Framework - SOC 2 Compliance Course

Jason Edwards

The **SOC 2 Compliance Audio Course** is your comprehensive, audio-first guide to understanding and implementing the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 framework from the ground up. Designed for cybersecurity professionals, auditors, and business leaders, this course breaks down the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Trust Services Criteria into clear, practical lessons that connect compliance theory with daily operational reality. Each episode explores essential concepts such as governance, risk assessment, security controls, and audit preparation—helping you understand how SOC 2 reports demonstrate assurance to customers and regulators. The course takes a structured approach to explaining each trust principle—**Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy**—and how they apply to different types of organizations. Listeners learn how to interpret requirements, design and map controls, gather appropriate evidence, and prepare for external audits with confidence. Real-world examples illustrate how companies build policies, implement technical safeguards, and maintain continuous compliance in dynamic cloud and enterprise environments. Developed by **BareMetalCyber.com**, the SOC 2 Compliance Audio Course turns complex assurance standards into straightforward, usable knowledge. Whether you’re building a program from scratch or refining an existing one, this course helps you gain a clear understanding of how SOC 2 fits into broader governance and risk frameworks—giving you the insight to achieve and sustain trusted, auditable security practices.

  1. EPISÓDIO 1

    Episode 1 — What SOC 2 Is (and Isn’t)

    SOC 2 is a framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to evaluate how well an organization manages customer data according to the Trust Services Criteria—Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. It is not a law, certification, or one-size-fits-all checklist but an attestation based on evidence and control operation over time. Understanding what SOC 2 is helps professionals interpret its purpose: to demonstrate trustworthiness and risk management maturity through independent validation. Knowing what SOC 2 isn’t—for example, a penetration test, vulnerability scan, or compliance with a single regulation—prevents misconceptions that can derail a readiness program. The report reflects both control design and effectiveness, offering a transparent, structured narrative about how systems safeguard information.   In practice, SOC 2 is often confused with ISO 27001 or other security certifications, but its focus is on operational reliability within a defined system scope rather than certification to a standard. The framework allows flexibility to align controls with company size, risk tolerance, and service commitments. Real-world success depends on tailoring the controls to your actual environment, not copying a generic template. When preparing for the exam, candidates should internalize this conceptual difference and understand that a SOC 2 report’s value lies in its credibility with customers and regulators, not in its marketing potential. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    20min
  2. EPISÓDIO 2

    Episode 2 — Do You Need SOC 2 Now? Buyer & Contract Signals

    Determining when to pursue SOC 2 depends on business drivers, not curiosity. For many organizations, the trigger comes from customer requirements or procurement questionnaires where buyers demand proof of security controls through independent audit evidence. Early-stage companies often delay SOC 2 until revenue-critical contracts make it mandatory. Understanding these buyer and contract signals helps prioritize investment—especially when serving regulated sectors like healthcare, finance, or government. SOC 2 readiness becomes a strategic necessity once your customers’ trust depends on formal assurance.   Beyond external pressure, internal readiness indicators also matter. Companies handling sensitive client data, running multi-tenant SaaS platforms, or expanding into enterprise markets benefit from establishing a SOC 2 baseline early. The exam expects you to recognize contractual obligations that drive timing decisions, such as data residency commitments, SLAs for uptime, or privacy clauses requiring demonstrable safeguards. Mature programs integrate SOC 2 evidence into sales enablement and compliance narratives, turning audit results into competitive advantage. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    19min
  3. EPISÓDIO 3

    Episode 3 — Scoping: System Boundary, Services, Regions, Tenants

    Defining the SOC 2 scope is one of the most critical early steps. The “system” includes the services, infrastructure, software, people, and processes that support customer commitments. Poorly defined boundaries can inflate audit effort or miss key control areas. The exam emphasizes clarity between in scope and out of scope components—what’s controlled directly versus inherited from providers. Regions, data centers, and tenants must be precisely mapped, since data residency and shared infrastructure can shift jurisdictional responsibilities. Correct scoping sets the foundation for credible evidence collection and auditor alignment.   Practically, scoping requires documenting architectural diagrams, data flows, and control ownership per component. Multi-region or multi-tenant systems complicate this, as evidence must reflect consistent control operation across environments. Real-world scenarios often include hybrid cloud services, SaaS integrations, and outsourced subservice providers—each needing explicit boundary definition. Effective scoping balances completeness with feasibility: broad enough to cover risk, narrow enough to manage efficiently. Candidates should understand how poor scoping can invalidate an audit or create unnecessary exceptions. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    18min
  4. EPISÓDIO 4

