SOC 2
AICPA framework for service organization Trust Services controls
ISO 22301
International standard for business continuity management systems
Quick Verdict
SOC 2 provides voluntary security attestations for tech service organizations via Trust Services Criteria audits. ISO 22301 delivers certified business continuity systems for all sectors against disruptions. Companies adopt SOC 2 for client trust and sales acceleration, ISO 22301 for resilience and regulatory compliance.
SOC 2
System and Organization Controls 2
Key Features
- Type 2 reports prove operating effectiveness over 3-12 months
- Mandatory Security criterion with CC1-CC9 common controls
- Flexible scoping of five Trust Services Criteria
- Independent AICPA CPA firm attestations
- Tailored for SaaS cloud service providers
ISO 22301
ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems
Key Features
- PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment
- Leadership commitment and BCMS policy requirements
- Operational planning, recovery strategies, and testing
- Seamless integration with ISO 27001 and 31000
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 developed by the AICPA for service organizations. It evaluates controls over customer data using Trust Services Criteria (TSC)—a risk-based approach focusing on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Primarily for SaaS, cloud, and tech services handling sensitive information.
Key Components
- **Five TSCSecurity (mandatory, CC1-CC9 common criteria), Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, Privacy.
- 50-100 controls per scope, with redundancy (2-3 per category).
- Built on COSO principles.
- Type 1 (design at point-in-time) and Type 2 (design + operating effectiveness over 3-12 months) CPA-attested reports.
Why Organizations Use It
- Accelerates enterprise sales by streamlining due diligence (80-90% questionnaire coverage).
- Builds trust moat, unlocks markets, boosts ACV by 15-30%.
- Mitigates breach risks, liabilities under CCPA/SLAs.
- Voluntary but often contractually mandated; signals maturity to VCs/investors.
- Enhances resilience, overlaps with ISO 27001/HIPAA.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: scoping/gap analysis (2-8 weeks), remediation/evidence collection (4-24 weeks), monitoring (3-12 months), CPA audit (4-12 weeks).
- Targets startups (10-50 employees) to enterprises; uses tools like Vanta/Drata.
- Annual recertification with bridge letters for continuity.
ISO 22301 Details
What It Is
ISO 22301:2019 is an international certification standard for establishing, implementing, and improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It provides a risk-based framework using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle to protect against disruptions, reduce likelihoods, and ensure recovery of critical operations.
Key Components
- 10 clauses aligned with Annex SL, focusing on context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, and improvement.
- Core elements: Business Impact Analysis (BIA), risk assessment, recovery strategies, testing, audits.
- Built on high-level structure for integration; certification valid 3 years with annual surveillance.
Why Organizations Use It
- Enhances resilience, minimizes downtime/financial losses, ensures regulatory compliance (e.g., NIS Directive).
- Builds stakeholder trust, reduces insurance costs, provides competitive edges in procurement.
- Addresses risks like cyberattacks, pandemics, supply chain failures.
Implementation Overview
- Phased approach: gap analysis, BIA, policy development, training, testing, audits.
- Applicable to all sizes/sectors; 60-day plans possible with tools.
- Two-stage certification audit (6-8 weeks).
Key Differences
| Aspect | SOC 2 | ISO 22301 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Security, availability, confidentiality, privacy, integrity | Business continuity management, disruption recovery |
| Industry | SaaS, cloud, tech service organizations globally | All sectors worldwide, critical infrastructure focus |
| Nature | Voluntary AICPA attestation, Type 1/2 reports | Voluntary ISO certification standard, BCMS framework |
| Testing | Type 2 operating effectiveness over 3-12 months | BIA, exercises, internal audits, 3-year certification |
| Penalties | No legal penalties, lost business opportunities | No legal penalties, regulatory non-compliance risks |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SOC 2 and ISO 22301
SOC 2 FAQ
ISO 22301 FAQ
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