While some companies perform SOC 2 Type II audits for various different reasons, most organizations do so to protect the security and compliance of their customers. Audits are one of the best ways for one company to let other companies know it’s safe and secure, which makes them popular with CPA firms.
This article will introduce the SOC 2 Type II audit and walk through some best practices to keep in mind when dealing with security profiles. After all, the reputation of both you and your customers are at stake.
An introduction to a SOC 2 Audit
As more and more businesses have come to rely on cloud-based data and have started to work with SaaS-model vendors and customers, information security and data privacy has become a much bigger topic in the cybersecurity world. To this end, most organizations now require (or should require) some sort of security audit whenever new partners, vendors, or customers are introduced to the technology ecosystem. A single gap in security on the side of a vendor can compromise millions of customer records.
Keeping customer data safe and secure from vendor partnerships is where the SOC 2 Type II Audit comes into play. This security audit tests a vendor’s internal security practices and safeguards to provide the necessary assurances to any external organization that might be thinking about sharing data.
How to better share this report with customers
The SOC 2 audit is, at its core, a customer-facing undertaking. Typically, vendor organizations respond to an audit or assessment request in order to move a customer relationship further down the funnel. Unfortunately, too many InfoSec teams are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to actually sharing this data with customers. Many vendors simply send a PDF report via email or another equally risky channel to prove their compliance. This results in missing attachments, compromised email data, confusing documentation, and an overall lack of transparency and professionalism between partners.
Additionally, there might be some data points that are needed for one customer and not for another, which means InfoSec leaders will have to re-run an entire report to get the right data every single time.
Sharing security assessment data with customers and vendors is the entire reason security assessment management platforms even exist. They allow organizations to build a secure library of security data and answers, easily update this information when necessary, and share specific reports or assessments with customers at the click of a button. And, with so many industry standard questionnaires, the top security profile management platforms seamlessly sort answers to fit these boxes, making it easy for customers to track progress.
The benefits of a robust security profile
Having access to the right information for an SOC 2 audit comes down to having the right resources and tools at your fingertips. This starts by building a thorough, robust security profile. From a clear audit trail to permissions tracking to NDA workflows, every single critical part of your organization’s security protocols should be reported on and stored in a secure security profile, like the one from Whistic.
With Whistic, organizations can easily respond to SOC 2 audits without confusing or alienating customers. Instead, your team can deliver the information they need in a secure, timely manner.
