SOC 2 Readiness
Preparation for a SOC 2 examination: scoping, a gap assessment against the Trust Services Criteria, policies, controls implemented through managed IT and evidence collected continuously, so you arrive at the audit ready. The audit itself is performed by an independent CPA firm.
Overview
A customer asked for your SOC 2 report. The audit is the last step, not the first.
SOC 2 is an examination of a service organization's controls, performed by an independent CPA firm under AICPA standards and reported against the Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. Customers ask for it because it helps them assess the risk of trusting you with their data or their operations. A Type 1 report looks at whether your controls are suitably designed at a point in time; a Type 2 report also tests whether they operated effectively over a period, which is what most customers eventually want.
The hard part comes before the auditor arrives. Controls have to exist, run consistently and leave evidence: access reviewed and removed on time, MFA everywhere, changes approved, systems patched and monitored, backups tested, vendors assessed, incidents handled to a written plan, staff trained, and policies that describe what really happens. That is the preparation we do. We scope the system and the criteria with you, assess the gaps, write the policies, implement the controls through managed IT and collect the evidence continuously, so the period your auditor examines is one in which the controls actually ran.
We do not issue SOC 2 reports, and Atlas is not itself SOC 2 audited. The examination is performed by an independent CPA firm that you engage, and keeping preparation and audit separate is part of what makes the report credible. If we run part of your environment, your auditor may look at how you oversee us as a vendor, and we provide the evidence they ask for.
Capabilities
What's included
- Scoping and criteria selectionThe system, services, locations and people in scope, and which Trust Services Criteria beyond security your customers need.
- Gap assessmentYour current controls compared with the criteria, with a ranked list of what is missing or undocumented.
- Policies and proceduresInformation security, access, change management, incident response, vendor management and the other policies, written to match how you operate.
- Control implementationMFA, access reviews, encryption, logging, patching, endpoint protection, backups, and onboarding and offboarding delivered through managed IT.
- Continuous evidence collectionReports, logs, tickets and screenshots mapped to each control and collected throughout the period, inside a compliance automation platform if you use one.
- Readiness reviewA walk through every control and its evidence before the audit begins, with findings fixed while there is still time.
- Audit supportHelp shortlisting independent CPA firms, answers to auditor requests about the systems we run, and remediation of any exceptions.
How It Works
Delivered through managed IT
Access changes, MFA coverage, patch levels, endpoint protection, encryption status and backup results are recorded by our management platform as the systems run, which is how much of the evidence for a SOC 2 period is produced without a scramble. Policies, the risk assessment and vendor reviews are maintained with you, and auditor requests are answered from the same record.
Why Atlas
Secure. Reliable. Responsive.
Flat monthly fee
Predictable per-device pricing. No surprise invoices and no hourly meter running while your team waits for help.
Proactive, not reactive
Monitoring, patching, and automation run around the clock — so most issues are resolved before your staff ever notice them.
Responsive & accountable
One team that knows your environment and answers fast. You reach a real technician, not a ticket queue in another time zone.
Month-to-month
We earn your business every month. No multi-year lock-in — you stay because the service works, not because a contract traps you.
Common Questions
Questions we get asked
Can Atlas give us a SOC 2 report?
No. A SOC 2 report is issued by an independent CPA firm after it examines your controls, and no IT provider can issue one or should claim to. Atlas is also not SOC 2 audited itself. Our role is readiness: getting the controls, policies and evidence in place so the examination goes smoothly, and supporting you while it happens.
Should we start with a Type 1 or a Type 2 report?
A Type 1 report covers whether controls are suitably designed at a point in time, and it can be a reasonable first step when a customer needs something soon. A Type 2 report adds testing of whether the controls operated effectively over a period, and it is what most customers eventually expect. The length of that period is agreed with your auditor. We prepare you for either.
Which Trust Services Criteria do we need?
Security is the foundation of every SOC 2 examination. Availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy are added when they matter to your customers: availability if they depend on your uptime, confidentiality if you hold their sensitive information, and so on. Including criteria nobody asked for adds work without adding value, so scoping starts with what your customers' contracts and questionnaires actually require.
Do we need a compliance automation platform?
Not necessarily. Compliance automation tools help track controls and collect evidence, and they are useful in larger or fast-changing environments. They do not enforce MFA, review access, test backups or write policies that match reality, and that work is where readiness succeeds or fails. If you use or choose one, we work inside it; if not, evidence is organized in a structured record your auditor can follow.
What if you run our IT during the audit period?
Then some of your controls run on systems we manage, and your auditor will want to understand that. Because Atlas is not SOC 2 audited, the auditor may look at how you oversee us as a vendor and may ask us directly for evidence such as access logs, patch reports or backup results. We provide it, and the arrangement is documented in your vendor management records.
How long does SOC 2 readiness take?
It depends on how many controls already exist and how much evidence they leave. The gap assessment gives you a realistic plan before you commit to an audit date. For a Type 2 report, remember that the examination period itself takes time once the controls are in place. Be wary of anyone promising a fast, easy SOC 2; the report is only worth what the controls behind it are worth.
References
Standards referenced
Secure. Reliable. Responsive.
Book a consultation and we’ll map out a managed IT plan for your business, or email contact@atlasbm.net.