Building a robust cybersecurity foundation hinges on maintaining stringent standards. Discover the distinctions between SOC 2 vs ISO 27001, and explore how you can leverage them to enhance your security posture right now.
The cybersecurity battle for the ages might not be the bad guys vs the security team. It actually might be SOC 2 vs ISO 27001!
This is the question most companies will ask themselves before they even get to the bad guys vs security team part. Thankfully, the answer to the question is easy:
It depends!
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 take two different approaches to the same problem. Both will have you improving your cybersecurity program but in different ways. It’s important to understand the differences between the two, even if your ultimate decision might be the result of something else altogether.
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 Key Differences
SOC 2 is an attestation, while ISO 27001 is a certification
SOC 2 allows greater freedom in designing a cybersecurity program to meet its requirements
ISO 27001 provides relatively strict requirements
SOC 2 provides a detailed report about the audited company’s security program
ISO 27001 provides a certification with little additional detail
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 – Two Approaches While both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 will commonly be referred to as “certifications,” technically only ISO 27001 is one. SOC 2 is actually an attestation. While this might seem semantic, it reveals the different approaches the two certifications take to cybersecurity compliance. (I will refer to both as certifications for the rest of this document to keep the grammar simple.)
ISO 27001 is a proper certification. ISO certifies that an organization is following a prescribed set of cybersecurity controls. There isn’t a huge amount of room for variation between different programs at different companies.ISO 27001:2022 is cybersecurity prescribed.
SOC 2 is cybersecurity customized .
Both compliance certifications ultimately work towards the same goal and have significant overlap. An organization that has received either a SOC 2 or an ISO 27001 has clearly done a lot of work on its cybersecurity program. Both evaluations focus on good processes such as managing access control, change control and many good technical controls.
But their different approaches ultimately yield some key differences that you should consider when comparing SOC 2 vs ISO 27001.
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 – Practical Differences The customized vs prescribed nature of SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 plays out in a couple of different ways.
AICPA SOC 2
AICPA SOC 2 gives you many options to build your program. There is one required area of focus (Security), plus four optional ones (Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy) to make up the five Trust Services Criteria. Choosing which five Trust Services Criteria you want to meet is an important part of preparing for a SOC 2 audit.SOC 2 Type 1 vs SOC 2 Type 2 . A Type 1 evaluates your security program at a single point in time while a Type 2 evaluates your security program over a period of time (usually six to 12 months). SOC 2 Type 2 is viewed as much more valuable, but most companies will get a Type 1 first while working towards a Type 2.how to read a SOC 2 report .
As a bonus for the pandemic world, SOC 2 audits can usually be performed virtually.
ISO 27001 As mentioned earlier, you meet ISO 27001’s required controls and get a certification that tells people exactly what you’re doing.
The specificity of the ISO 27001’s approach means there is a heavy focus on documentation. Policy documentation is important for both SOC 2 and ISO, but ISO takes it to another level. It’s very important that your documentation is robust and thorough to successfully get the certification.ISO 27001 certified . Further digging isn’t as important as it is for SOC 2.
ISO 27001 also has a focus on performing the audit in person. ISO values the time that the auditor spends on-site with the company. This is especially true for companies with on-premises servers.
At the end of ISO 27001, the company gets a certificate on what was covered but ISO 27001 does not include a report explaining the program.
Does ISO 27001 cover SOC 2?
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are separate compliance frameworks. While there is a lot of overlap between required controls, they are not one-to-one. The stricter requirements of ISO 27001 generally mean that an ISO 27001-certified company will have an easier time earning a SOC 2 than the other way around.
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 – Which cybersecurity audit framework should I pick?
The biggest decision criteria for most companies is going to be where their customer base is located. This might seem odd for something like cybersecurity, but it makes a lot of sense when considering the return on investment in a cybersecurity program.
Creating a good security program for either SOC 2 or ISO 27001 will significantly reduce your risk of being compromised by a cyber attack. They both do the job, so are functionally equivalent in that regard. The biggest difference in return between the two is which one will lead to greater sales. The answer to that question is once again:
Whether you select a SOC 2 or ISO 27001, the organizational commitment will benefit your organization’s security, help protect your customers’ and employees’ data, and improve how prospects perceive your company.
Watch the video below for a quick review!
VIDEO
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Frequently Asked Questions About SOC 2 vs ISO 27001
What is the difference between SOC 2 and ISO 27001? The main difference between SOC 2 and ISO 27001 is that SOC 2 is an attestation and ISO 27001 is a certification. A SOC 2 attestation is a report that provides an auditor’s opinion of the company’s cybersecurity program – even a company with a bad cybersecurity program can get a SOC 2. Meanwhile, companies must meet the ISO 27001’s set of requirements or they will not be issued a certification.
What are the similarities between ISO 27001 and SOC 2? The process of obtaining an ISO 27001 and SOC 2 is similar; an organization must build and document its cybersecurity program, and then have it audited by a certified auditor. Additionally, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 serve the same purpose by building trust in a vendor or partner’s cybersecurity program.
