Skip to content
SecureKnots
Book a call

Core service · Security & Assurance · System and Organization Controls 2

An independent CPA attestation that your controls meet the Trust Services Criteria for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. The report most B2B buyers ask for first.
Book a SOC 2 assessment

Issued by

AICPA

Typical timeline

8-16 weeks to Type I

Assessed by

Licensed CPA firm

Validity

Renewed annually

Overview

  • 01SaaS and cloud companies selling to enterprise
  • 02Managed service and data-processing providers
  • 03Any vendor facing security questionnaires in procurement

What it proves

That your controls meet the AICPA Trust Services Criteria, tested by an independent CPA firm.

Asked for by

Enterprise customers, in security reviews and procurement.

Requirements

  1. 01Trust Services CriteriaSecurity is mandatory; availability, confidentiality, processing integrity and privacy are chosen by scope.
  2. 02System descriptionA description of your service, its boundaries and the criteria in scope, which the auditor reports against.
  3. 03Control design (Type I)Auditor confirms controls are suitably designed at a point in time.
  4. 04Operating effectiveness (Type II)Controls are tested over an observation window, typically 3 to 12 months.
  5. 05Vendors & subservice organizationsHow the cloud providers and vendors you rely on are covered, carved out or included, and monitored.
  6. 06Evidence & samplingPopulation-based sampling of access reviews, change tickets, onboarding, incidents and more.

Our approach

Weeks 1-2

01

Scope

Choose the Trust Services Criteria your buyers expect, draw the system boundary, and decide between Type I and Type II.

Weeks 2-4

02

Gap assessment

Test your current controls against the criteria and turn the gaps into a prioritized plan.

Weeks 4-12

03

Remediate & collect evidence

Policies written, missing controls implemented, and evidence collection set up in the tools you already use.

Weeks 12-16

04

Readiness review & audit

A mock audit, help choosing a CPA firm, and coordination through Type I fieldwork and the Type II window.

What you get

  • 01Scoping memo
  • 02Control matrix mapped to the criteria
  • 03Policy set
  • 04System description draft
  • 05Evidence calendar
  • 06Mock audit
  • 07CPA firm shortlist
Talk to a SOC 2 practitioner

FAQ

Most enterprise buyers ultimately want Type II. A Type I is a useful first milestone that unblocks deals while your observation window runs.

An independent, licensed CPA firm. We prepare you and coordinate the audit; we never issue the report ourselves, which keeps the attestation independent.

Anywhere from 3 to 12 months. First reports often use a shorter window so you have a report sooner, then move to 12 months at renewal.

Typical timeline: 8-16 weeks to type i, depending on scope, maturity and team availability. We'll give you a firm plan after a two-week scoping and gap assessment.

Yes, that's our specialty. SOC 2 shares substantial control overlap with ISO 27001 and SOC 3, so we build one control set and map evidence across all of them.

Next framework

SOC 1

Security & AssuranceAICPA

End of the thread

A 30-minute call with a senior practitioner. You leave with a plan either way.

Book a consultationcontact@secureknots.com

We handle audit readiness and auditor coordination. Your SOC reports and ISO certificates are always issued by independent, accredited auditors.

Cookies, tied neatly

We use essential cookies to run this site and, with your permission, analytics to improve it. Privacy policy