Today’s blog post is a little different from our usual content. That’s because we’ve achieved something we’re super proud of, and we’d like to share the news! As of last year, Centarus acquired SOC2 certification. That may not mean much to you just yet, but bear with us. In this post, we’re taking a short detour to explain what SOC2 is, how we became certified, and what our not-so-little accomplishment means for our clients.
What Is SOC2?
First of all, we’d better clarify what SOC2 even is. Essentially, Service Organization Control 2, or SOC2, is a compliance framework that details how companies should manage customer data to ensure it's well-protected from vulnerabilities, unauthorized access, and other security incidents. It acts as a rigorous standard for safety, providing customers with assurance that their data is in trusted hands.
Why Is SOC2 Such a Big Deal?
Unlike other compliance measures that tick boxes on a checklist, SOC2 is uniquely comprehensive. It focuses on five “trust service principles”: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
What does each principle entail?
- Security – Implementing controls like encryption to keep access to data restricted.
- Availability – Developing a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Strategy to minimize any downtime caused by security incidents or hardware failures.
- Processing integrity – Executing quality assurance processes to spot and resolve discrepancies in processed data.
- Confidentiality – Establish policies relating to the secure handling, storage, and transmission of sensitive information.
- Privacy – Providing transparency to clients about how their personal information is gathered and used by a third-party provider.
The five criteria can be broken up into more detailed subsets, and these are what we follow to make sure our data handling controls are up to scratch.
Obtaining SOC2 certification is certainly not for the faint of heart. It involved an in-depth audit of our business operations that assessed the extent to which Centarus complies with one or more of the aforementioned trust principles. To become certified, we had to undergo:
- Comprehensive Evaluation: An independent auditor examined our systems and processes to determine whether they met the high standards set out by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) – the body in charge of SOC2.
- Extensive Risk Management Procedures: We had to demonstrate the robustness of our risk management protocols, demonstrating to the auditor that we’re prepared to handle all manner of security incidents.
- Ongoing Compliance Checks: Being certified doesn’t mean we can get lazy about data management. After initial certification, we have to carry out regular follow-ups to prove our commitment to following the required standards of SOC2.
The meticulous nature of these evaluations could be off-putting to other MSPs, but not to us. We’re proud to have joined the rare group of IT service providers who truly prioritize maintaining high standards of data security and privacy.
How Does Centarus Getting Certified Impact Me?
Enough about us, let’s talk about you. More specifically, your business. For those SMEs who choose to partner with us, there are numerous benefits our SOC2 certification offers.
1. Enhanced Data Security
The biggest advantage of SOC2 certification is the renewed confidence in enhanced data security our clients experience. They can trust that their sensitive information is protected against threats and vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of data breaches that can lead to financial loss and reputational damage.
2. Reliability and Availability
SOC2’s focus on the availability principle ensures that an IT provider’s services are available as agreed upon. Instead of sub-standard support that leaves you in the lurch, when you partner with a certified IT team, you always get what you signed up for. For our clients, this reliability means their systems are more likely to be up and running when needed, minimizing downtime and boosting their business’s productivity.
3. Integrity of Data Processing
Clients are given peace of mind that any data handled by an SOC2-certified IT provider is processed accurately and validly. This level of integrity is crucial for maintaining both the quality of our clients’ services and the business decisions they make based on this data.
4. Confidentiality and Privacy
With rising concerns about data privacy, having a provider that is SOC2-certified guarantees that confidential and private data is handled with the utmost care. Business owners can be confident that their information is only ever disclosed in the ways they’ve agreed to and is never put at risk behind their backs.
Thanks to our certification, Centarus’ clients know we’re not all just talk; we’ve got the official seal of approval to back up our promises. Can your current IT support provider say the same?
Choose an IT Partner with Confidence
For small and medium-sized businesses, choosing an SOC2-certified IT service provider means opting for a partner that values their data as much as you do and works twice as hard to protect it. It's a mark of reliability and integrity in a world where these qualities are increasingly under threat. In short, an SOC2-certified IT team isn’t just a service provider; they’re a trusted ally in the digital age.
Centarus: A Leading, SOC2-Certified IT Support Provider
Here at Centarus, we strive to deliver industry-leading cybersecurity solutions to businesses around San Francisco. Our client-first approach combined with our team’s years of experience means we can provide comprehensive support for your business, whatever your needs may be. For some insight into how partnering with an SOC2-certified provider like us could help fortify your cybersecurity foundations, reach out now.
