If you’re responsible for managing IT in your organization, you understand the importance of safeguarding your customers’ data. You also likely realize that doing so requires more than just implementing strong security measures – it also necessitates working with a technology provider who takes data security seriously. That’s where the term “SOC 2 compliance” comes in.
Many companies outsource IT operations to third-party vendors to leverage expert skills and resources while cutting costs. Ensuring your vendors are SOC 2 compliant is essential for maintaining the security of your customers’ data at the highest possible standards, protecting their sensitive information – and your organization’s reputation – from any threats.
What Is SOC 2 Compliance?
Developed by the AICPA, Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2) is a framework that specifies how businesses should handle customer data. SOC 2 reports evaluate an organization’s security controls based on five “trust services criteria”: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
SOC 2 isn’t a legal requirement. Rather, it’s a voluntary compliance standard designed to help technology providers and other service organizations demonstrate the steps they’ve taken to keep their customer data protected.
Benefits of Working With a SOC 2 Compliant Provider
SOC 2 compliance is a bare minimum requirement for companies evaluating technology vendors to work with, as it signifies you take data protection seriously. Aside from delivering peace of mind to your customers, selecting a SOC 2 compliant service provider – especially if you’re searching for a data center or colocation solution – provides several security advantages.
Here are four areas where SOC 2 compliance will benefit your business:
Proactive Threat Detection
These service providers continuously monitor for unusual activity, so potential cyber threats from internal and external sources alike are detected before they can do any damage.
Anomaly Alerts
If anything out of the ordinary occurs that results in unauthorized access to customer data, your service provider is immediately alerted so they can take action to prevent compromise.
Detailed Audit Trails
These service providers maintain comprehensive audit trails and forensics, so if a security incident occurs, they have a record of data to inform them of the best course of corrective action to take.
Ongoing Policies
SOC 2 compliance requires ongoing policy adherence, so you can be sure your provider will maintain the infrastructure needed to keep your data secure.
Trust Cloudsmart for Your SOC 2 Compliance Needs
As modern businesses shift to the cloud, data security is becoming a top priority for customers and organizations alike. Keep your customers’ sensitive information and your essential data safe at all times with a SOC 2 compliant service provider.
Whether you’re looking for a solution to your unsecured, outdated servers or your fragmented remote and hybrid work arrangements, Cloudsmart has you covered. Our colocation services allow you to deploy your hardware at our SOC 2 compliant facility for enterprise-level performance, remote-work flexibility, and 24/7 monitoring. If you need a cloud server solution instead, our virtual private servers hosted at our SOC 2 compliant data center offer redundant VM hosts and SSD storage to keep your remote and onsite teams connected.
Contact us today to discover how Cloudsmart can solve your colocation or VPS needs with secure solutions backed by always-on support from our highly-trained, local staff.