Many organizations are concerned about the integrity of their data. Some mitigate data security risks by outsourcing operations to third-party firms that comply with the relevant standards. However, business owners may not be sure that their data is safe. The information could be at risk of theft, malware attacks, and extortion. So, how can business owners address these vulnerabilities? They can work with SOC 2-compliant third-party service providers who are unlikely to expose sensitive information. Additionally, SOC 2-compliance auditors ensure service providers protect the rights and interests of their clients. This article will highlight the role of these auditors in promoting the integrity of sensitive data.

Data Security

This is the first important principle that protects data integrity. The external auditors determine the extent to which a service provider complies with this and other standard principles of data security. In this case, SOC 2 auditors evaluate the systems to determine if some loopholes could lead to unauthorized access to data. They assess the system by looking at the access controls the vendor has put in place. These controls minimize the risk of theft, abuse, misuse, alteration, and disclosure of information to unauthorized people. Also, the auditors evaluate network and web application firewalls, instruction detection tools, and two-factor authentication. If a service provider has these protective measures in place, the auditors assess their effectiveness in preventing unauthorized access.

Availability of the Systems 

Businesses work with third-party service providers under a contract or service-level agreement. So, how do auditors assess compliance with the principle of system availability? They consider accessibility to the products, services, or systems highlighted in the contract. However, the availability standards are set by both parties. Although the auditors disregard the system functionality, they consider security issues that may affect the availability. They check the network availability, site failover, and how the vendor responds to security incidents.

Integrity During Data Processing

The principle of data processing determines whether a system serves its purpose. This principle might seem hard to assess from a layman’s perspective. However, the auditors start by understanding how a system works. Later, they evaluate whether the system provides the correct data at the right time and in the right place. For the vendor to comply, the system must complete data processing and present accurate or valid data to the authorized persons on time. However, there are some limitations to this principle. Data processing integrity may not translate to data integrity because the data may contain errors before processing. Therefore, monitoring and quality assurance measures are necessary for data integrity.

Confidentiality

Data should only be accessed or disclosed to authorized individuals or organizations. To assess compliance with this principle, SOC 2 compliance auditors determine whether sensitive information is exposed to the wrong people. But what do they check to determine confidentiality levels? They usually consider encryption of data during storage or transmission. Besides, they test application firewalls and access controls in place to protect data.

Privacy 

This principle focuses on collecting, storing, using, disclosing, and disposing of sensitive data. The vendor must comply with the organization’s privacy notice and generally accepted privacy principles. What do auditors consider sensitive under this principle? Personally identifiable information, including names and addresses. Additionally, they check personal information, such as race, health, or religion. Therefore, they assess whether the organization strives to minimize access to sensitive data.

These are the principles of data integrity that the auditors assess to ensure SOC 2 compliance. Although compliance may not be a requirement for some service providers, the commitment to data security cannot be overstated. Therefore, service providers should seek audits to ensure SOC 2 compliance and attract more clients.