3 minutes read Security Certification is a big issue nowadays.
Everyone talks about it; everyone thinks everyone else masters it, but still, only a handful knows how to approach it.
Working with hundreds of organizations, small and large alike, we realized that companies generally don’t understand compliance concepts, master the processes, or even know where to begin. Usually, compliance is perceived as a pain-in-the-neck that must be ‘somehow’ solved and removed from the way.
Let me try and answer some of the basic unasked questions that run in everyone’s minds:
Who should meet security compliance and why?
Practically any company with a software-based offering should comply with at least one security standard. Achieving compliance is imperative to create trust with customers and federal regulators and serves as a solid and field-tested foundation for your security program.
What are the differences between ISO 27001 and SOC 2?
In general, both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 help you verify your company’s security posture and help you establish well-formed and secure processes. However, ISO 27001 exhibits a more process-oriented approach, focusing on people, policies, procedures, and technology. SOC 2, on the other hand, is more rigorous and goes deeper into the intrinsics of security configurations, cloud platforms and SaaS tools settings, development lifecycle security, and more.
What is the difference between SOC 2 type 1 to SOC 2 type 2?
SOC 2 type 1 audit will review your compliance at a specific time; thus, it provides only a limited assurance for your customers. In a SOC 2 type 2 audit, your auditor will review evidence collected over time, usually three months if that is your first audit or twelve months in most other cases. Proving compliance over time elevates your overall security and data handling posture.
What does ISO 27001 clause 5 mean?
ISO 27001 clause 5 requires that the person or group managing the organization demonstrate leadership concerning the core principles of information security by defining the mission statement, strategy, and goals. In practice, it mandates the definition and implementation of an information security policy and the specific properties it should include. It also requires management to assign information security authorities and responsibilities.
What are ISO 27001 and SOC 2 mandatory requirements?
Both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 standards mandate policies and procedures to reflect the secure nature of people and technology-related operations. On top of that, both standards will require an organization to provide evidence pointing to the adequate implementation of a list of information security controls. In general, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 cover multiple operational categories, including security, confidentiality, availability, and data integrity aspects.
Is there a SOC 2 & ISO 27001 compliance checklist?
The SOC 2 and ISO 27001 standards have formal evaluation criteria, as made available for auditors and auditees by the American Institute of CPA (AICPA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) institute. However, since compliance is not a one-size-fits-all process, it is advisable to leverage an intelligent solution that can generate an audit scope matching your specific IT and operational environments.
Is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certification worth it?
In recent years, the global economy has experienced an exponential rise in cyber attacks on companies and individuals alike. This gloomy reality has brought the federal government and the private sector to require vendors’ highest security assurance levels before engaging in business. The best and most effective way to communicate your cybersecurity posture to prospective customers is to adopt one or more of the abovementioned security standards. One can claim that today, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 have become true business enablers and are part of the cost of doing business.
Want to learn more about the compliance process?
Join Cypago for a webinar “What to Expect When You’re Expecting an IT Compliance Audit”, hosted by Cypago co-founder and CEO Arik Solomon, to learn the basics about SOC 2 and ISO27001 compliance. Save Your Seat!