What are common challenges in achieving SOC 2 compliance?

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Common Challenges in Achieving SOC 2 Compliance

Achieving compliance in SOC 2 is a significant milestone for any business, especially those tasked with handling sensitive customer data. However, the journey to certification is often littered with challenges that can halt progress. In this article, we will explore some of the most common obstacles that businesses may face when working towards SOC 2 compliance and how OneClickComply can help the journey to compliance easier.

Understanding SOC 2 Compliance

SOC 2, or Service Organisation Control 2, is a framework designed to ensure that service providers securely manage data to protect the privacy of their clients and customers. It is particularly relevant for technology companies, SaaS providers, and cloud computing services. The framework is based on five trust service criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. While achieving SOC 2 compliance can significantly boost customer trust, and potentially facilitate more business opportunities, the process is not without its challenges.

1. Complexity of Requirements

One of the primary challenges businesses face is the complexity of the SOC 2 requirements. Each organisation must interpret the criteria based on its specific operations and risk profile. This can lead to confusion about what policies and controls need to be implemented, especially for businesses who may have less experience with cyber security or compliance.

How OneClickComply Helps

OneClickComply helps businesses navigate the complex landscape of SOC 2 by offering policy templates, scope guidance, and technical automation for security controls. This significantly reduces the manual work required to get businesses compliant with SOC 2, and helps them understand the scope of their requirements.

2. Time-Consuming Documentation

Documenting policies, procedures, and controls is a time-intensive process. Many businesses often struggle to maintain accurate records that align with SOC 2 standards. This documentation is crucial for audits and ongoing compliance but can be overwhelming to manage manually.

How OneClickComply Helps

OneClickComply automates the production, editing, and storage of compliance-related documentation, such as policies, risk registers, and incident logs. This reduces the burden on compliance teams and ensures that documentation is always up-to-date and in line with SOC 2 standards.

3. Conducting Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are essential for identifying vulnerabilities within an organisation’s systems and processes. However, many organisations find it challenging to conduct thorough assessments due to a lack of expertise or resources. This can lead to inadequate risk management strategies.

How OneClickComply Helps

With OneClickComply, businesses easily log the results of risks, incidents, and assets within the platform. This data is then reflected in any policies generated, ensuring that all of your risk-related data is securely managed and kept up-to-date from one central point.

4. Ongoing Compliance Maintenance

Unfortunately, maintaining compliance with any standard or framework requires constant effort and vigilance. Many organisations often underestimate the resources needed for ongoing compliance efforts, leading to failed audits and undetected or insecure assets within the business.

How OneClickComply Helps

OneClickComply constantly scans your environment for changes or drift within your compliance posture, instantly alerting you when non-compliance is detected. Non-compliance can then be remediated using our OneClickFix.

Conclusion

While achieving SOC 2 compliance presents several challenges, businesses can navigate these obstacles far easier using the right tools and strategies. OneClickComply offers comprehensive solutions that streamline the compliance process, from understanding requirements to maintaining ongoing adherence. By leveraging automation and structured guidance, business can effectively maintain their compliance, and keep sensitive data secure.

For businesses looking for an easier way to comply with cyber security standards such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST, OneClickComply makes the process simple by automating all the technical work needed to achieve compliance. The platform also automatically monitors your systems for both compliance gaps and critical vulnerabilities, offering a OneClickFix for any detected issues. This allows businesses to achieve and maintain compliance with their chosen standards faster, easier and cheaper than other solution available on the market.