A Comprehensive Guide to SOC 2 Penetration Testing
Updated on: October 31, 2023
Kanishk Tagade
10 mins read
In today’s world, where data is the currency, it’s imperative to keep it from hackers. The government compliance standards for cyber data define the security policies, and rules and provide guidelines, ensuring the sensitive user data is safe from hackers with proper security measures taken by organizations.
One such compliance is SOC 2 compliance. In this blog post, we will understand what SOC 2 compliance is and how SOC 2 penetration testing acts as an important complementary practice to becoming SOC 2 compliant.
What Is SOC 2 Compliance?
SOC 2 compliance involves adhering to a set of guidelines and controls designed to ensure that companies properly protect the data they are entrusted with. It also helps customers determine whether a cloud provider meets their internal controls and can adequately protect the data they entrust to the provider.
Security should be always a top priority for all businesses. However, it becomes even more important when sensitive customer and business data is involved. While there are several security compliance standards and certifications, the most recognized is SOC 2, or Security and Compliance Controls for Cloud Service Providers.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) developed the SOC 2 standards in around 2010.
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What Is The Difference Between SOC 2 Type I And Type II?
There are multiple ways to secure your website from hackers. One of the most important steps in ensuring the security of your website is the implementation of a Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 report. SOC 2 is a type of report that details how your website manages security, privacy, and availability.
A successful SOC 2 report is a critical requirement for businesses storing data on behalf of customers in the cloud. SOC 2 provides a set of security controls that will protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your customer’s data when implemented and operating effectively.
Let’s understand two types of SOC 2 compliance SOC 2 reports.
SOC 2 Type I
SOC 2 Type I compliance is a standard that ensures that your IT infrastructure is reliable and safe enough to safeguard confidential information. This type of compliance is applicable to cloud service providers (CSPs).
SOC 2 Type II
SOC 2 Type II compliance ensures the service providers have proper controls to ensure the security and privacy of customer data. It is also known as SSAE 16 or SAS 70.
| S No. | SOC2 Type I | SOC2 Type II |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOC2 Type I is usually done when organization is short on time and need to prove to customer that they are secure. | SOC2 Type I is done when organization has enough time to get complete SOC2 report. |
| 2 | SOC2 Type I costs comparatively less than SOC2 Type II. | SOC2 Type II costs higher can SOC2 Type I compliance. |
| 3 | Less security standards are required in SOC2 Type I compliance. | Very detailed security standards are required in SOC2 Type II compliance. |
| 4 | SOC2 Type I takes around 4 months to get completed. | SOC2 Type II takes around 9-12 months to get completed. |
Also Read: NIST Penetration Testing
5 Principles of SOC 2 Compliance
SOC 2 Compliance is not just an audit; it’s a commitment to your organization and your customers. SOC 2 Compliance is an independent audit that can be done on an annual basis. The SOC 2 framework is based on five principles.
The five trust principles of SOC2 are:
1. Security
Protecting data from unauthorized access is an essential element of information security. The Security principle addresses this by requiring that only authorized individuals have access to data and that unauthorized individuals do not. This can be achieved by defining access control lists (ACLs) for every resource, including data, hardware, programs, and network servers. ACLs are like lists of people invited to a party, and they specify who can access each resource.
2. Availability
The principle states that the system must be operational for designated users within the agreed-upon non-availability continually. The system must be available for use as specified in the service level agreement (SLA).
For example, if a customer requires that the system be available 99.5% of the time, but their SLA only requires the system to be available at least 99% of the time, then the customer’s requirement has not been met. The system must be available for use as specified in the service level agreement (SLA).
3. Processing Integrity
The processing integrity principle ensures that the system’s security controls are designed and implemented so that the system accurately provides and protects the data that it is processing. It is an integrity principle because it ensures that the processed data is protected from unauthorized access or manipulation.
4. Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a key tenet of the security principles and framework. Confidentiality is defined as the property in that data is accessible only to those persons or organizations that need to know. Confidentiality can be enforced through various means, including physical security, logical security, and operational security.
For example, business plans, customer details, details of transactions, legal documents, and propriety schemes all fall under the types of information that need to be confidential.
5. Privacy
The privacy principle covers the confidentiality of all information in the system, including personal information, and should be applied to all data at rest and in transit. This includes the assurance that access to these data is strictly controlled and that data is only disclosed to those with a need to know and then only for legitimate purposes.
The privacy principle also covers the protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in accordance with applicable laws.
Also Know: Penetration Testing Quote
Does SOC 2 Require Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing is not mandatory to achieve SOC 2 compliance. However, it is necessary to ensure that controls are in place to detect and prevent unauthorized access to systems, applications, and data.
Achieving SOC 2 compliance is complex, and many companies find the process to be quite daunting. The audit scope is quite extensive, and it’s straightforward for something to go wrong.
One of the biggest problems with SOC 2 compliance is that it’s not always entirely clear whether or not a particular practice is necessary or not.
