SOC 2 · Trust Services Criteria
SOC 2 Compliance & Audit Readiness
The Standard Enterprise SaaS Customers Require
SOC 2 is the de facto security certification for SaaS and cloud service providers — demonstrating to enterprise customers that your controls safeguard the security, availability, and confidentiality of their data. SIRI Law LLP builds your SOC 2 control framework, evidence programme, and audit readiness from scratch — or optimises and accelerates an existing programme.
What It Is & Why It Matters
SOC 2 Compliance & Audit Readiness: The Essentials
SOC 2 (Service Organisation Control 2) is an attestation framework developed by the AICPA, assessed by independent CPA firms against the Trust Services Criteria (TSC). The five Trust Services Categories are: Security (required), Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy — organisations select the categories relevant to their business.
SOC 2 Type I reports on the design of controls at a specific point in time. SOC 2 Type II reports on the operating effectiveness of controls over a defined period — typically 6 or 12 months. Enterprise customers almost universally require Type II, as it demonstrates that controls actually operated as designed, not merely that they exist.
SIRI Law LLP’s SOC 2 practice covers the full engagement lifecycle — readiness assessment, control framework design, evidence collection automation, vendor management, penetration testing (a TSC requirement), and auditor liaison. Our legal team integrates DPDPA and GDPR obligations into the Privacy TSC — avoiding duplicate compliance work.
Enterprise SaaS buyers increasingly require SOC 2 Type II as a minimum security qualification — without it, you may be excluded from procurement processes regardless of your technical capabilities.
SOC 2 Type II provides your customers with independent, audited evidence that your controls work — not just your self-assessment or a marketing claim. This builds genuine trust and shortens security review cycles during enterprise sales.
The discipline of building a SOC 2 programme also improves your internal security posture — establishing incident response procedures, vulnerability management, change management, and access review processes that reduce real security risk, not just checkbox compliance.
Scope of Services
What Our Engagement Covers
- SOC 2 readiness assessment — gap against applicable TSC categories
- Trust Services Category selection advisory
- Control framework design — policy, procedure, and control mapping
- Evidence collection design — what to collect, how to automate
- Access management controls — reviews, provisioning, offboarding
- Change management and SDLC controls
- Vulnerability management programme (TSC requirement)
- Annual penetration testing programme (TSC requirement)
- Incident response policy and procedures
- Vendor and sub-processor management programme
- Business continuity and availability controls
- Encryption and data handling controls
- Audit log management and monitoring controls
- SOC 2 Type I readiness audit and report preparation support
- SOC 2 Type II observation period management
- CPA auditor selection advisory and liaison during audit
- Privacy TSC — DPDPA/GDPR integration
Our Engagement Process
How We Work — Step by Step
Initial Scoping & Assessment
We conduct a gap assessment against the applicable framework, define the engagement scope, and produce a prioritised remediation roadmap with timeline and effort estimates.
Programme Design
We design the compliance programme — control framework, documentation structure, evidence requirements, and governance processes — tailored to your organisation.
Implementation Advisory
We advise on implementing each required control — working alongside your technical and operational teams to build controls that are practical and auditable.
Internal Audit & Validation
We conduct an internal audit or readiness assessment — identifying any remaining gaps before the formal certification or attestation process begins.
Certification / Attestation Support
We support the formal audit or assessment — managing auditor queries, providing evidence, and resolving findings on the day.
Post-Certification Advisory
After certification, we provide ongoing support — surveillance audit preparation, change management, and regulatory update advisory.
Typical engagement timeline varies by organisation size and existing control maturity.
Certified Engineers
Our Team Holds
CCSPCISMCIPPECEHOSCPCISSPCPENTISO 27001 LAIntegration Advantage
Our compliance engagements are backed by qualified legal counsel — ensuring your programme satisfies both technical certification requirements and legal obligations under DPDPA, IT Act, and sector-specific regulation.
Benefits & Deliverables
What You Get from This Engagement
Readiness Assessment
Gap assessment against applicable Trust Services Criteria — with a clear picture of current control maturity, required investments, and realistic timeline to Type I and Type II readiness.
Control Framework Design
We design your control framework — policies, procedures, and technical controls — mapped to TSC requirements and calibrated to your business model and risk profile.
Evidence Programme
We design your evidence collection programme — specifying what evidence satisfies each control, how to automate collection, and how to organise evidence for the audit.
Penetration Testing
TSC-required annual penetration testing — conducted by our security team and reported in a format that satisfies SOC 2 auditors.
Type I Readiness
Pre-Type I internal review — confirming control design satisfies the TSC before the CPA firm’s Type I assessment.
Type II Observation
Advisory throughout the 6–12 month Type II observation period — ensuring controls operate consistently and evidence is collected continuously.
Auditor Liaison
We manage the CPA auditor relationship during fieldwork — responding to queries, providing evidence, and resolving exceptions efficiently.
SOC 2 Readiness Report
Detailed gap assessment with control-by-control status, remediation roadmap, and timeline to Type I and Type II.
Control Framework Documentation
Complete documentation library — policies, procedures, control descriptions, and evidence collection guide.
Penetration Test Report
TSC-compliant penetration test report suitable for inclusion in your SOC 2 evidence package.
Type I Readiness Confirmation
Internal pre-audit confirmation that control design satisfies applicable TSC.
Ongoing Advisory
Quarterly check-ins during the Type II observation period — managing exceptions and ensuring evidence continuity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does SOC 2 Type II take?
Achieving SOC 2 Type II typically takes 12–18 months from starting the readiness programme: 3–6 months to build controls and achieve Type I readiness, then a 6–12 month observation period for Type II. Organisations with mature existing controls can compress this timeline significantly. We provide a realistic estimate after the readiness assessment.
Which Trust Services Categories should we include?
Security is mandatory. Availability is typically added by SaaS companies where uptime SLAs are customer commitments. Confidentiality is relevant when you process business-confidential information. Privacy is relevant when you process personal data — and we integrate this with DPDPA/GDPR compliance. Processing Integrity is relevant for transaction processing or financial services platforms. We advise on the right set for your business model.
Can SOC 2 replace our ISO 27001 certification?
For U.S. enterprise customers, SOC 2 Type II is typically more recognised. For European, Indian, and global customers, ISO 27001 is more universally understood. They address overlapping but not identical requirements. Many SaaS companies pursue both. We advise on whether pursuing both is appropriate for your market and on efficient combined implementation.
Do we need to share our SOC 2 report with every customer?
SOC 2 reports are confidential — they are shared under NDA with customers and prospects who require them as part of security review. You control who sees the report. Many companies reference their SOC 2 status publicly (on their trust page or website) while sharing the full report only under NDA.
Ready to Start Your SOC Journey?
All engagements begin with a complimentary scoping call. Let us understand your environment and propose the right approach.
Also see: Cybersecurity GRC · ISO 27001