Compliance Standards can be very hard to understand. Most companies don’t understand them. They are often very confusing. Thus, it is hard to implement correct controls. This can affect the reputation of your organization. There are many different security standards that companies need to follow. Some of these standards only apply to specific industries. For example, HIPAA is applicable to companies that are dealing with healthcare data. There are many standards that apply to businesses in specific areas. For example, GDPR is applicable to companies that are dealing with California resident’s data. You should understand the basics of these compliances. This will ensure that you are following the compliances correctly. Also, this will help you in ensuring that your customers trust you.
There are two main compliance standards: ISO 27001 and SOC 2. They are mostly applicable to some companies. Thus, there are many similarities between these compliances. However, there are also some differences between these compliances. In this article, we are going to discuss both the compliances.
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001
The main difference between these compliances is that only ISO 27001 requires a certificate. You don’t need to worry about the certificate of SOC 2. You need to perform an external audit in both of these compliances. However, the results of these audits are different. After the ISO 27001 audit, your auditor will provide you a certificate of compliance. Thus, your organization will become ISO 27001 certified. You need to follow all the requirements of the ISO or International Organization for Standardization for managing risk. You won’t receive any certificate after SOC 2 audit. The accredited auditor will assess your policies. They will check if you are meeting the relevant Trust Services Criteria. The criteria will depend on the scope of the audit.
Both of these compliances focus on security. They will ensure that you are an organization is protected from hackers. However, these compliances are focusing on different areas. You should understand the basics of both compliances. This will help you in determining which compliance is important for you. Also, it will help you in preparing for the audit. You can find the correct vendor for your business.
Definition of ISO 27001:
ISO 27001 is a very important compliance standard for organizations. It focuses on the most important security concerns. The auditor will check how you are protecting the integrity of your data. You should ensure that the integrity of your client data is always maintained. Sometimes you need to change your processes and controls for achieving this. The ISO 27001 standards will evaluate the risk of your information assets. These assets will contain your IT processes and systems. It will also contain the intellectual property of your company. Most security experts say that these are the base of information security. Thus, it is very important to meet the ISO 27001 standards. These standards will help you in implementing better controls. Also, ISO 27001 will help you in meeting other compliances. If you are following ISO 27001 standards, then you can easily follow PCI DSS and HIPAA.
If you want to get certified, then you need to follow many regulations. Your security system must be capable of identifying all the security risks. Also, you need to analyze and address all the risks related to your assets. The security system of companies is also known as ISMS. ISMS contains many things like access procedures and encryption protocols. These protocols will help you in protecting the integrity of your data. You should follow the CIA triad for getting certified. CIA has three main parts: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. You should provide confidentiality to your data. Also, you have to maintain the integrity of your data. Your data should not get tampered during the transmission. Hackers can use attacks like hijacking for tampering your data. Also, your data should be always available to you. If you are following these triads, then you will easily get certified.
Definition of SOC 2:
ISO 27001 mainly focuses on the security of your core components. It will ensure that you are protecting your data from attackers. These principles are important for every company. SOC 2 only focuses on some areas of your security. It will check the security level of your access controls. This will help you in supporting your business model. The AICPA’s SSAE is providing the guidelines to organizations. These guidelines will help you in assessing and evaluating your security controls. You also need to report on the security and risk controls. SOC 2 report mainly focuses on the customer approach. Thus, they check the physical and logical controls of your organization. They will check the controls that you are using for protecting client data. The auditors will check how the users are getting authenticated. Also, how you are managing any inappropriate activity in your application.
The scope of this report will vary according to the criteria that you need to evaluate. Every SOC 2 report will contain Security as the main scope. It is known as the common criteria of SOC 2 reports. However, an audit will also check controls that are related to the CIA triads. Thus, the CIA is the most important triad in the security world. Some auditors will also check the privacy of your company.
Conclusion
It is always difficult to prepare for a compliance audit. You should give a year-round priority to these compliance checks. This is the best strategy that your company can follow. Many companies only think about the audit when they want to get the certificate. This can create many problems for your company. An audit will help you in checking all the ongoing practices. Also, it will help you in improving the security processes. You should focus on security policies, controls, and procedures. The main criteria of SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are important for every organization. Thus, you should ensure that you are meeting all the requirements. This will also help you in following other compliance standards. If you need more information regarding the compliance audit, then you can contact Bleuwire.
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