    Episode 4 — Trust Services Criteria at a Glance

    The Trust Services Criteria (TSC) form the backbone of every SOC 2 report, defining the control objectives used to evaluate a system’s reliability. The five criteria—Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy—can be selectively included depending on customer needs. Security, also called Common Criteria, is mandatory and underpins the others. Each criterion aligns with specific principles: for example, Availability relates to uptime and disaster recovery, while Privacy governs personal data collection and use. The exam expects familiarity with these distinctions and their interdependencies.   In applied contexts, organizations map existing policies and controls to TSC categories to identify coverage gaps. Security might align with IAM and incident response, while Confidentiality links to encryption and data classification programs. Understanding overlaps—such as how patch management supports both Security and Availability—helps create efficient control sets. The TSC are not technical controls themselves but conceptual anchors for evidence and testing. In professional settings, mastering this mapping is key to both audit preparation and cross-framework alignment. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    19min
  5. EPISÓDIO 5

    Episode 5 — Control Ownership & RACI Across the Org

    SOC 2 success depends on clear control ownership across teams. Every control requires a defined Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) structure to ensure consistency and accountability. Without it, audit evidence becomes fragmented, and responsibility for exceptions is unclear. Exam candidates should understand how assigning RACI roles prevents gaps in monitoring and ensures sustainability between audit cycles. Ownership extends beyond security teams—IT operations, HR, legal, and engineering all play defined roles in control performance.   In real organizations, RACI matrices align controls with job functions and system components. For instance, HR manages background checks (Responsible), compliance approves policy updates (Accountable), and security provides consultation on access review cadence. During audits, this clarity reduces confusion and supports traceability when control failures occur. Mature programs embed ownership into onboarding and change management workflows so responsibility evolves with the organization. On the exam, understanding RACI demonstrates comprehension of how governance frameworks translate into operational discipline. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    18min
  6. EPISÓDIO 6

    Episode 6 — Program Roadmap & Realistic Timelines

    Building a SOC 2 program requires sequencing activities in a way that balances business priorities, risk reduction, and audit readiness. A structured roadmap outlines milestones such as scoping, control design, evidence collection, readiness assessment, and final audit execution. Unrealistic timelines are a frequent cause of failure—especially when leadership underestimates the effort required to operationalize and document controls. Candidates should understand that SOC 2 is not a quick compliance sprint but a managed, iterative process. Establishing a 6–12 month plan for Type II audits is typical, depending on the organization’s maturity and complexity.   In practice, successful timelines align with product releases, organizational change cycles, and customer contract renewals. Projects begin with policy development and awareness training before moving into technical control validation and sampling. Readiness assessments help identify gaps early, reducing friction during the actual audit period. Mature programs integrate SOC 2 maintenance into annual calendars for continuous evidence collection and recurring risk reviews. Recognizing dependencies—such as waiting for full logging or HR onboarding automation—helps candidates craft feasible roadmaps and maintain auditor confidence. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    18min
  7. EPISÓDIO 7

    Episode 7 — Type I vs Type II (and Bridge Letters)

    A fundamental SOC 2 distinction lies between Type I and Type II reports. Type I assesses the design of controls at a single point in time, confirming that policies and procedures are in place and suitably designed. Type II extends further, evaluating control effectiveness over a sustained period—usually six to twelve months—to determine consistent operation. Exam candidates must understand the scope, evidence depth, and assurance differences between these two report types. While Type I suits startups establishing baseline documentation, Type II remains the industry standard for customer assurance.   Bridge letters fill the gap between audit periods, assuring stakeholders that no significant control changes occurred since the last report’s coverage end date. They are especially relevant during contract renewals or delayed audits. Operationally, this requires continuous monitoring and incident reporting to validate assertions made in the bridge letter. From an exam and real-world perspective, distinguishing Type I design assessments from Type II operational testing—and recognizing when to use bridge letters—demonstrates maturity in audit lifecycle management. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.

    18min

Sobre

The **SOC 2 Compliance Audio Course** is your comprehensive, audio-first guide to understanding and implementing the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 framework from the ground up. Designed for cybersecurity professionals, auditors, and business leaders, this course breaks down the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Trust Services Criteria into clear, practical lessons that connect compliance theory with daily operational reality. Each episode explores essential concepts such as governance, risk assessment, security controls, and audit preparation—helping you understand how SOC 2 reports demonstrate assurance to customers and regulators. The course takes a structured approach to explaining each trust principle—**Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy**—and how they apply to different types of organizations. Listeners learn how to interpret requirements, design and map controls, gather appropriate evidence, and prepare for external audits with confidence. Real-world examples illustrate how companies build policies, implement technical safeguards, and maintain continuous compliance in dynamic cloud and enterprise environments. Developed by **BareMetalCyber.com**, the SOC 2 Compliance Audio Course turns complex assurance standards into straightforward, usable knowledge. Whether you’re building a program from scratch or refining an existing one, this course helps you gain a clear understanding of how SOC 2 fits into broader governance and risk frameworks—giving you the insight to achieve and sustain trusted, auditable security practices.