SOC 2 Readiness
SOC 2 Type I and II readiness assessment across all five Trust Service Criteria.
SOC 2 Readiness Assessment
SOC 2 has become the de facto security assurance standard for SaaS companies, cloud service providers, and technology vendors operating in North America, Europe, and increasingly across Asia-Pacific. A SOC 2 Type II report, issued by an independent CPA firm following a period of observation, signals to enterprise customers that your security controls are not merely designed well — they operate effectively over time. Intelliroot's SOC 2 Readiness Assessment evaluates your current controls against the AICPA's Trust Service Criteria and prepares you for a successful Type I or Type II audit.
We conduct a comprehensive gap assessment across all applicable Trust Service Criteria — Security (CC series), Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy — producing a structured gap register, evidence preparation guidance, policy templates, and a readiness roadmap that sequences remediation activities to meet your target audit window. Our work is designed to make your CPA firm's life easier and your audit timeline shorter.
Why SOC 2 Readiness Cannot Be Rushed
Enterprise Customers Demand It
SOC 2 Type II reports are now a standard enterprise procurement requirement. Without one, SaaS vendors are excluded from enterprise deals, face prolonged security questionnaire cycles, and lose to certified competitors — regardless of the actual quality of their security controls.
Type II Requires a 6–12 Month Observation Period
SOC 2 Type II covers the effectiveness of controls over an observation period of typically six to twelve months. Starting your readiness engagement late means you cannot accelerate this window — every month's delay in achieving readiness is a month added to the timeline to your Type II report.
Gap Identification Before the CPA Arrives
Finding control gaps during the CPA firm's audit is costly and embarrassing — it delays the report, requires expensive scope-limiting decisions, and signals immaturity to customers. A pre-audit readiness assessment identifies and closes gaps before the observation period begins.
Vendor Risk Is Now Part of SOC 2
The Common Criteria require organisations to assess and manage vendor risk. Many SOC 2 audits fail or receive qualified opinions because vendor risk management programmes are inadequate. Our readiness assessment includes a dedicated vendor risk review aligned to CC9.2.
What the Readiness Assessment Covers
Common Criteria (Security — CC Series)
- CC1 — Control environment and COSO principles
- CC2 — Communication and information
- CC3 — Risk assessment
- CC4 — Monitoring of controls
- CC5 — Control activities
- CC6–CC9 — Logical access, change management, risk mitigation, vendor risk
Additional Trust Service Criteria
- Availability — system uptime and SLA commitments
- Confidentiality — data classification and protection
- Processing Integrity — complete and accurate processing
- Privacy — personal information handling per GAPP
Evidence & Policy Preparation
- Evidence gap identification per criterion
- Policy and procedure review and gap filling
- Monitoring and logging evidence assessment
- Security awareness training records review
- Incident and change management documentation
Vendor Risk & CPA Readiness
- Vendor risk management programme assessment
- Subservice organisation identification and review
- System description (Section 3) drafting support
- CPA firm selection and engagement guidance
- Type I vs Type II scope decision advisory
Our Readiness Approach
Scope Definition & Criteria Selection
Determine which Trust Service Criteria apply to your service commitments. Define the system boundary for the SOC 2 report — identifying in-scope infrastructure, software components, people, and procedures. Advise on Type I vs Type II strategy based on your customer requirements and timeline.
Current State Gap Assessment
Conduct a criterion-by-criterion assessment of existing controls against each applicable Trust Service Criterion. Identify control gaps, missing evidence, inadequate policies, and monitoring deficiencies that would result in audit findings or qualified opinions.
Policy & Evidence Preparation
Review and strengthen all security policies required by the Common Criteria. Assist with drafting missing procedures, configuring logging and monitoring to produce required evidence, and establishing the vendor risk management programme required by CC9.2.
Controls Implementation Support
Work alongside your engineering and security teams to implement or strengthen controls identified in the gap assessment — including access control reviews, change management formalisation, encryption implementation, and monitoring automation.
Pre-Audit Readiness Review & CPA Introduction
Conduct a final readiness review simulating the CPA's audit procedures — testing evidence quality, control documentation completeness, and system description accuracy. Provide a readiness declaration and assist with CPA firm engagement and System Description drafting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deliverables
SOC 2 Readiness Report
Criterion-by-criterion gap assessment across all applicable Trust Service Criteria with control maturity ratings, gap descriptions, and remediation priorities.
Gap & Evidence Register
Structured register mapping each Trust Service Criterion to required evidence, current evidence status, gap description, and recommended remediation action.
Policy & Procedure Templates
Reviewed and strengthened security policies and procedures covering Common Criteria requirements — including access control, change management, incident response, and vendor risk.
Remediation Roadmap
Phased remediation plan sequenced to achieve readiness within your target Type I or Type II audit window, with effort estimates and dependency mapping.
Pre-Audit Readiness Declaration
Final readiness assessment confirming control design and evidence quality prior to CPA engagement — minimising audit surprises and accelerating the CPA's fieldwork.
Request a Security Assessment
Tell us about your environment and security objectives. We'll design a bespoke assessment and deliver a detailed proposal within 48 hours.