Prepping for SOC 2 Type II: What Auditors Look For
Achieving a SOC 2 Type II report is a key milestone for SaaS startups looking to sell to enterprise customers. Unlike Type I, which evaluates your security controls at a single point in time, Type II audits the operational effectiveness of those controls over a window, typically 3 to 12 months.
Here is a guide to the key evidence areas auditors focus on during their assessments.
Key Compliance Checkpoints
Auditors generally focus on the following control areas:
1. Logical Access Control (IAM)
- **Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)**: MFA must be configured for all administrative accounts in your cloud environment, source repositories, and communication channels.
- **Access Reviews**: Implement quarterly reviews of user access permissions to ensure compliance with the principle of least privilege.
- **Deprovisioning**: Terminate employee accounts within 24 hours of departure.
2. Change Management
- **Pull Request Approvals**: Ensure all code changes are reviewed and approved by a second developer before deployment.
- **Vulnerability Checks**: Integrate automated dependency vulnerability scans into your CI/CD pipelines.
3. System Operations and Incident Response
- **Log Collection**: Enable and centralize audit logs from cloud accounts, server hosts, and databases.
- **Incident Rehearsals**: Conduct annual tabletop exercises to test your security incident response plan.
