Introduction
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a voluntary compliance standard for service organizations, developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It specifies how organizations should manage customer data based on five “Trust Services Criteria.”
For any company offering a Cloud PLM or ALM solution, SOC 2 is not just a “nice-to-have”—it is a business imperative. It provides customers with the assurance that your internal systems are secure, available, and private.
The 5 Trust Services Criteria (TSC)
Unlike other certifications with rigid checklists, SOC 2 is flexible; a company can choose which of the following criteria apply to their services:
- Security: Protection of system resources against unauthorized access (the “Common Criteria”).
- Availability: Accessibility of the system, products, or services as stipulated by a contract or service level agreement (SLA).
- Processing Integrity: Ensuring that system processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized.
- Confidentiality: Protection of data that is restricted to a specific set of persons or organizations.
- Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and disposed of in conformity with an organization’s privacy notice.
SOC 2 Type 1 vs. Type 2: What’s the Difference?
When pursuing certification, organizations must decide between two types of reports:
| Feature | SOC 2 Type 1 | SOC 2 Type 2 |
| Scope | Point-in-time assessment. | Assessment over a period (usually 6-12 months). |
| Focus | Evaluates the design of controls. | Evaluates the operating effectiveness of controls. |
| Speed | Faster to achieve. | Takes much longer to complete. |
| Trust Level | Good for beginners or small startups. | The industry standard for enterprise-level trust. |
The Roadmap to SOC 2 Certification
Achieving SOC 2 is a journey of rigorous internal auditing:
- Gap Analysis: Identify where your current security controls fall short of the Trust Services Criteria.
- Remediation: Implement the necessary policies, technical controls, and employee training to close those gaps.
- The Readiness Assessment: A “practice run” to ensure you are prepared for the formal audit.
- The Formal Audit: A licensed CPA firm examines your controls and issue the report.
- Continuous Monitoring: SOC 2 is not a one-time event; you must maintain these controls for annual renewals.
Why SOC 2 Matters in PLM and Engineering
In the world of Product Lifecycle Management, the data being stored is a company’s “Crown Jewels” (IP, CAD designs, trade secrets).
- Vendor Risk Management: Enterprise companies will rarely sign a contract with a software vendor that doesn’t provide a SOC 2 Type 2 report.
- Global Competitiveness: It levels the playing field, allowing smaller firms to prove they have the same security maturity as global giants.
How Visure Solutions Facilitates SOC 2 Compliance
Visure Requirements ALM Platform is built with compliance in its DNA, helping you meet the strict Trust Services Criteria:
- Security & Access Control: Visure provides granular, role-based access control (RBAC) and robust authentication, directly supporting the Security criteria.
- Audit Trails for Everything: Every change in a requirement, every sign-off, and every login is timestamped and logged. This provides the “Irrefutable Evidence” auditors need to see.
- Data Integrity: Visure ensures that requirements cannot be altered without authorization, maintaining the Processing Integrity of your engineering data.
- Automated Compliance Evidence: Instead of manually collecting emails and screenshots for your auditor, Visure’s reporting tools allow you to export your entire history of controls and approvals in seconds.
Conclusion: Compliance as a Competitive Edge
SOC 2 is more than a badge on a website; it is a commitment to operational excellence. By achieving SOC 2 compliance, organizations prove they can protect what matters most to their customers: their data and their trust.
With Visure, you don’t have to fear the audit. Our platform provides the structured environment and the automated evidence-gathering capabilities you need to achieve and maintain SOC 2 certification with ease.
Check out the 14-day free trial at Visure and experience how AI-driven change control can help you manage changes faster, safer, and with full audit readiness.
