The Ultimate SOC 2 Compliance Checklist
by Hannah Grace Holladay / December 15th, 2023
Starting a SOC 2 audit can be overwhelming.
You know you need a SOC 2 audit, but don’t know what to expect or how to get started. The SOC 2 Compliance Checklist below will prepare you for what your auditors look for and how to confidently begin your SOC 2 compliance journey.
What is a SOC 2 Compliance Audit?
A SOC 2 audit attests that the system or service you provide to your clients is secure, trustworthy, and prepared to handle risks. This attestation is achieved through a quality examination of your people, processes, and technologies by an experienced, licensed CPA firm.
A SOC 2 audit validates your organization’s commitment to delivering high quality, secure services to your clients.
What’s Included in the SOC 2 Compliance Checklist?
This exclusive SOC 2 compliance checklist, prepared by KirkpatrickPrice’s SOC 2 compliance professionals, outlines the specifics of each system component that will be evaluated during your SOC 2 audit.
The SOC 2 Checklist will cover:
- The Trust Services Criteria
- The system components evaluated in your audit
- Which policies and procedures need to be in place
- Average length of a SOC 2 audit
- Answers to frequently asked SOC 2 questions
What Makes a SOC 2 Audit Successful?
After completing your SOC 2 audit, you might have concerns about completing it correctly. Here are four main metrics to help you evaluate a SOC 2 audit’s success:
Receiving C-Level Support
C-level executives and stakeholders must understand and support the audit as it relates to the organization’s information security needs. Without it, how can the business implement policies or procedures, approve funding, or drive the audit’s outcome?
Authentically Taking Company-wide Action
While SOC 2 audits help strengthen and enhance a business, many organizations fall hesitant to the lengthy process and overlook the benefits as a result. An audit isn’t something to be completed haphazardously. Instead, a business should perceive audits as an opportunity to improve internal processes, security, and organizational wellness amongst staff.
For example, a quality SOC 2 audit could have helped Clorox take action and avoid a significant cybersecurity breach. Unfortunately, few companies value cybersecurity enough to include security experts on their board, despite its requirement of information security compliance frameworks. A successful audit helps companies remain vigilant in safeguarding their organization from the threat of a breach.
Using Compliance as a Competitive Advantage
When an organization leverages compliance achievements as a competitive edge, they take full advantage of the achievement, incorporating audit insights into marketing materials and sales conversations.
The opportunities are endless when you can demonstrate that you care about your customers’ data and have the evidence to prove it.
Continuing the SOC 2 Journey
After completing a SOC 2 audit for the first time, many of our clients agree the process was difficult but worth it.
By following remediation guidance, you can proactively prepare for the next audit. They know what to expect, how to use the Online Audit Manager, how to build a stronger information security program, and can show their auditor all the improvements made every year.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to have everything perfectly in place to start your audit. This checklist should just be a tool to help you prepare for your audit. If you need help putting controls in place, contact one of our experts today! We want to make sure you feel ready to successfully complete your SOC 2 audit.
Prepare to successfully start and complete your SOC 2 audit by downloading the SOC 2 Compliance Checklist!
