary process for non-compliance
Annual performance reviews
Annual policy review and approval
Security awareness training program
Defined job responsibilities
Policy acknowledgement for new hires
Executive Management Team Charter
Annual organizational chart review
Communication of security practice changes
Annual vendor risk evaluation
Standard vendor security agreements
Management review of vendor contracts
Annual policy review and approval
Defined job responsibilities
Pre-employment background checks
Formal disciplinary process for non-compliance
Annual performance reviews
Annual policy review and approval
Security awareness training program
Defined job responsibilities
Quarterly internal control self-assessment
Formal disciplinary process for non-compliance
Annual organizational chart review
Annual performance reviews
Annual policy review and approval
Defined job responsibilities
Communication and Information
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual policy review and approval
Defined job responsibilities
Quarterly internal control self-assessment
Security commitments in contracts
Public incident reporting channel
Communication of security practice changes
Annual policy review and approval
Security awareness training program
Defined job responsibilities
Policy acknowledgement for new hires
Communication of security practice changes
Security commitments in contracts
Public incident reporting channel
Risk Assessment
Annual policy review and approval
Defined job responsibilities
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual vendor risk evaluation
Standard vendor security agreements
Fraud risk assessment
Annual organizational chart review
Annual policy review and approval
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual vendor risk evaluation
Monitoring Activities
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Semi-annual access review
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Public incident reporting channel
Quarterly internal control self-assessment
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Formal disciplinary process for non-compliance
Public incident reporting channel
Quarterly internal control self-assessment
Semi-annual access review
Control Activities
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Annual organizational chart review
Annual policy review and approval
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Non-production change testing
Restricted production code promotion
Management change approval
Formal SDLC and Change Management policy
Restricted application admin access
Restricted network admin access
Dedicated administrative accounts
Unique user authentication
External customer authentication
Automated patch management
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Annual performance reviews
Communication of security practice changes
Annual policy review and approval
Defined job responsibilities
Logical and Physical Access Controls
Asset inventory maintenance
Restricted backup tool access
AES encryption for backups
Removable media protection
Workstation hard drive encryption
Database encryption at rest
Server build standards
Restricted database access
Timely access revocation
Application password parameters
Network password parameters
Restricted protocol modification
Remote access via VPN
Logical data separation
Restricted cloud portal access
Restricted application admin access
Restricted network admin access
Dedicated administrative accounts
Unique user authentication
External customer authentication
Customer admin approval
Internal access request approval
Semi-annual access review
Timely access revocation
Customer admin approval
Timely access revocation
Internal access request approval
Semi-annual access review
Azure Data Center reliance
Data purging upon termination
Hardware destruction approval
Data retention standards
Network device deployment
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Restricted backup tool access
Restricted network admin access
Dedicated administrative accounts
Restricted protocol modification
Encryption in transit
Database activity monitoring
Restricted backup tool access
AES encryption for backups
Removable media protection
Workstation hard drive encryption
Restricted database access
Restricted network admin access
Dedicated administrative accounts
Remote access via VPN
Antivirus deployment
Annual static code analysis
Restricted production code promotion
Server build standards
Restricted application admin access
Restricted network admin access
Dedicated administrative accounts
Database activity monitoring
Systems Operations
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Database activity monitoring
Annual static code analysis
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Database activity monitoring
Public incident reporting channel
Annual static code analysis
Network intrusion detection and review
Cyber liability insurance
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Database activity monitoring
Annual policy review and approval
Public incident reporting channel
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual data restore test
Network intrusion detection and review
Process failure monitoring and response
Monthly vulnerability scanning
Annual external penetration testing
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Database activity monitoring
Annual policy review and approval
Public incident reporting channel
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Cyber liability insurance
BC/DR plan documentation and testing
Daily backups
Annual data restore test
Incident Root Cause Analysis
Public incident reporting channel
Change Management
Source code version control
Asset inventory maintenance
Non-production change testing
Restricted production code promotion
Management change approval
Formal SDLC and Change Management policy
Server build standards
Automated patch management
Annual static code analysis
Risk Management
Cyber liability insurance
BC/DR plan documentation and testing
Daily backups
Annual data restore test
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual enterprise risk assessment
Annual vendor risk evaluation
Standard vendor security agreements
Annual policy review and approval