The SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are certifications designed for improving the security of an organisation's information systems.

As the risks associated with cyber-attacks and data breaches continue to increase, information security has become a critical issue for any business. An effective approach against both external attacks as well as internal threats such as human error or accidental breaches would be frameworks such as the SOC 2 and ISO 27001. These certificates are designed for evaluating and improving the security of an organisation's information systems.  

The SOC 2 certification reports on the businesses internal controls that protects their customer data, focusing specifically on the controls that a company has in place to protect against security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy.  

On the other hand, the ISO 27001 certification is an internationally recognised specification focused on information security. Although it is a broader standard which can be easily recognised all around the world, the certification focuses on protecting three key aspects of information: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The ISO 27001 is a certificate which is applicable to all organisations of any size or type.  

A SOC 2 certificate is often a way for the organisation to demonstrate their commitments to their security and compliance and often are intended to be seen by their customers and stakeholders. While the ISO 27001 certification is generally intended for the internal business as a way of showing their commitments to information security to their employees, shareholders, and internal stakeholders.  

The benefits of the ISO 27001 is to help you secure all your information correctly while increasing your attack resilience and protecting against technology-based risks. As your information security management system (ISMS) constantly adapts over time, the ISO 27001 is designed to make sure the information risks are continuously managed over time.  

The main benefit that comes with the SOC 2 is that it demonstrates that your business maintains a high level of information security. The certification is given to a company when it has gone through rigorous compliance testing by an on-site independent audit. The audit awards your business with the certificate when they ensures that sensitive information is handled responsibly as well as meeting all the requirements of the SOC 2 framework.  

The ISO 27001 certification, however, is awarded by a certification body after a thorough audit of the businesses ISMS.  

Although, both certifications are highly sought-after in the world of technology, the SOC 2 and the ISO 27001 have extremely different scopes and audiences. So, when deciding which one to invest in, you must be clear with your specific business needs and goals in order to choose the one that is right for your business. Although, it might also be advantageous for your business to pursue both certifications.