SOC 2 Compliance Readiness

Overview

SOC 2 readiness is the preparation work that determines whether your CPA firm's examination goes smoothly or surfaces costly surprises. SOC 2 compliance covers controls relevant to the Trust Services Criteria (TSC): Security is always in scope, and Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy are added where they apply to your service. System and organization controls are the subject of the examination, and the readiness assessment is how you find out what still needs work before the auditor arrives.

We scope the criteria with you, run a gap analysis to identify gaps in your current control environment, design and document what needs to change, and build the evidence framework your auditor will rely on. Preparing for a SOC 2 involves remediating security controls, authoring policies and procedures, and structuring evidence collection so the audit process is predictable rather than stressful. We streamline that process by coordinating directly with your CPA firm throughout the engagement.

The audit opinion itself is issued by a licensed CPA firm that performs the examination. Our role is to get you ready for the actual SOC 2 examination and to make sure the evidence is there when the auditor asks for it. Risk management and vendor management arrangements are reviewed as part of the readiness process, since auditors will examine both.

What’s included

• Trust Services Criteria scoping (Security plus applicable categories)
• Gap analysis against the selected criteria
• Control design and remediation guidance to remediate identified gaps
• Policies and procedures documentation
• Evidence collection framework for Type I or Type II
• Audit preparation and CPA-firm coordination
• SOC 2 assessment readiness confirmation before examination
• Risk assessment aligned to SOC 2 criteria

How we work

1. 01
   Scope

   We confirm which Trust Services Criteria apply to your service and define the system boundary. Scoping decisions made here affect everything downstream in the SOC 2 compliance journey.

2. 02
   Gap analysis

   We assess your current security controls against each criterion and identify what needs to be designed, improved, or documented before the SOC 2 examination. This is the end of the readiness assessment phase where surprises should appear, not during the actual SOC audit.

3. 03
   Build and document

   We help design the controls, author the policies and procedures, and set up the evidence collection process, so nothing is reconstructed after the fact. Controls supporting the TSC criteria are documented in a format auditors expect.

4. 04
   Internal audit and risk assessment

   We run an internal audit against the selected Trust Services Criteria and a risk assessment to confirm the controls are operating as intended and to surface any gaps before your CPA firm's examination.

5. 05
   Audit preparation

   We prepare you for the examination, run readiness checks, and coordinate with your CPA firm so the audit window is productive. Audit readiness is confirmed before the examination begins.

What you get

• SOC 2 scope and Trust Services Criteria selection
• Gap analysis and remediation plan
• Policy and control documentation
• Evidence framework and audit-readiness confirmation
• Risk assessment report
• Internal audit report

The opinion comes from a licensed CPA firm

A SOC 2 report is an opinion issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination under AICPA standards. Onyx Security Labs prepares you, authors the documentation, and coordinates the engagement. We do not issue the SOC 2 opinion ourselves.

Frequently asked questions