Have you ever wondered if the ISO 27001 certification is at all similar to a SOC 2 report? Many organizations today are dealing with multiple needs or demands for various compliance assessments or certifications. These organizations might wonder, “How can my ISO 27001 certification fit the needs for a SOC 2 report?” and vice versa. Below we have outlined the similarities and differences between an ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 examination.

Securing top management’s support is essential for the success of critical information security initiatives. Leadership buy-in drives the prioritization of security standards and best practices and helps to cultivate and foster a strong company-wide commitment to security-focused compliance.

Undoubtedly, the ISO 27001 Certification is recognized globally and revered as one of the highest and most comprehensive certifications an organization can attain. The high esteem that the certification is held is substantiated by the effort and dedication that is required by an organization to attain ISO 27001 certification. As an internationally accepted certification, ISO 27001 represents an organization's ability to effectively manage information security risks with a certified information security management system (ISMS).

If your organization is seeking ISO 27001 certification, and you outsource physical hosting to a third-party vendor, you may be wondering if and how to include them in the scope of your Information Security Management System (ISMS).

In October, I posted an article on the various alternatives for CPA attestation reports. This past week, the AICPA issued its guidance on Service Organization Controls (SOC) 2 reports and an update to that post was in order. Here is what the newly released SOC 2 guidance states: