SOC 2 vs NIST: What’s the Difference?

The world of the cloud has enabled the B2B environment with agility, interoperability, integration capabilities, and more. But, this also demands increased security abilities to protect the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data and comply with the globalcom standards.

Often choosing the right compliance framework to demonstrate this becomes a blocker for business owners. Choosing between SOC 2 vs NIST has come up often in our community, and this article aims to demystify the confusion.

In this blog, we’ll explore the differences between cybersecurity frameworks like SOC 2 vs NIST and understand their role in cybersecurity.

Overview of SOC 2 and NIST

The main difference between the two frameworks is that a successful SOC 2 audit leads to your company getting independent documentation that it has achieved SOC 2 compliance — something that may be required by customers, business partners, or (depending on your business) the law.

 To give context – SOC 2 and NIST are compliance frameworks that focus on protecting the security and integrity of customer data. While SOC 2 and NIST CSF objectives align to a certain extent, there are nuances where each differs. 

Let’s look at each of them and their key aspects, with examples illustrating their significance to service organizations.

SOC 2

SOC 2 is a compliance framework created by the AICPA, which is widely used by companies dealing with customer data in the cloud. The application is unique to each business so it can be tailored to your specific business practices. SOC 2 aligns with the requirements of today’s cloud environment. The framework evaluates 5 Trust Service Criteria (TSC): 

• Security: Ensuring sensitive data is protected against unauthorized access. For example, implementing multi-factor authentication and using intrusion detection systems.

• Processing Integrity: Verifying whether the system fulfills its purpose, assessing if the processing is accurate, complete, timely, and authorized.

• Availability: Assessing the accessibility of systems, products, or services, as defined in the Service Level Agreement. An example would be setting up a failover cluster to ensure continuous availability.

• Confidentiality: Restricting information access to specified individuals or firms. Implementing encryption and network security tools are examples of maintaining confidentiality.

• Privacy: Handling personal information in line with your company’s privacy notice and generally accepted privacy principles. Ensuring proper data collection, usage, retention, disclosure, and destruction. 

NIST 800-53

NIST 800-53, published by NIST CSF, is a set of security controls for federal information systems. It includes eight control families with over 900 requirements. Companies can choose and adhere to controls based on the data security level (Low, Medium, or High) they handle.

Core functions of NIST CSF:

• Identify
• Protect
• Detect
• Respond
• Recovery 

As an added benefit, we have compiled the NIST SP 800-53 Controls List to assist you with your risk assessment. Check it out:

What are the differences between SOC 2 vs NIST?

The key differences between SOC 2 vs NIST CSF become significant as we go deeper into the nuances in which these frameworks are used.

To begin with, here’s a broad range overview:

SOC 2

In SOC 2, The TSCs and points of focus help ensure that important information is protected and meets the entity’s goals.

Here’s a simple laydown to understand the key points of regulatory requirements:

Implementing logical access security	The entity uses software, infrastructure, and architectures to safeguard information assets from security events and achieve its objectives.
Managing credentials for infrastructure and software	Before granting access credentials and implementing new internal or external infrastructure and software, they are registered, authorized, and documented. When access is no longer needed or infrastructure and software are no longer used, credentials are removed, and access is disabled.
Registering and authorizing users	Before granting system access and issuing system credentials, the entity registers and authorizes new internal and external users. The entity manages user system credentials, which are removed when access is no longer authorized.
Controlling access credentials to protected assets	Information asset access credentials are created based on authorization from the asset owner or authorized custodian. This ensures that only the right individuals have access to protected assets.
Removing access to protected assets when appropriate	Proper processes are in place to remove their access credentials gracefully, ensuring no one lingers where they shouldn’t. This helps mitigate unauthorized access to protected assets.
Reviewing the appropriateness of access credentials	The entity periodically reviews access credentials to identify and remove unnecessary and inappropriate credentials. This regular check ensures that only the right individuals have the necessary access.

