Customers and regulators are now demanding concrete proof of security. Recent crises have reinforced this pressure: organizations are increasingly exposed to cyber threats.
Software publishers and providers of cloud services (SaaS, PaaS, etc.) are particularly exposed to risks concerning the availability, business continuity and data integrity of their services or solutions.
To reassure the market and protect their reputation, many are committed to recognition and "certification" processes.
Two references dominate, with different logics:
- ISO 27001(certification of a security management system),
- SOC 2(independent certification report on controls).
In this article, we will look at:
- differences between ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (certification vs. reporting) ;
- how to choose according to your context, your customers and your markets ;
- when and how to combine them effectively.
Follow the guide!
ISO 27001 certification is based on the implementation of the ISO 27001 standard and verification by an accredited body during a 3-year certification audit cycle.
The ISO 27001 standard specifies requirements for the implementation and continuous improvement of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) for any type of organization. (In simple terms, this means setting up an organization to manage security and security measures).
By implementing an ISMS, the company implements security processes designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.
This is known as security governance. It will demonstrate the existence of procedures and actions aimed at continuous improvement of security and the ISMS.
To find out all you need to know about certification, read our guide to ISO 27001.
The advantage of this certification is its international recognition by over 150 countries.
The other standard, SOC 2, which is a little less well known in Europe, was created in 2011 by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). SOC is designed to be a real vote of confidence for companies that outsource important functions such as data storage to a service provider.
The SOC report can therefore be used to assess the effectiveness of a supplier's internal controls (security measures).
There are 3 SOC reports:
- SOC 1: This is an opinion given by the auditor on a supplier's internal controls over the preparation of financial statements;
- SOC 2: This is an opinion given by the auditor on a supplier's internal controls relating to security. The report is based on five Trust Services Categories (TSC): confidentiality, integrity, availability, data protection and security.
- SOC 3: This is a condensed version of the SOC2 report that can be shared publicly.
The SOC2 audit report therefore enables organizations to assess the security of the suppliers who collect, process, transmit, store and maintain their data.
Even if the logic is different, SOC 2 audits and reports can be produced periodically.
Learn about SOC 2 with our series of 18 videos
These two standards and certifications both deal with data security, and have elements in common in their requirements, but also differences in their approach.
Let's take a closer look.
These two standards will enable you to mitigate similar security-related risks: availability, processing integrity and data confidentiality (and, on the SOC 2 side, privacy).
ISO 27001 adopts a global management approach from the outset (policies, roles, risk analysis, continuous improvement) and systematically covers the criteria Availability - Integrity - Continuity.
SOC2 allows you to target security domains via Trusts Services Criteria: you need to integrate Security then add additional domains Availability, Processing, Integrity, Confidentiality and Privacy depending on your objectives and customer demands.
The advantage of ISO 27001 is that it provides a more complete management framework (governance, objectives, indicators). But there's nothing to stop you using these best practices to structure your security, even if your main objective is a SOC 2 report.
In both cases, the foundation remains the same: a risk analysis aligned with your priority criteria (availability, integrity, confidentiality, etc.).
Our webinar on the complete ISO 27001 & SOC 2 comparison
The purpose of the SOC2 report is to show that the service delivered is secure, with precise security requirements. ISO 27001, on the other hand, imposes an organizational framework for continuous improvement in information security, with more generic security objectives. This provides a definition of security measures that is better adapted to the company.
In both cases, the auditors belong to accredited bodies. The ISO 27001 certification audit must be carried out by an accredited external certification body, and the SOC2 report by accredited external auditors.
In the case of ISO 27001 certification, there will be the notion of success or failure with major non-conformities (which prevent certification).
In the case of the SOC2 report, it is the auditor who gives his opinion on the adequacy of the controls you have implemented.
The result of ISO 27001 is a certification, whereas SOC 2 is a complete report available to customers, with a notion of compliance rate.
Please note that when you start the SOC2 compliance process, you won't actually be certified. You will not be certified, unlike the ISO 27001 audit.
As we've just seen, the two standards have a lot in common in terms of requirements, but they don't take the same approach. So how do you choose one over the other?
The choice of one or the other should be made primarily on the basis of customer requirements. What do your customers expect from your organization, and what do they demand? Which standard is most highly regarded by your customers or your potential market?
The main parameter in the choice is the location of your customers. If you are targeting customers outside the U.S., ISO 27001 is the most suitable, as it is much more widely recognized and significant. If your customers reside in the USA, the SOC2 report is the most sought-after and widely used standard for supplier information security controls.
Both approaches provide flexibility in defining security measures. What's important is the way in which you are advised and the choice of the right audit organization.
In both cases, we recommend setting up a flexible security organization as defined in ISO 27001.
In fact, you can easily combine the two projects, since the measures to be implemented are so similar.
Is ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 report really relevant to your business? Here are a few cases where it would be worthwhile to do both:
- If your organization's information system security processes are not mature enough for ISO 27001 certification, then you can begin the process of compliance with a SOC 2 report. This will make your ISO certification process a whole lot easier!
- If the ISO 27001 process takes too long and you need a quick vote of confidence to reassure your customers!
- You're already ISO 27001 certified and want to enter a new American market with SOC 2 certification.
So, with all this data in mind, do you know which repository you're going to opt for?
If you need any further advice, FeelAgile can help you achieve compliance. Contact us now!
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