SOC 2 Readiness

Get ready for SOC 2 without building a compliance department.

SOC 2 readiness is more than writing policies or checking boxes in a platform.

You need the right scope, controls that reflect how your company actually operates, clear ownership, an evidence process, and a program that can stand up to independent examination.

22 Compliance Group helps you build that program and keep it moving.

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The real work

SOC 2 readiness is where the real work happens.

The audit is only one part of SOC 2.

Before an independent CPA firm examines your controls, your organization needs to determine what is in scope, understand where gaps exist, establish the right controls and policies, assign ownership, and demonstrate that those controls are actually operating.

That is where 22 comes in.

We work alongside your team to turn SOC 2 requirements into a practical compliance program built around your actual business, systems, people, and risks.

We help you

Define your SOC 2 scope and readiness strategy
Assess your current environment and identify gaps
Map controls to applicable SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria
Establish clear control ownership and responsibilities
Develop and maintain required policies
Build your risk and vendor management processes
Define evidence requirements and an ongoing evidence cadence
Track remediation and readiness work
Prepare your team for the independent examination
Maintain the program after the initial SOC 2 effort is complete

The path

From "we need SOC 2" to an operating compliance program.

A successful SOC 2 project should leave you with more than a report. It should leave you with a security and compliance program your company can continue to operate.

Define the scope

We start by understanding your business, infrastructure, systems, customers, vendors, and security commitments.

From there, we help determine the appropriate scope and which Trust Services Criteria should be considered for your organization.

Assess where you are

We evaluate your existing policies, processes, controls, and documentation against your SOC 2 requirements.

You receive a clear picture of what already exists, what needs improvement, and what needs to be built.

Build the program

We help establish the policies, controls, ownership structure, risk processes, vendor management practices, and other components needed to support your SOC 2 program.

The goal is not documentation for documentation's sake. The goal is a program that matches how your company actually operates.

Put the controls into operation

SOC 2 readiness requires more than having controls written down.

Responsibilities need to be assigned. Reviews need to happen. Evidence needs to be produced. Exceptions need to be addressed. 22 helps keep that work organized and moving.

Prepare for examination

When your organization is ready, we help organize the program for handoff to the independent CPA firm performing your SOC 2 examination.

22 Compliance Group provides readiness and compliance program support. We do not perform the independent SOC 2 examination or issue the SOC 2 report.

Groundset

Groundset gives your SOC 2 program a place to live.

Compliance work gets difficult quickly when policies are in one folder, evidence is somewhere else, assessments live in spreadsheets, and nobody has a clear view of what is complete.

Groundset provides a centralized foundation for your assessments, policies, controls, documentation, and trust materials so your SOC 2 program does not have to live across disconnected spreadsheets and folders.

When Groundset makes sense for your organization, it is included with your 22 Compliance Group engagement at no additional platform cost.

Already using another GRC platform?

That is fine too.

22 is platform-agnostic. We can operate your compliance program inside your existing environment.

How Groundset fits Visit Groundset

Software provides structure. People provide ownership.

Groundset

Provides the system and structure for managing compliance.

Use Groundset on its own when your team can manage the program internally.

groundset.io

22 Compliance Group

Provides the people, experience, coordination, and ongoing ownership required to turn that system into a working compliance program.

Bring in 22 when compliance needs an owner.

Scope of work

What SOC 2 readiness with 22 can include.

Depending on your environment and engagement, our work may include:

Readiness assessment and gap analysis

Understand your current state and identify the work required before examination.

SOC 2 control mapping

Connect your operating controls to the applicable Trust Services Criteria.

Policy development and maintenance

Build practical policies that reflect the way your organization actually works.

Risk management

Establish a repeatable process for identifying, evaluating, tracking, and addressing organizational risk.

Vendor risk management

Create a structured process for evaluating and monitoring critical third parties.

Control ownership

Define who is responsible for operating, reviewing, and demonstrating each control.

Evidence planning

Identify what evidence will be required, where it comes from, who owns it, and when it should be produced.

Remediation management

Prioritize gaps and track corrective work through completion.

Executive reporting

Give leadership a clear view of readiness, risk, open issues, and program progress.

Audit preparation and coordination

Help organize your program and team for an efficient transition into the independent examination process.

Who it is for

Built for companies that need to prove they can be trusted.

22's SOC 2 readiness services are designed for growing organizations where security and compliance have become a business requirement but building a full internal compliance department does not make sense.

That often happens when:

Enterprise customers begin requesting a SOC 2 report
Security questionnaires become part of the sales process
Larger deals are being delayed by compliance requirements
An investor, customer, or partner asks about your security program
Someone internally has inherited compliance on top of another job
You have purchased compliance software but still need someone to run the program
SOC 2 has moved from "something we should do" to "something we need to get done"

If that sounds familiar, you probably do not need another dashboard. You need ownership.

SOC 2 readiness should make the company better, not just more compliant.

A well-run SOC 2 program creates structure around the things customers already expect you to manage well: access, risk, vendors, incidents, changes, security responsibilities, and accountability.

Our goal is not simply to get you through an examination. It is to help establish a compliance program that continues to work after it.

SOC 2 Readiness FAQ

What is a SOC 2 readiness assessment?

A SOC 2 readiness assessment evaluates your existing environment against the controls and processes your organization will need to support a SOC 2 examination. It identifies gaps, clarifies scope and responsibilities, and creates a roadmap for getting the organization ready.

Does 22 Compliance Group perform SOC 2 audits?

No. 22 provides SOC 2 readiness and compliance program support. The SOC 2 examination and report must be performed by an independent licensed CPA firm, which must maintain independence and cannot assume management responsibility for the controls it examines. Keeping readiness separate also gives your team a partner focused specifically on helping you prepare.

Do we need SOC 2 Type I or Type II?

That depends on your customer requirements, timing, current maturity, and business objectives. We can help you understand the differences and build a readiness path appropriate for your organization. The independent CPA firm ultimately performs the applicable examination.

How long does SOC 2 readiness take?

There is no responsible one-size-fits-all answer. Timing depends on your current security practices, scope, infrastructure, documentation, control gaps, available internal resources, and whether you are preparing for a Type I or Type II examination. Our first job is to determine where you actually are so we can build a realistic path forward.

Do we have to use Groundset?

No. Groundset is available as an optional compliance platform and is included with 22 engagements when it is useful. If you already use another GRC or compliance platform, we can work inside that environment instead.

What if we already bought compliance software?

That is common. Software can organize controls, evidence, and tasks. It does not automatically create ownership of the program. 22 can work with your existing platform and provide the human compliance layer required to keep the program operating.

Keep reading

Know what stands between you and SOC 2 readiness.

Whether you are starting from zero, already working through a platform, or preparing for an upcoming examination, we can help you understand where you stand and what needs to happen next.

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