Recommended: A detailed guide to SOC 2 compliance

NIST

NIST uses different categories to keep information safe. One important category is “Protect” (PR). Inside this, there’s a part called “Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control” (PR.AC).

The main job of PR.AC controls who can access physical and digital assets and their places. The point is only to let the right people, processes, and devices in and to stop the wrong ones from accessing them.

The main goal of PR.AC is to control who can access both physical and digital assets, as well as the associated facilities. The idea is to ensure that only authorized users, processes, and devices are allowed access while mitigating unauthorized access to important activities and transactions. 

Overall, the NIST subcategory statement is written in a short and sweet way, yet it covers all the important stuff for a security program. This single-control activity fits into different situations. It can be mapped to multiple SOC 2 Criteria, which is impressive.

And the difference part you need a powerful to have your back if you go for either of the frameworks or both together. Sprinto is specifically designed to automate your compliance needs. You don’t need to spend months going back and forth with your auditor and shell thousands of dollars.

Within a fraction of a cost, you will be SOC 2 certified, depending on your organizational needs. If you still have doubts, read our case study on How Phyllo cut through compliance complexity with Sprinto’s proven solution.

Recommended: Complete guide to NIST compliance

Similarities between SOC 2 and NIST

We briefly spoke about the similarities between NIST CSF and SOC 2 at the beginning of this article. Let’s take a closer look now. NIST CSF and SOC 2 both focus on analyzing internal controls, but they each have their unique angle when it comes to data security or maintaining your security posture.

A SOC 2 compliance report proves that your organization means business when securing sensitive data against emerging security threats and has the processes and policies in place to do this. These reports assure your potential clients that you take data security seriously.

These reports include your cybersecurity objectives, how well your internal controls are doing their job, and the dedication level of your management team toward managing cybersecurity risks.

Now, NIST CISF, on the other hand, is full of best practices, standards, and guidelines for cybersecurity. It’s your go-to guide when you want to thoroughly examine your organization’s security and assess the risks lurking around.

How to choose the right framework for your organization?

You might wonder, “Do I need both NIST CSF and SOC 2? And how do I get NIST certified?” Totally valid questions. Here’s a summary that could help you sail through this confusion.

First off, a SOC 2 Report is essential because it’s like the gold standard in the industry. Service organizations use it to show they’ve got a handle on their system and organization controls.

An independent auditor checks everything and issues a report, assuring you that you’re doing things right according to the TSCs to move forward in the compliance journey.

On the flip side, when it comes to the NIST CSF, things are different. There’s no certificate of compliance available for it. NIST CSF needs plans for a conformity assessment program.

That doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. The NIST CSF includes best practices and methods for cybersecurity risk management. It’s designed with the current regulatory environment in mind and doesn’t replace any existing laws or regulations.

So, while the NIST CSF is super-efficient for guiding your cybersecurity efforts, a SOC 2 Report is still required to show your clients that you’re following industry standards and nailing those controls.

What Next?

Feeling overwhelmed by the nuances? Still unsure of which compliance to pick to enable business growth? we’re the experts in compliance automation and have helped multiple companies become compliant in a breeze.

Get in touch with us to discuss how to align your compliance efforts with your organization’s goals, risk profile, and the laws and regulations that apply to you(if any).

You don’t have to go through this journey alone – reach out to us today, and let’s get started on your path to compliance success with continuous monitoring.

FAQs

What is the difference between NIST CSF and SOC 2?

SOC 2 has specific requirements that organizations must follow, making them stricter regarding documentation and implementation. On the other hand, the NIST CSF is more adaptable, but it demands a deep understanding of your organization, service providers, and its risk level.

What is the equivalent of SOC 2?

The equivalent of SOC 2 is ISO 27001. They both have security controls that protect sensitive information using processes, policies, and technologies. A study found that they share 96% of the same security controls regarding compliance requirements.

What are the 5 functions described in the NIST framework?

The 5 core functions described in the NIST framework are:

1. Identity
2. Protect
3. Detect
4. Respond
5. Recover