Although, performing penetration testing is not a mandatory task for SOC 2, penetration testing is an excellent way to see where a company is vulnerable and identify any weaknesses in its security. It can also help companies prioritize where they should focus their cybersecurity efforts.
Penetration testing is not only an essential step in achieving SOC 2 compliance but also in achieving overall security. It is an integral part of a company’s risk management strategy.
Read: Why Is Penetration Testing So Important | 11 Top Penetration Testing Tools of 2022 [Reviewed]
SOC 2 Penetration Testing Requirements
Though not made mandatory, penetration testing is mentioned explicitly in the SOC 2 Type II Points of Focus.
According to CC4.1 (Additional points to focus)
“Management uses a variety of different types of ongoing and separate evaluations, including penetration testing, independent certifications made against established specifications (for example, ISO certifications), and internal audit assessments.”
With this, we can clearly understand that SOC 2 pen testing is not necessary to perform; but it’s essential to identify security risks and appropriately manage those risks.
Does SOC 2 Require Vulnerability Scanning?
Vulnerability scanning, like penetration testing is not a mandatory feature of SOC2 compliance, however it falls under the types of risks assessments that can be done to achieve SOC 2 compliance.
According to CC7.1
“The entity conducts vulnerability scans designed to identify potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations on a periodic basis and after any significant change in the environment and takes action to remediate identified deficiencies on a timely basis.”
According to this statement, SOC 2 vulnerability despite not being mandatory, is described as good vital practice for safe guarding assets and discovering vulnerabilities in a timely fashion.
How Can Penetration Testing Help In SOC 2 Compliance?
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of organizations undergoing compliance audits to demonstrate their adherence to the many laws, regulations, and standards that govern their industry. Part of these compliance audits is vulnerability scans and penetration tests.
- Penetration Testing is a part of SOC 2 compliance. It is one of the most crucial checks that the SOC 2 compliance committee looks into. Penetration Testing is a part of a bigger testing process mostly done by the security engineers and the security teams.
- Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning are two important checks for SOC 2 compliance. SOC 2 Compliance is a set of codes and standards designed to ensure that the Security and IT Controls of a company are in line with the security and privacy needs of the customers.
- SOC 2 compliance is important in the digital world, where privacy breaches are not unheard of. A SOC 2 Compliance report acts as a proof for the customers that their data is safe with you. These reports also allow you to explain to the customers the steps you take to secure the data.
- Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning are two different checks that are part of the SOC 2 compliance process. Both these checks are performed to ensure that the security of your data is in line with the security that you are promising to your customers.
Some benefits of performing regular pentests are:
- Helps organizations understand and fix the security posture
- Ensuring that the data is protected from cyber-criminals
- Save the cost of a data breach
- Prevent hackers from exploiting security vulnerabilities
Also read: A Comprehensive Guide to Penetration Testing Compliance
How Can Astra Pentest Help You In SOC 2 Penetration Testing?
Security is an integral part of every organization. But it becomes extremely difficult to assess and identify potential security loopholes and vulnerabilities without an expert team. Having an independent security testing company is the best way to ensure that your business never comes under a cyber attack. This is where Astra comes in.
At Astra, we understand that compliance is an important step toward securing your company and your customers. With the help of Astra Pentest, you can easily achieve this.
Regarding SOC 2, Astra’s SOC 2 Penetration Testing Report can help you comply with the industry standard. Astra has the necessary expertise in performing SOC 2 Penetration Testing, which includes understanding and conforming to the security principles of the standard, as well as the testing process and the reporting.
Conclusion
Security and compliance standards are a vital part of any company. After all, if you’re not secure, you can’t hope to comply with the rules, regulations, and policies of any industry you’re in.
As part of the SOC 2 compliance standard, penetration testing can help to ensure that your company is doing everything it can to protect itself from cyberattacks. Penetration testing is just one part of the SOC 2 compliance standard. It’s not necessarily the most important part, but it’s still vital to your company’s overall security.
Astra’s pentest suite is used by organizations worldwide to protect data and comply with industry standards. If you are looking for comprehensive pocket-friendly penetration testing solutions, feel free to get in touch with an Astra-naut here.
FAQs
1. What is the timeline for SOC 2 penetration testing?
It takes 4-10 days to complete SOC 2 penetration testing.
2. How much does penetration testing cost?
The cost of penetration testing for web apps is between $99 and &399 per month. The cost for cloud pentest and mobile pentest may vary based on the scope of the test. Check our pentest pricing.
3. Why choose Astra for SOC 2 Penetration Testing?
If you are looking for Pentest for SOC 2 compliance, Astra Security is the perfect pentest partner for you. The recently launched compliance reporting feature makes it easy for you to monitor and manage compliance.
4. Do I also get rescans after a vulnerability is fixed?
Yes, based on the plan you get 1-3 rescans. You can avail of these scans within 30 days of the initial pentest completion.
Kanishk Tagade
