Author: Courtenay Farquharson

In this article we will explore why backups, and more specifically why Azure DevOps backups, are crucial to your SOC 2 compliance.

SOC stands for System and Organization Controls governed by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). SOC is a framework that helps organizations secure their systems and data. It ensures security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC compliance involves following the standards set in SOC reports:

1. SOC 1: This report focuses on the controls relevant to financial reporting. It is commonly used for service organizations that provide services that could impact their clients’ financial reporting.
2. SOC 2: This report focuses on controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. It is widely used for technology and cloud computing organizations to demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding customer data and ensuring system reliability.
3. SOC 3: Similar to SOC 2, but it’s a general-use report that provides a high-level overview of the organization’s controls and can be freely distributed.

For the purposes of this article we will be focussing on SOC 2 compliance.

What is SOC 2 compliance?

This report focuses on controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. It’s widely used by tech and cloud computing firms to show commitment to customer data security and system reliability.

SOC compliance involves undergoing an audit conducted by an independent third-party auditor who evaluates the organization’s controls and issues a report detailing their findings. Achieving SOC compliance demonstrates to customers, partners, and stakeholders that the organization takes data security and privacy seriously and has implemented effective controls to mitigate risks.

What is the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II compliance?

The difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II compliance lies in the duration and depth of the assessment

1. SOC 2 Type I: This assessment evaluates the suitability and design of an organization’s controls at a specific point in time. It provides a snapshot of the organization’s control environment at the time of the assessment. SOC 2 Type I reports focus on the description of the organization’s systems and the suitability of the design of the controls in place to meet the specified criteria. However, it does not evaluate the operating effectiveness of these controls over time.
2. SOC 2 Type II: This assessment goes beyond Type I and includes an evaluation of the operational effectiveness of the organization’s controls over a minimum period of six months. SOC 2 Type II reports not only assess the design of controls but also test whether these controls are operating effectively over an extended period. This type of assessment provides a more comprehensive understanding of how well the controls are functioning in practice and how consistent the organization is in maintaining them over time.

In summary, while SOC 2 Type I provides a snapshot of controls at a specific point in time, SOC 2 Type II offers a more thorough evaluation by assessing the effectiveness of controls over a period of time, typically 6 to 12 months. Many organizations aim for SOC 2 Type II compliance as it provides deeper insights into the ongoing reliability and effectiveness of their systems and controls.

Is Backrightup SOC 2 Type II compliant?

Yes that’s correct! Its important especially when dealing with backups that we treat your data with the utmost of importance and adhere with the Trust Services Criteria associated with SOC 2 compliance:

The Trust Services Criteria (TSC) are a set of principles and criteria developed by the (AICPA) to evaluate the effectiveness of controls within service organizations. These criteria are used as the basis for SOC 2 reports, which assess the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of systems and data.

There are five main Trust Services Criteria:

1. Security: This criterion focuses on the protection of the system from unauthorized access, both physical and logical.
2. Availability: This criterion assesses the accessibility of the system, ensuring that it is available for operation and use as agreed upon or required.
3. Processing Integrity: This criterion evaluates whether system processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized.
4. Confidentiality: This criterion ensures that information designated as confidential is protected as agreed upon or required.
5. Privacy: This criterion addresses the collection, use, retention, disclosure, and disposal of personal information in conformity with the commitments made to the client, user, or data subject.

Each of these criteria includes specific controls that organizations must implement and maintain to achieve compliance. Our SOC 2 report provides assurance to stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of these controls and the organization’s commitment to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

Why is SOC2 Compliance important for your organization?

SOC 2 compliance establishes a level playing field when it comes to assessing a potential vendor or partner to work alongside. Particularly those that handle sensitive customer data or provide services to other businesses. Here are several reasons why your company should consider pursuing SOC 2 compliance:

1. Customer Trust: Demonstrates commitment to protecting customer data, building trust and confidence.
2. Competitive Advantage: Attracts clients who prioritize data security and compliance, expanding your customer base.
3. Risk Management: Identifies and mitigates risks related to data security and privacy.
4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet legal and regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of fines and penalties.
5. Improved Internal Processes: Enhances security practices and operational efficiency within the organization.
6. Vendor Management and Partnerships: Strengthens relationships with partners and attracts new business opportunities.
7. Continuous Improvement: Encourages a culture of ongoing improvement in data security and privacy practices.

In essence, SOC 2 compliance is crucial for enhancing security, maintaining compliance, and building trust with customers and partners.

Why do Azure DevOps Backups Matter in your SOC2 Compliance?

In summary, code backups are a fundamental aspect of SOC 2 compliance because they support data integrity, availability, business continuity, and regulatory compliance. By implementing effective code and metadata backup procedures and regularly testing backup systems, your company can mitigate risks and demonstrate its commitment to protecting sensitive information and maintaining operational resilience – a key part of your SOC 2 journey.

Similar to backing up a database, creating a code backup is a method to swiftly restore your service for customers. This aligns directly with the Availability Trust Service Criteria (TSC) outlined previously.

If you cannot quickly restore your Azure DevOps backups and enable your team to continue working through their Azure DevOps work item tasks, the period of downtime you experience will become a crucial part of you complying to your SOC 2 certification.

In addition, lack of availability, cyber breaches or ransomware attacks which result in loss of code will no doubt affect the credibility your company works so hard to achieve with your customers

Therefore, maintaining code backups is essential for SOC 2 compliance and ensuring a dependable business operation.

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