Is a SOC 2 Certified IT Company Something My Company Should be Looking For?

If you own a business and have been looking for someone to set up your information technology, you may have come across the acronym SOC. Maybe you thought this was something that stood for Security Operations Center or maybe even Society of Consciousness, but what does SOC actually stand for? Is it something that could help your company?

In short, yes.

SOC stands for Service Organization Controls.

It is a set of standards created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to help businesses evaluate criteria used in information technology audits. It helps companies decide what to look for when they are hiring an outside company or individual to perform services on their behalf, whether it be network security, data storage, or even credit card processing.

If you’re thinking this sounds like a set of guidelines for protecting your business, you’d be right – it is. The SOC standards do not only dictate what information technology services companies need to have in place within their systems and networks, but also how these critical areas can be compromised and how to monitor them properly.

The standards were originally put in place to help companies ensure their information was secure and easily accessible by an authorized party. The security aspect of the SOC standards has become more important now than ever before, as cyber criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated with every passing day.

SOC 2 is one part of this larger set of standards that deals specifically with business transactions and how companies gather, store, and use information.

Here is where we start to see the true value of SOC 2 compliance: evidence that can be used in a court of law.

While the rules vary from industry to industry and business to business, there is no denying that implementing even some parts of these standards into your business will help ensure your information is safe.

SOC 2 compliance isn’t a magic bullet, though, and it cannot prevent every type of information technology disaster from happening to your business. However, by implementing some of these standards into how you operate, there is a much better chance that in the event something does go wrong, you’ll be covered under the SOC 2 standards.

SOC compliance is something that every company should be looking into, but it’s especially important if you’re thinking about hiring an information technology company to do work for you. By ensuring these guidelines are met and implemented before someone starts working on your business’ behalf , the process of setting up information technology services becomes easier.

If you don’t have a designated information technology company or person servicing your business, chances are you’re also thinking about hiring one. Doing so is an important decision and there are a lot of factors to consider before handing over the keys to your network systems.

Like SOC 2 compliance, this isn’t a one-size fits all situation. What works well for one business isn’t necessarily going to work for you.

However, if you already have information technology services implemented and see the value in it, hiring a SOC 2 IT Company is a must. It’s not always something that can be seen or felt right away – but having this computer support available to your company means the difference between getting back online quickly and spending days digging through the rubble of your business.

SOC 2 compliance is something that can be achieved fairly easily and it does not come with a hefty price tag – but don’t wait until disaster strikes to look into this option for protecting your business.

It’s best to prepare yourself beforehand, which means taking time to consider what information technology services your company has in place now and what you’re willing to have your information technology providers do on your behalf. If they can’t meet the SOC 2 requirements , it’s time to find another company that can.