What is the primary objective of **SOC 2**?

**The primary objective of SOC 2 is to provide independent assurance on a service organization's controls relevant to the Trust Services Criteria (TSC): Security (mandatory, CC1-CC9), Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.** Developed by the AICPA, SOC 2 evaluates control design (Type 1, point-in-time) and operating effectiveness (Type 2, over 3-12 months), focusing on systems handling customer data in SaaS, cloud, and tech services.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **SOC 2**?

**No organization is legally required to comply with SOC 2, as it is a voluntary AICPA framework driven by market demands from enterprise clients.** It professionally targets service organizations (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, data processors) storing, processing, or transmitting customer data, especially those pursuing deals with Fortune 500 buyers mandating Type 2 reports in RFPs and MSAs.

Does **SOC 2** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**Yes, SOC 2 requires an external audit by an independent, AICPA-accredited CPA firm to issue Type 1 or Type 2 attestation reports.** Auditors perform readiness assessments, test controls (e.g., sampling 40 instances per control in Type 2), and deliver reports with management's assertion, system description, and opinion (unqualified ideal); no formal "certification" exists, but reports provide third-party validation.

How often should an assessment for **SOC 2** be performed?

**SOC 2 Type 2 assessments should be performed annually, covering a 3-12 month monitoring period to demonstrate ongoing operating effectiveness.** Bridge letters from management extend validity up to 3 months between audits; continuous monitoring (e.g., quarterly access reviews, annual pen tests) supports recertification.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **SOC 2**?

**Non-compliance with SOC 2 results in no direct AICPA fines but severe market and operational repercussions, including deal disqualification in 70-80% of enterprise SaaS RFPs.** Consequences include extended sales cycles (3-6 months), higher CAC (20-50%), heightened breach liability under laws like CCPA, reputational damage, and investor scrutiny delaying funding.

Can **SOC 2** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, SOC 2 controls map extensively to frameworks like ISO 27001 (80% overlap, 114 controls), NIST CSF, GDPR (99 articles), and HIPAA via AICPA spreadsheets.** Common Criteria (CC1-CC9) align with risk assessment (CC3), access (CC6), and monitoring (CC4), enabling multi-framework efficiency without dual certifications.

What is the first step to begin implementing **SOC 2**?

**The first step to implement SOC 2 is a scoping exercise and readiness assessment to select TSC (Security mandatory) and map existing controls to CC1-CC9.** Engage a CPA auditor early ($5-10K) for gap analysis, inventory assets/data flows, and prioritize 50-100 remediations using tools like Vanta for automation.

What is the primary objective of **CIS Controls**?

**The primary objective of CIS Controls is to provide a prioritized set of 18 cybersecurity best practices across 153 actionable Safeguards to reduce organizational attack surface and mitigate the most common cyber threats.** CIS Controls v8.1, developed by the Center for Internet Security, focuses on pragmatic, technology-agnostic measures derived from real-world attack data, emphasizing foundational hygiene like asset inventory before advanced capabilities.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **CIS Controls**?

**No organization is universally legally required to comply with CIS Controls, as it is a voluntary, consensus-driven framework rather than a mandated regulation.** Professionally, it applies to all industries and sizes—from SMBs targeting IG1 (56 Safeguards) to enterprises pursuing IG3—particularly CISOs, IT managers, compliance officers, and sectors like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure seeking regulatory alignment or insurance validation.

Does **CIS Controls** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**CIS Controls does not require external audits or third-party certification.** Organizations self-assess using tools like CIS Controls Navigator or CIS-CAT against Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3), with optional validation via internal metrics, penetration testing (Control 18), or mappings to frameworks for assurance.

How often should an assessment for **CIS Controls** be performed?

**CIS Controls assessments should be performed continuously, with formal gap analyses at least annually or after significant changes.** Leverage automated tools for ongoing monitoring of Safeguards, such as asset inventories (Controls 1–2) and vulnerability scans (Control 7), aligned to Implementation Groups for maturity tracking.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **CIS Controls**?

**Non-compliance with CIS Controls exposes organizations to heightened breach risk, operational disruption, regulatory findings, and litigation, as it demonstrates failure to implement recognized cybersecurity best practices.** Specific consequences include data breaches enabling 85% of common attacks, elevated insurance premiums, lost contracts, and leverage in U.S. state "reasonable security" lawsuits lacking Safe Harbor protections.

Can **CIS Controls** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, CIS Controls v8.1 provides official mappings to over 25 frameworks including NIST CSF 2.0, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.** The Controls Navigator automates crosswalks, positioning CIS as an actionable implementation layer for high-level governance requirements across asset management, access control, and incident response.

What is the first step to begin implementing **CIS Controls**?

**The first step to implement CIS Controls is to secure executive sponsorship and conduct a baseline maturity assessment using CIS Controls Navigator to determine your Implementation Group (IG1–IG3).** Prioritize Phase 0 governance, followed by asset inventories (Controls 1–2) via automated discovery tools.

SOC 2 vs CIS Controls

Standards Comparison

SOC 2

Voluntary

2010

AICPA framework for service organizations' security controls

CIS Controls

Voluntary

2021

Prioritized cybersecurity framework for cyber hygiene

Quick Verdict

SOC 2 provides audited trust assurance for service organizations via Trust Services Criteria, while CIS Controls offer prioritized cybersecurity safeguards for all organizations. Companies adopt SOC 2 for enterprise sales enablement; CIS for practical risk reduction and hygiene.

