If you’ve spent any time looking into security features, you’ve probably seen the term “SOC 2 compliance” repeatedly. However, for those unfamiliar with security standards, the term means very little.
Many will look at this and wonder, “What is SOC 2 compliance? What does it entail? And what do businesses need to do to get SOC 2 certification?”
S,o let’s answer all those questions and more as we look at SOC 2 compliance, SOC 2 type 2, and how Splashtop earns its SOC 2 certification.
What is SOC 2 Compliance?
SOC 2 is a compliance standard for service organizations that specifies how they should manage customer data. The standard is based on several criteria, including:
Security
Availability
Processing integrity
Confidentiality
Privacy
SOC, which stands for “Systems and Organization Controls,” is designed to provide auditors with guidance when they evaluate the effectiveness of security protocols. Should organizations meet the standards for the criteria, they can receive SOC 2 certification.
What is a SOC 2 Report?
A SOC 2 report is an audit designed to determine how compliant a company is with SOC 2 standards. It provides organizations, regulators, and partners with information about how the company manages its data, typically by detailing its systems, how they comply with trust principles, and how efficient they are.
The goal of a SOC 2 report is to demonstrate a company’s commitment to data security. If a company meets SOC 2 standards, the report will detail what they’re doing and how it’s compliant.
SOC 2 Type I vs. Type II
There are two kinds of SOC reports: SOC 2 Type 1 and SOC 2 Type 2. Each provides different details about the company’s security and compliance.
SOC 2 Type 1 reports describe a service organization’s system and compliance with security standards. This is a one-time report and is typically focused on financial information security.
SOC 2 Type 2 reports go beyond Type 1 and include the operational efficiency of those systems, including demonstrating how they’ve been used over time and testing their effectiveness. SOC 2 Type 2 reports are renewed annually and include cloud and data center security controls.
In short, Type 1 evaluates the design of a system at a certain point in time, while Type 2 assesses its effectiveness over time.
Why is SOC 2 Compliance Important?
With these definitions in mind, the next question is: why does SOC 2 compliance matter? Of course, security is vital for every organization, but what makes SOC 2 in particular necessary?
SOC 2 is designed to ensure robust data security. Being SOC 2 compliant not only means you’re meeting the security standards you need to reduce data breaches but also helps build trust with customers since they’ll know their data is safe with you.
For instance, Splashtop is SOC 2 compliant, making it a great choice for secure remote access. Users can connect their devices across Splashtop while knowing they’ll have robust security and confidentiality every time.
SOC 2 Compliance Audit
When a company is audited for SOC 2 compliance, the auditor evaluates their adherence to the trust service criteria.
The auditor needs to ascertain how secure the systems that the service organization uses are, as well as the systems’ processing integrity (how complete and accurate it is) and their overall availability. Additionally, the auditor needs to confirm that the information processed remains confidential and private.
In SOC 2 Type 1 audits, the auditor will examine the service organization’s controls for a point in time. For SOC 2 Type 2 audits, the report will cover a period, typically several months.
If you have a SOC 2 audit approaching, one great way to prepare is to perform an internal audit of your own. This will help you identify any weaknesses or areas for improvement you can address while ensuring you meet all the relevant standards. If there’s anywhere you fall short, you’ll be able to fix them in time for the audit.
Who can Perform a SOC Audit?
Not just anyone can perform a SOC 2 audit. Audits are performed by certified public accountants or audit firms, whom the organizations hire externally.
Using an external auditor is an essential part of the SOC 2 compliance process. It ensures that the auditor is independent and unbiased while fully authorized and trained to audit the business to SOC 2 standards.
SOC 2 Compliance Requirements
With all that said, what exactly are the requirements for SOC 2 compliance? There are five SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria that companies need to meet:
1. Security
First, the technology a company uses has to be secure so that users can sign in and bad actors are kept out, in order to protect against unauthorized access, theft of information, or damages. This typically includes security features like firewalls, multi-factor authentication, and intrusion detection, along with vendor management, risk management, and data security.
2. Availability
Next, the information and systems the company uses need to be available and can help meet objectives. This includes examining its service level agreements and capacity planning, to ensure it has reliable uptime and can meet the needs of its workforce, as well as disaster recovery controls to restore availability in case of an emergency.
3. Processing Integrity
System processing is essential for smooth and secure operations, so processing integrity is another key criterion. All aspects of the system processing, including the data inputs, outputs, quality, and reporting, need to be complete, accurate, and timely.
4. Confidentiality
Confidentiality is one of the cornerstones of security. Confidential information must be protected during transit, while at rest, and even when it’s being disposed of, so the audit checks to ensure it’s managed properly. Confidential data can include customer data, intellectual property, contracts, and similar information, depending on the company.
5. Privacy
Users need to know their private information is kept private. The fifth criterion is focused on privacy, ensuring that personal information is only used as necessary and following the company’s objectives. This can include health information, personally identifiable information, social security numbers, and so on.
Additionally, the privacy criteria require controls for how the company responds to data breaches and informs users about any incidents so they can respond accordingly.
SOC 2 Compliance Checklist
If you need to ensure SOC 2 compliance or you have an audit approaching, it’s never too late to prepare. Following this checklist will help you prepare for SOC 2 compliance:
Understand and self-audit the SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy
Review your security and adjust if needed
Ensure your access controls have logical and physical restrictions to keep unauthorized users out
Implement a controlled process for managing changes to IT systems and preventing unauthorized changes
Monitor ongoing system operations to detect and manage any unusual activity
Conduct internal risk assessment to identify risks and create strategies for mitigating and responding to them
Identify and fix any gaps
Secure Your Business with Splashtop's SOC 2-Compliant Remote Access
If you’re looking for a SOC 2 Type 2 compliant remote access solution so your teams can work from anywhere, then Splashtop has what you need.
Splashtop empowers employees to securely access their work computers from anywhere, on their preferred devices. Remote and hybrid employees can stay connected and find all their files and projects no matter where they’re working while keeping all their data secure.
Splashtop is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, ensuring everything remains safe, accessible, and confidential. Since Splashtop doesn’t store, share, or process data, everything stays secure on the remote computer, while accounts and devices remain protected with several advanced security features.
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