SOC It 2 Me
If you're handling customer data in the cloud, SOC 2 compliance is like having a VIP pass to the "Trustworthy Business Club."
It's not legally mandated, but a lot of larger companies will require their partners to be certified before sharing any data.
You want the big contracts? Then you want SOC 2 💸
SOC 2 is like the Swiss Army knife of data security frameworks.
Developed by the AICPA (try saying that five times fast), it’s based on five “Trust Services Criteria”:
Security: the lock on your digital fortress
Availability: because 404 errors are embarrassing
Processing integrity: ensuring your data doesn't go rogue
Confidentiality: keeping secrets safe
Privacy: for when you need to hide your embarrassing Spotify playlists
There are two flavors of SOC 2:
Type I (a snapshot of your controls at a specific moment) and Type II (a more comprehensive look at how your controls perform over 3-12 months).
Think of Type I as a selfie and Type II as a full-blown documentary of your security measures.
Getting SOC 2 certified involves an audit by a CPA who's clearly living their best life by meticulously examining your controls.
There are also some more automated solutions that have built momentum recently: platforms like Vanta or Scrut.
However you choose to do it, you’ll probably want to get it taken care of before you really start to scale.