SOC 2 – Demonstrating trust in your services and your controls

SOC 2 is an attestation framework that is especially well recognized in North America for organizations that provide technology services or handle their clients’ information. It is based on the AICPA’s Trust Services Criteria, which cover security and, depending on the scope selected, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

SOC 2 is particularly relevant for SaaS companies, cloud providers, fintechs, AI companies, managed service providers, data centers, and B2B organizations whose clients require formal evidence of the effectiveness of their controls. It should be referred to as a SOC 2 attestation rather than a certification.

A SOC 2 engagement formalizes controls, clarifies responsibilities, documents evidence, and establishes verifiable operational discipline. Type II is especially valuable because it evaluates how controls operate over a defined period.

Indicative effort: approximately 3 to 6 months of preparation before the observation period, then the period required for the Type II report; 100 to 250 internal person-hours for the initial preparation; generally 150 to 350 Quantum Beyond hours. Requirements increase when evidence, policies, logs, IAM processes, or supplier controls are loosely structured.

Quantum Beyond can carry out the readiness assessment, the controls mapping, the documentation preparation, the structured collection of evidence, the remediation, and the preparation of your team for the examination performed by an independent CPA firm.

SOC 2 thus becomes a powerful accelerator of commercial trust, particularly when a company seeks to sell to large North American organizations.