Guaranteeing Customer Trust With SOC 2 Type II

SOC 2 is an independent reporting standard, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), that demonstrates an organization is serious about protecting its users’ data. Companies that comply with SOC 2 requirements, and successfully pass SOC 2 audits, are known to be reliable, dependable and secure. However, not all SOC 2 reports are equal. Organizations that are committed to implementing world class processes should consider SOC 2 Type II, especially as new compliance technology makes meeting the exacting requirements of SOC 2 Type 2 surprisingly easy to achieve. 

What is the gold standard in information security?

SOC 2 Type 2 is the data security gold standard for SaaS companies, particularly in the United States. If you truly want to prove to clients and potential customers that their data is secure, you want to be SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Why? Because in order to meet the exacting standards of SOC 2 Type 2, you need to show that your organization is secure over a sustained period of time. That’s crucial because data security isn’t a one-off thing. Information security is an ongoing process that responds effectively to evolving threats.

Of course, meeting the rigorous standards of SOC 2 Type 2 is a challenge for any organization. It’s not merely a snapshot of the organization’s information security, it’s a powerful attestation report that proves a sustained track record of data excellence. 

Before diving into how automation can elevate your entire approach to SOC 2 compliance, let’s explore why you should be considering SOC 2, and specifically, Type II, to begin with.

Top benefits of SOC 2 type II compliance for SaaS companies

As a SaaS company, data security is an ongoing responsibility. With the global data security market expected to reach $7.79 billion in 2025, and the US alone projected to generate $3.2 billion, it’s clear that companies are investing heavily in data protection. SOC 2 Type II is the gold standard for demonstrating your commitment to securing client data over time, not just at a specific moment.

SOC 2 Type II proves that your security practices are consistently strong, responsive, and adaptable to new threats, such as AI-based cyber attacks. It reassures clients and helps you build trust to secure enterprise deals. Maintaining this level of security isn’t just about having a strong system in place now; it’s about showing clients and partners that you’re proactive when it comes to data security, always vigilant, and continuously striving to improve your security practices as new risks emerge.

Here’s why achieving and maintaining SOC 2 Type II compliance matters:

• Build Trust, Win Enterprise Deals: SOC 2 Type II proves to clients that their data is secure, giving you a competitive edge when courting larger, enterprise clients who demand consistent security practices.
• Continuous Monitoring, Less Stress: Forget last-minute scrambling to prepare for SOC 2 audits. With automated compliance, you remain audit-ready all year round. Scytale’s continuous monitoring ensures your security practices are consistently documented and monitored, so there’s no last-minute rush.
• Efficiency at Its Best: Automating the compliance process saves time and effort, so your team can focus on business growth and innovation. Plus, it ensures your governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) efforts are accurate, reducing the risk of errors and manual effort.
• Stay Ahead of New Threats: SOC 2 Type II compliance ensures your business is aligned with the latest security and data privacy standards and regulations. By maintaining this prestigious attestation, you demonstrate leadership in security, stay competitive in a crowded marketplace, and safeguard your business from emerging risks, reducing the likelihood of security incidents and data breaches.

How can automation help monitor changes over time?

So here’s the real challenge of SOC 2 Type 2. As with many compliance requirements, SOC 2 involves preparing masses of data, from multiple components, into a consolidated audit report. 

So far so complicated. However, the challenge becomes exponentially more complex when you consider the SOC 2 Type 2 timeline. After all, you don’t simply need to demonstrate what kind of system architecture is in place, and which employees have responsibility for what devices right now. You need to show how the system responded to threats and errors at each moment over the audit period. 

Attempting that manually, over a sustained period of time, is hardly feasible. Keeping track of all the inputs and logs over a period of six months will be massively time-consuming and highly prone to human error. 

Given that SOC 2 Type II certification reflects an ongoing process, you need sustained monitoring and compliance technology that keeps track of the system’s integrity over time and automatically compiles that data into a SOC 2 Type 2 audit report.  

Automation tools for SOC 2 type 2 compliance

Given the complex, time-consuming, error-prone processes involved in manually preparing for your SOC 2 audit, automating your compliance offers obvious benefits.

However, as more discerning clients and service providers come to see SOC 2 Type 2 as the standard to which SaaS companies are expected to adhere, automation becomes much more than a useful compliance tool. Automated SOC 2 technology is crucial for meeting the sustained, real-time monitoring, evaluation, and auditing demands required to meet the SOC 2 Type II benchmark.

Automated SOC 2 compliance made easy with expert support

Best of all, the most advanced SOC 2 compliance automation tools don’t just make SOC 2 compliance simpler to achieve. By automating the entire monitoring and auditing process, SOC 2 compliance becomes much less tedious and stressful. Even preparing for the dreaded SOC 2 audit is no longer a hassle.

Scytale’s AI-powered compliance automation platform collects and validates all required data and generates an automated audit report, making SOC 2 easy. If your company is serious about data security, moves fast and has limited resources, we’ve designed the digital toolkit you need to easily meet the most ambitious compliance goals. 

And what’s more? Beyond our SOC 2 compliance acceleration platform and powerful features, Scytale’s experienced team of GRC experts, along with its unique next-gen AI GRC agent, Scy, provides expert guidance, support, and audit management to our customers throughout their compliance journey.

FAQs about SOC 2 Type II Compliance