Can a company be SOC 2 certified by a body that is not an AICPA member?

SOC 2 attestation engagements must be conducted by licensed CPA firms authorized to perform attestation engagements; however, the requirement is licensure as a CPA firm, not AICPA membership specifically. While many CPA firms choose to be AICPA members, membership itself is not the determining factor. What matters is that the firm holds the appropriate CPA licensure and is qualified to perform attestation engagements under the AICPA's attestation standards.

Does SOC 2 have an official or exclusive compliance vendor?

No, SOC 2 does not have an official or exclusive compliance vendor. Instead, the AICPA provides the Trust Services Criteria framework, which independent and qualified assessors or audit firms can utilize to assess an organization’s compliance.

Where can I report a company that claims exclusive rights to AICPA attestation?

If you encounter a company falsely claiming exclusive rights to AICPA attestation or SOC 2 audits, you should report them directly to the AICPA via their official website or via their customer service channels.

Is SOC 2 a certification or an attestation?

SOC 2 is an attestation report, not a certification. A qualified CPA firm examines a service organization’s controls against the relevant Trust Services Criteria and issues a report with its opinion. There is no central SOC 2 certifying body that grants a simple pass/fail certificate.

SOC 2 Archives

Blogs, SOC 2

SOC 2 Myths and Malpractices Busted: Be Wary Of These Red Flags

TL,DR: SOC 2 attestation is accessible to all qualifying CPA firms, not exclusive to select partners. The AICPA does not commission exclusive vendors for SOC 2 engagements despite claims from some vendors Common myths include believing SOC 2 is a one-time event (it requires continuous compliance), that only large enterprises need it (any service organization…

Blogs, SOC 2

How To Conduct A SOC 2 Audit Self-Assessment?

For many startups, a SOC 2 report is no longer a nice-to-have. It is often a baseline requirement for establishing trust with security-conscious customers and closing deals in SaaS and B2B environments. But preparing for a SOC 2 audit can be time-consuming, and before engaging an external auditor, most teams want to know: Are we…

Blogs, SOC 2

SOC 2 Attestation: Process, Timeline & Checklist

Did you hear about the incident that happened with the dating app MeetMindful? Well, unfortunately, back in January 2021, they experienced a cybersecurity attack that resulted in the theft and leak of data belonging to over 2 million users. It’s quite alarming, as the hackers managed to get hold of sensitive information like users’ full…

Blogs, SOC 2

How To Define Your SOC 2 Scope

TL,DR: SOC 2 scope defines the parameters for evaluating internal controls, covering services, systems, policies, processes, and people assessed against 5 trust principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy Preparing scope follows key steps: choose relevant Trust Service Criteria based on customer expectations, identify in-scope systems and infrastructure, define organizational boundaries, document subservice organizations,…

Blogs, SOC 2

SOC 2 Reports: Types & Steps To Get It

In today’s day and age, data security is a pivotal selling point. Customers and prospects want to know that their data is secure and that the companies they sign on with have sufficient measures to ensure it stays that way. And so, companies are often tasked with proving the effectiveness of their security controls. A…

Blogs, SOC 2

How to Build an Effective SOC 2 Disaster Recovery Plan

Did you know that infrastructure failures can cost a staggering $100,000 per hour? And that’s not even the worst part—critical application failures can rack up costs between $500,000 and $1 million per hour! Most SMBs can’t bounce back from such massive losses. This is one of the reasons why organizations take their disaster recovery plans…