Cybersecurity / Trust

SOC 2

System and Organization Controls 2

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Trust Services Criteria with mandatory Security focus
Type 2 reports prove operating effectiveness over time
Flexible scoping for service organization controls
Independent CPA attestation builds enterprise trust
Overlaps significantly with ISO 27001 and GDPR

Cybersecurity

CIS Controls

CIS Critical Security Controls v8.1

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

18 prioritized controls with 153 actionable safeguards
Implementation Groups IG1-IG3 for scalable adoption
Foundational asset and software inventory requirements
Detailed mappings to NIST, ISO, HIPAA frameworks
Free Benchmarks and tools for configurations

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

SOC 2 Details

What It Is

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a voluntary attestation framework by the AICPA evaluating service organizations' controls via Trust Services Criteria (TSC). It assures security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy for customer data systems. The risk-based approach assesses control design (Type 1) and operating effectiveness (Type 2 over 3-12 months).

Key Components

Five TSCSecurity** (mandatory, CC1-CC9), Availability (A1), Processing Integrity (PI1), Confidentiality (C1), Privacy (P1-P11)
~50-100 controls mapped to criteria, with redundancy (2-3 per point)
CPA-issued reports: auditor opinion, system description, tests/results
Built on AICPA standards, annual recertification

Why Organizations Use It

Unlocks enterprise deals, shortens sales cycles by 15-30%
Reduces breach risks, enhances resilience (e.g., 99.99% uptime)
Builds trust for SaaS/cloud providers via due diligence
Voluntary but market-mandated; maps 80% to ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA
Competitive moat, investor readiness

Implementation Overview

Phased: scoping/gap analysis (4-8 weeks), deployment/monitoring (3-6 months), CPA audit
Targets service orgs (SaaS, fintech); scalable startups-enterprises
Automation (Vanta, Drata) cuts effort 70%; $20-80K cost (178 words)

CIS Controls Details

What It Is

CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) v8.1 is a community-driven, prescriptive cybersecurity framework of prioritized best practices to reduce cyber risks. It focuses on actionable safeguards across hybrid environments, emphasizing governance and scalability via Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3).

Key Components

18 Controls with 153 safeguards, from asset inventory to penetration testing.
Tiered IG1 (56 essential hygiene safeguards), IG2, IG3 for maturity.
Built on real-world attack data; maps to NIST, ISO 27001, HIPAA.
No formal certification; self-assessed compliance.

Why Organizations Use It

Mitigates 85% common attacks, cuts breach costs.
Supports regulatory compliance, insurance discounts.
Builds resilience, efficiency, market trust across industries/sizes.

Implementation Overview

Phased: governance, gap analysis, IG1 execution (9–18 months mid-size).
Involves asset discovery, automation, metrics.
Applies universally; free tools like Benchmarks aid all organizations.

Key Differences

Aspect	SOC 2	CIS Controls
Scope	Trust Services Criteria: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, etc.	18 prioritized cybersecurity controls with 153 safeguards
Industry	Service organizations (SaaS, cloud, fintech) all sizes	All industries, sizes; scalable via Implementation Groups
Nature	Voluntary AICPA audit attestation framework	Voluntary prioritized cybersecurity best practices
Testing	Type 1/2 CPA audits over 3-12 months	Self-assessment, continuous monitoring, pen testing
Penalties	Market exclusion, lost deals, no legal fines	No penalties; increased breach risk, no enforcement

Scope

SOC 2

Trust Services Criteria: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, etc.

CIS Controls

18 prioritized cybersecurity controls with 153 safeguards

Industry

SOC 2

Service organizations (SaaS, cloud, fintech) all sizes

CIS Controls

All industries, sizes; scalable via Implementation Groups

Nature

SOC 2

Voluntary AICPA audit attestation framework

CIS Controls

Voluntary prioritized cybersecurity best practices

Testing

SOC 2

Type 1/2 CPA audits over 3-12 months

CIS Controls

Self-assessment, continuous monitoring, pen testing

Penalties

SOC 2

Market exclusion, lost deals, no legal fines

CIS Controls

No penalties; increased breach risk, no enforcement

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SOC 2 and CIS Controls

SOC 2 FAQ

CIS Controls FAQ

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SOC 2

CIS Controls

Quick Verdict

SOC 2

Key Features

CIS Controls

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

SOC 2 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

CIS Controls Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

SOC 2 FAQ

What is the primary objective of SOC 2?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with SOC 2?

Does SOC 2 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for SOC 2 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with SOC 2?

Can SOC 2 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing SOC 2?

CIS Controls FAQ

What is the primary objective of CIS Controls?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with CIS Controls?

Does CIS Controls require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for CIS Controls be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with CIS Controls?

Can CIS Controls be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing CIS Controls?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

Breaking Down NIST CSF 2.0 Structure: Core, Tiers, Profiles, and Real-World Application

CMMC Level 3 Implementation Guide: Integrating NIST SP 800-172 Enhanced Controls for APT Defense

The Regulatory Radar: How Data-Driven Compliance Tools Provide Strategic Foresight

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

TOGAF vs ISA 95

ENERGY STAR vs ISO 37001

APRA CPS 234 vs ISO 28000