Security, reliability and credibility are the words every IT and security team wants to hear when looking for a SaaS, technology service provider or a third-party company that protects their data. What can make them believe that their data is under proper protection? The answer is SOC 2  and ISO 27001 compliance. When customers hear that a company has sustained such audits, they understand that the service or product it provides is worth their attention.

What is SOC 2 and Why is it so Important?

Compliance with SOC 2 assures that the company maintains a high standard of information security, and highlights it among other competitors in the market. SOC 2 was introduced by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in around 2010 and since that time it gained a lot of respect among users.

It is a set of regulations of how technology services store their customer’s data in the cloud and guarantees that those services use proper controls, mechanisms, and practices to secure their customers’ data effectively. This audit is based on five grounds of trust: Security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy.

• Security is about the protection of information and the entire system from unauthorized access. For example, firewalls, two-factor authentication, etc.
• Availability is about infrastructure, software and information to be maintained and have controls for monitoring, operation and maintenance.
• Processing integrity ensures that the data processing operations work properly and are free from errors, delays, omissions and unauthorized manipulations.
• Confidentiality is about a company’s ability to protect data, including business plans, intellectual property, etc. from unauthorized access.
• Privacy is about a company’s ability to protect personally identifiable information, such as name, social security or address information from unauthorized access.

What is ISO/IEC 27001 and the Reasons to be Compliant?

ISO/IEC 27001 is an international standard that states the rules of information security management. It proves that the company provides products and services by global industry specifications and processes.

ISO/IEC 27001 defines that the company should systematically check the information security risks of a company to figure out all the vulnerabilities, threats and impacts it can face and, consequently, create and deploy a coherent and full-scale set of information security controls against those risks.

I Passed SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 Audit: When is the Next Time for me to Pass it Again?

Though both these compliances are pro-security, the terms when they are valid are different. Once you get your ISO/IEC 27001 Audit, the process can last from six months to one year, so you will need to renew it within three years, otherwise, it won’t be valid.

SOC 2 audit certification has a lesser term of validity. It should be completed annually. Thus, if you have passed it once, you will need to continue following the procedure all the time to complete the audit.

Basic Tips for Jira Admins to Pass Jira SOC 2 Audit

To become SOC 2, admins should be ready to perform many activities connected with proving their security. Thus, they will probably cooperate with an auditor for some time to ensure that they are compliant with SOC 2 key features, including access controls, change management, system operations, mitigating risks, availability, privacy confidentiality and processing integrity. Usually, the audit takes place from April 1 to September 30.

Tip #1: Use Shared Filters

It will be of great use to create shared filters. Why? Auditors usually ask their candidates to make a list of all the issues during the audit period, thus, having shared filters, you can easily re-run the year to get the needed information because you can update the dates in the JQL anytime.

Tip #2: No Issue Deletion

It’s better not to delete the issues. The auditor’s task is to find anything that isn’t compliant with their standards, so, when they see that there are some gaps in the numbering they can take it as an attempt to hide and remove the data which threatens the audit’s successful fulfillment.

Tip #3: Don’t Move the Issues

If you decide to move the issue, the auditor may consider it as an attempt to hide some irrelevance with the standards. However, you can clear yourself by showing the link to the original issue which, in turn, redirects to a new location.

Tip #4: Appropriate Reason

Instead of corrupting yourself with issue deletion or movement, you can close the issue with an appropriate reason. So, just create a new linked issue, excluding gaps in the issue numbering.

Tip #5: Script to Reduce

Auditors need to check everything. So, they will ask you to provide them with detailed issue information on a random basis. That is the way they want to see and check all the data together with the history and comments for the given issue. If you want to make it less painful and stressful, you can write a small script or a program that uses the API and permits you to pass in a list of Jira Issue IDs. It will output the data and will be easy for the auditors to check.

Basic Stages for Jira Admins to Pass Jira ISO/IEC 27001 Audit

The basis of the ISO/IEC 27001 is the development and implementation of an accurate security plan, including the development and implementation of the Information Security Management System.  Typically, it includes a three-stage external audit process.

Stage 1 – Tip #1

The first stage is the easiest as it only states that the auditor can officially check the organization for compliance. So, prepare all the key documentation, including the company’s information security policy, statement of applicability, and risk treatment plan.

Stage 2 – Tip #2

At this stage, the auditor would like to see the evidence that confirms that the management system has been designed, implemented and works properly. Thus, prepare all the needed information, and remember don’t hide anything, as it will move you away from the desired compliance.

Stage 3 – Tip #3

Make a habit or a system to record everything and prepare all the necessary information in advance because once you have passed the audit, you will need to prove with follow-up reviews and audits that you stay compliant with ISO/IEC 27001.

How can Third-Party Backup Software Help?

Having a SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 compliant backup and disaster recovery solution can help your organization become compliant with Jira SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 Audits. With comprehensive and every-disaster-scenario-ready backup software the company can improve its infrastructure and security practices. Full data coverage, automated scheduled backup policies, ransomware protection, unlimited retention, a multi-storage system that supports various storages – both local and cloud, like AWS, Azure Blog Storage, Wasabi, Google, Cloud Storage, GitProtect Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, etc., replication between storages, monitoring center with Slack and email notifications and SLA and compliance reports, Disaster Recovery technology that addresses any disaster scenario are some of the necessary features that a backup provider should guarantee.

Moreover, if you have an effective backup strategy, you shouldn’t worry about any vulnerabilities, malware or bad actors, as you will always have your backed-up data well-protected and easily accessible.

When your company handles or stores the data, the SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 framework will ensure your company complies with the industry standards and give you confidence that you have developed the right processes and procedures to protect the data