RFP Warehouse Logo
Back to Glossary
Security & Compliance

What is SOC 2?

Definition

Service Organization Control 2 - an auditing standard for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customer data in cloud services. SOC 2 Type II certification requires annual independent audits proving controls operate effectively over time."

Why This Matters

SOC 2 certification demonstrates a vendor's commitment to security through independent annual audits of controls. Many enterprise buyers require SOC 2 as a minimum security standard. This certification provides documented evidence of security maturity and ongoing compliance.

Related Terms

Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.

Data Security

Security & Compliance

Protection of information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction through encryption, access controls, monitoring, and security policies.

Compliance Certification

Security & Compliance

Formal validation of adherence to regulatory requirements or industry standards.

Security Audit

Security & Compliance

Independent examination of security controls, policies, and practices verifying compliance with standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or industry regulations.

Data Encryption

Security & Compliance

Converting data into coded format using algorithms to prevent unauthorized access.

Access Control

Security & Compliance

Security mechanisms restricting system access based on user roles, permissions, and authentication including single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, role-based access control, and least privilege principles.

Incident Response

Security & Compliance

Structured approach to detecting, analyzing, containing, and recovering from security breaches including incident detection, assessment, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review.

Security Questions

RFP Fundamentals

20-40 RFP questions assessing data encryption, access controls, compliance certifications, incident response, backup procedures, and vulnerability management.

Compliance Certifications

Security & Compliance

Official attestations proving adherence to security and regulatory standards including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, or industry-specific certifications.

Showing 10 semantically related terms ·Browse all 200 terms

Ready to use this in your RFP?

Download our expert-crafted RFP templates with built-in questions covering soc 2 and 100+ other critical evaluation areas.

Browse RFP Templates