Elevating Vendor Trust: Why SOC 2 Compliance Sets SimpleCert® Apart for Enterprise Reliability
Understanding SOC 2 Compliance
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an international cybersecurity standard set by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) for third-party service providers to secure customer data privacy online.
A SOC 2 compliance attests that the service organization has verified policies, procedures, and security controls audited by a third-party CPA. The independent CPA annually audits the service provider by measuring their data management regarding one or more principles: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.
SOC 2 Type 1 certification signifies the organization's adherence to the five trust principles for data protection at a particular time. Its report affirms that the security controls and processes assessed on a specific date are adequately established and implemented.
Conversely, SOC 2 Type 2 certification denotes compliance over an extended observation period, typically 12 months. The Type 2 report encompasses the findings of Type 1 and further confirms the system's operational effectiveness in safeguarding customer data.
SimpleCert's SOC 2 Type 2 certification underscores our ongoing commitment to IT security, data privacy and Enterprise level reliability. It's a standard that few can claim to match.
Why SOC 2 Compliance Sets SimpleCert® Apart
Many businesses undergo annual audits to maintain security standards. However, opting for a processing system already certified with SOC 2 compliance can streamline this process, saving valuable resources while ensuring top-tier security measures are in place.
Having achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance recognition, SimpleCert® stands out as the premier enterprise-level Certificate Management System. Businesses and corporations of all sizes can rely on SimpleCert®’s SOC 2 certification to ensure an unmatched level of data security and protection.
Benefits of SOC 2 Certified SimpleCert® for our Clients
In addition to the cost-saving aspect of bypassing annual security compliance audits, leveraging your account within our SOC 2-certified system yields more benefits.
1
Increase and Protect Your Brand Reputation
Using a certification system endorsed with the best practices on customer data protection enhances your brand reputation. With SimpleCert® as your SOC 2-compliant Certification Management System, you can rest assured that top-tier industry standards protect your data and brand.
2
Prevent Financial and Reputational Costs from Data Breach Damages
The aftermath of a data breach can be devastating, resulting in substantial financial losses, reputational damage, and legal repercussions. Companies often face exorbitant costs associated with investigating the breach, incident response, regulatory fines, and compensating affected individuals.
By partnering with SimpleCert®, you shield your business from these detrimental consequences. Our SOC 2-certified certificate management system safeguards your sensitive data, mitigating the financial and reputational risks of data breaches. With SimpleCert®, you can rest assured that your business remains resilient, trustworthy, and thriving despite potential security threats.
3
Achieve Comprehensive Data Security Compliance
The criteria for SOC 2 compliance frequently align with those of other data security frameworks, such as ISO 27001 and HIPAA. By opting for SimpleCert®, a SOC 2 certified system, you meet SOC 2 standards AND fulfill the requirements of these additional compliance frameworks concurrently.
4
Inspire Customer Confidence in Data Protection
Empower your customers with the assurance that their sensitive certificate data is handled, processed, and stored in alignment with the latest security protocols and stringent compliance standards.
With SimpleCert®, you instill confidence in your clientele, demonstrating your unwavering commitment to their data protection and privacy.
The 5 Trust Service Principles of SOC 2
The requirements of SOC 2 compliance are unique to each organization due to their own operating models. A CPA auditor must measure the system and its security controls based on the five trust principles set by the AICPA.
Secuirity
In this SOC 2 principle, the service provider must demonstrate that its system is protected from unauthorized access and limit the harm of unauthorized data disclosure.
The auditor will look into its security tools, background, and authorizations to verify the system’s security. Security tools can include firewalls, encryptions, and user authentication systems.
Availability
The service provider must always meet its explicit and implicit service level agreements (SLAs). To measure the system’s availability, the auditor must check its network performance, security incident response protocols, and site failover.
Processing Integrity
This SOC 2 principle addresses the system functioning per its design. Its processing must be accurate, timely, complete, and authorized to meet its entity objectives. The auditor will check a system’s processing integrity for bugs, delays, or errors.
Confidentiality
Confidential data is any data that is only accessible to specific persons or organizations. It can include name and email, licensure or professional identification information, certification, Continuing Education data, and technical data, including IP, location, and physical location data.
The auditor must inspect the service provider’s data encryption, network and software firewalls, and access controls to ensure this data remains confidential.
Privacy
The service provider must prove that its collection, storage, deletion, and disclosure of Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is within the AICPA’s generally accepted principles of privacy (GAPP). PII is data that can be used to identify individuals, including names, phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers, gender, and more. The auditor must validate the system’s security controls to prevent the illegal distribution of PII.
How SimpleCert® Achieved SOC 2 Compliance
We first commissioned an independent CPA to conduct a comprehensive SOC assessment. The auditor verified if SimpleCert®s’ organization policies and processes were in place and fit for a Certificate Management System. This meticulous examination culminated in acquiring our SOC 2 Type 1 compliance.
SimpleCert® then underwent extensive observation over several months, evaluating our operations’ design, utilization, and effectiveness. Following meticulous scrutiny, our CPA auditor affirmed SimpleCert®’s adherence to SOC 2 Type 2 requirements.
SimpleCert® is the cornerstone for education providers and organizations seeking to publish digital certifications. It utilizes an enterprise-grade platform to ensure top-level IT and security requirements.
SimpleCert®’s SOC 2 compliance report is available upon request. See our SimpleCert® SOC 2 Compliance page to learn more.