SOC 2 Preparation
In order to successfully execute a SOC 2 program, organizations should implement ongoing key control activities to align with the Trust Services Criteria. The activities that must be performed to ensure compliance with SOC 2 requirements will primarily be driven by your SOC 2 scope. Specifically, each Trust Services Category will drive a set of activities that must be performed to ensure compliance. Here are some of the key control activities commonly required for SOC 2 compliance and the frequency with which the activity needs to be performed. Copper Mountain helps to ensure that you have the required key components to be prepared for your SOC 2 audit.
Key areas required for a SOC 2 provided by Copper Mountain:
- Risk Assessment
- Vulnerability Scan
- Tabletop Exercises for BCP/DR and Incident Response
- Penetration Testing
- Controls Design
- Remediation Roadmap and Support
- Audit Support
- Establish an Information Security Program – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Create, Maintain, and Communicate Policies and Procedures – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Maintain an Organization structure – Reviewed/Updated at least annually (or change depending on the restructure).
- Third-Party Risk Assessment / Vendor Reviews – Based on the organization’s policies/procedures, but at least annually.
- Conduct a Risk Assessment of the In-Scope Environment – Based on the organization’s policies/procedures, but at least annually.
- Mitigate Identified Risks – Ensure documented mitigation plans exist for applicable risks. Ensure mitigation plans are implemented. Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Establish and Maintain a Compliance Evaluation Program – Based on the organization’s policies/procedures, but at least annually.
- Document and Update In-Scope Control Activities – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Conduct security awareness training – Reviewed at least annually.
- Establish an Access Management Program – Based on the organization’s policies/procedures, but at least annually.
- Establish and Maintain an Information Asset Inventory – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Establish and Maintain a Data Classification Matrix – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Define and Maintain System Configuration Standards – Reviewed/Updated at least annually.
- Conduct Vulnerability Scans and/or Penetration Testing – Based on the service organization’s policies/procedures, but at least annually.
- Create, Test and Maintain a Security Incident Response Plan – Reviewed/Updated and tested at least annually.
- Perform Logging and Monitoring of the In-Scope Environment – Continuous monitoring and logging is required for all in scope components. Log retention is based on your organization’s policies/procedures, but no less than 1 year.
- Establish and Maintain a Change Management Program – Ensure change records exist for all in-scope components during the defined time period.
Assessing Against the SOC 2 Framework
The best practice for SOC 2 compliance is to assess all controls within the scope of your organization’s SOC 2 compliance program at least annually. However, you may choose to assess only high-risk controls or controls that have a shorter review frequency (monthly or quarterly) within the assessment cycle.
Achieving Ongoing SOC 2 Compliance
To ensure that no exceptions are noted in an annual Type II report, organizations must be certain they can provide evidence that controls operated effectively over the preceding year. This means that controls must be tested based on your organization’s defined policies and procedures and evidence gathered on the cadence defined in these documents. For example, if your organization’s policies and procedures say they conduct quarterly logical access reviews, you will need to provide quarterly evidence from the preceding year confirming those reviews were conducted. Any exceptions are documented by the auditor with details on how often they occurred, their impact, and indicate any remediation efforts.
Overview: SOC 2 Framework Compliance Flow
SOC 2 compliance doesn’t have to be overly complicated. We’ve broken down the process flow for achieving and maintaining SOC 2 compliance, from standard GRC process steps for initial setup and audit readiness, through interactions with your SOC 2 external auditor, as well as how to ensure ongoing compliance.
Initial Assessment/Audit Readiness:
- Scope Framework: Decide which Categories to include. Scope Criteria based on applicability.
- Identify/Document Controls: Document control statements for existing controls. Identify gaps where controls don’t exist.
- Implement Controls for Gaps: Implement controls for in-scope criteria that are not satisfied with current controls.
- Framework Execution: Ensure key activities are performed prior to control testing.
- Gather Evidence for Internal Testing: Gather evidence showing control activities are in place.
- Initial Assessment: Document test plans for each control. Perform testing by using collected evidence. Identify issues where controls are not operating effectively.
- Issue Management and Remediation: Remediate issues by correcting activities that are causing them. Retest controls until they pass.
We streamline SOC 2 Preparation and Readiness by bringing the tools required with us.
By collaborating with Copper Mountain for your SOC 2 preparation, we streamline the process, eliminating the necessity to engage multiple third-party firms to fulfill SOC 2 requirements. The professionals at Copper Mountain possess extensive experience in conducting SOC 2 audits and remediations and are equipped with the essential tools required to achieve compliance with SOC 2 standards.
Copper Mountain is equipped to conduct the annual Risk Assessment mandated for SOC 2 compliance. Our extensive experience ensures that we comprehensively understand the requisite standards and can deliver accurate, real-world insights and expertise to substantiate the findings.
For compliance with SOC 2 standards, a comprehensive Penetration Test should be conducted annually. At Copper Mountain, we possess the necessary tools and expertise to fulfill this essential requirement as part of our services.
Vulnerability Scans play a critical role in the SOC 2 compliance process. While many organizations conduct these assessments quarterly, Copper Mountain offers advanced tools enabling daily testing throughout the preparation and remediation phases. This approach facilitates the prompt identification and resolution of significant vulnerabilities from the outset.
Tabletop exercises for both Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) and Incident Response (IR) are essential for compliance with SOC 2 standards. At Copper Mountain, we have conducted numerous tabletop exercises and possess the requisite expertise to facilitate and document these in accordance with SOC 2 requirements.
In preparation for a SOC 2 compliance assessment, many organizations discover they lack the necessary policies and procedures. At Copper Mountain, we offer a comprehensive database of customizable templates designed to align with your organization's specific requirements and ensure adherence to SOC 2 standards.
Numerous organizations offer services for developing controls for a SOC 2 audit. In practice, auditors craft control questions based on the specific standards they apply within their organization. At Copper Mountain, we align your remediation efforts with the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria and COSO Principles to ensure compliance with SOC 2 audit requirements.
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