SOC 2 is the gold standard for demonstrating that your organization handles customer data securely. For Ohio SaaS companies, technology firms, and managed service providers, SOC 2 Type II certification is increasingly required by enterprise clients, investors, and cyber insurance carriers. Securafy builds your SOC 2 readiness program.
SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is an auditing standard developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It defines criteria for managing customer data based on five Trust Service Criteria (TSC): Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.
A SOC 2 Type I report validates that your controls are suitably designed at a point in time. A SOC 2 Type II report — the standard enterprise clients and investors want — validates that your controls operated effectively over a period of time (typically 6–12 months). Type II is significantly more valuable and harder to achieve.
Unlike PCI DSS or HIPAA, SOC 2 is not prescriptive — it doesn't tell you exactly which controls to implement. Instead, it evaluates whether your controls meet the criteria outcomes. This flexibility is powerful, but it means your readiness program must be designed around your specific service, infrastructure, and risk profile.
"SOC 2 Type II is no longer optional for Ohio tech companies selling to enterprise — it's a vendor qualification requirement that closes (or blocks) deals."
Security (CC) is required in every SOC 2 examination. The other four criteria are optional and selected based on your service commitments to customers.
The foundation of every SOC 2 report. Covers logical access controls, physical security, encryption, change management, risk management, incident response, monitoring, and vendor management. All 33 Common Criteria must be addressed in every SOC 2 examination.
System availability for operation and use as committed or agreed. Covers uptime commitments, infrastructure monitoring, incident and problem management, backup and recovery, and business continuity planning. Critical for SaaS and cloud service providers.
System processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized. Relevant for companies that process financial transactions, payroll, or other high-stakes data processing. Covers input validation, processing verification, and output completeness checks.
Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed. Covers data classification, encryption of confidential data, NDA enforcement, and confidential data disposal. Often selected by companies handling sensitive business information.
Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and disposed of in conformity with commitments in the entity's privacy notice. Aligns closely with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. Selected when processing significant volumes of personal data.
Most Ohio tech companies start with Security only, then add Availability for SaaS, and Confidentiality if handling sensitive B2B data. Your selection should match what customers care about — and what's in your service agreements and privacy notices.
| Aspect | SOC 2 Type I | SOC 2 Type II |
|---|---|---|
| What it validates | Controls are suitably designed at a point in time | Controls operated effectively over an observation period |
| Observation period | A single date (point-in-time) | 6 months minimum, typically 12 months |
| Time to achieve | 3–6 months after readiness | 12–18+ months from start (includes observation period) |
| Market value | Demonstrates design intent — limited enterprise acceptance | The gold standard — required by most enterprise buyers |
| Auditor testing | Design review — no operating effectiveness testing | Samples of evidence tested for each control over the period |
| Typical audit cost | $20,000–$40,000 | $30,000–$80,000+ |
| Best for | Early-stage companies building toward Type II | Mature companies with enterprise clients or investor diligence |
The 33 Common Criteria (CC) under the Security Trust Service Criteria are organized into 9 categories. Every SOC 2 examination tests all of these.
Board oversight, organizational structure, code of conduct, background checks, talent management, and performance evaluation. Auditors assess whether management sets the right "tone from the top."
Internal and external communication of security responsibilities, reporting channels, and stakeholder information. Includes security policies being communicated to all relevant personnel.
Risk identification, analysis, and response processes. Fraud risk consideration, change management risk, and vendor risk. Requires documented risk assessments conducted regularly.
Ongoing monitoring of controls, evaluation of control deficiencies, and communication of results to responsible parties. Includes internal audit functions and management review processes.
Selection and deployment of specific control activities including policies, procedures, and technology responses to risks. The "doing" of security.
User provisioning/deprovisioning, MFA, privileged access management, password policies, remote access controls, and monitoring of access. Often the densest section of a SOC 2 audit.
Vulnerability management, security event monitoring, incident response, backup and recovery procedures, and business continuity/disaster recovery testing.
Infrastructure, data, software, and procedure changes are managed systematically. Change authorization, testing, documentation, and rollback capabilities.
Vendor and business partner risk management, insurance, and other risk mitigation strategies. Requires vendor due diligence programs and contractual security requirements.
Securafy doesn't perform CPA audits — but we do everything needed to get you audit-ready and maintain your compliance posture throughout the observation period and beyond.
We assess your current control environment against all applicable Trust Service Criteria, identify gaps, and produce a prioritized remediation roadmap with estimated timelines and costs — before you engage an auditor.
We write your complete SOC 2 policy suite — information security policy, access control policy, change management procedures, incident response plan, vendor management policy, and all supporting documentation auditors expect to see.
We implement and manage the technical controls required by the Common Criteria — MFA, access logging, endpoint management, vulnerability scanning, SIEM, change management tooling, and backup/DR testing.
SOC 2 Type II audits are evidence-intensive. We implement and manage evidence collection processes that automatically capture control operation evidence throughout the observation period — eliminating the pre-audit scramble.
We work directly with your chosen CPA audit firm to respond to evidence requests, provide technical context for auditor inquiries, and facilitate efficient fieldwork — reducing your team's audit burden.
After your first report is issued, compliance doesn't stop. We maintain your controls, collect evidence continuously, and prepare you for your next annual audit — keeping your SOC 2 program active and current.
Securafy builds and maintains compliance programs for Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio businesses. Prevention-First. Compliance-Ready. Award-Winning.