SOC 2 readiness is an advisory engagement that prepares your organization for a SOC 2 examination against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria (security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy). CyberXplore runs a senior-led, manual gap analysis of your existing controls, helps you design and implement the policies and technical safeguards an auditor expects, and assembles the evidence so your Type I or Type II report goes smoothly. We are an independent security consultancy - we get you audit-ready, while the formal attestation is issued by a licensed CPA firm, which we keep cleanly separate to preserve auditor independence.
Enterprise buyers and procurement teams increasingly require a SOC 2 report before they will sign - a missing or delayed report can block deals and stall revenue.
Going into an examination without a readiness phase is the leading cause of audit exceptions, missed criteria, and costly re-work mid-audit.
The Trust Services Criteria are principle-based, not a checklist - interpreting which controls satisfy each criterion for your environment takes hands-on security expertise, not a template.
A Type II report demonstrates controls operate effectively over time, so gaps must be fixed early enough to build the required evidence history before the audit window closes.
Aligned with industry standards: AICPA Trust Services Criteria (TSC) · AICPA SOC 2 · COSO · ISO 27001 · NIST CSF
Our methodology
01
Scoping & Trust Services Criteria Selection
We define the systems, services, and boundaries in scope, then help you choose which Trust Services Criteria apply - Security (common criteria) is mandatory, with Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy added based on your customer commitments.
02
Gap Analysis
Our senior consultants manually assess your current policies, processes, and technical controls against each applicable criterion, then produce a prioritized gap register mapping every shortfall to the relevant control.
03
Control Design & Implementation Support
We help you design and roll out the missing controls - access management, change management, vulnerability management, logging and monitoring, vendor risk, and incident response - tailored to how your organization actually operates.
04
Policy & Evidence Preparation
We draft or refine the policies an auditor expects and establish the evidence-collection cadence so screenshots, tickets, logs, and approvals are captured consistently throughout the observation period.
05
Type I vs Type II Readiness
We advise on whether to pursue a point-in-time Type I or an operating-effectiveness Type II first, and plan the observation window (typically 3-12 months) so controls have a documented track record before fieldwork.
06
Auditor Liaison & Mock Review
We run a pre-audit walkthrough simulating auditor requests, help you select a licensed CPA firm if needed, and remain available to clarify evidence during the formal examination.
Common Criteria (CC1-CC9) control coverage and gap assessment
Information security policies, standards, and procedures
Access control, identity management, and least-privilege review
Change management and secure SDLC controls
Logging, monitoring, and incident response readiness
Vulnerability management and risk assessment processes
Vendor and third-party risk management
Business continuity, availability, and backup controls
Evidence collection workflow and audit-trail preparation
What you get
SOC 2 readiness assessment report against the applicable Trust Services Criteria
Prioritized gap register mapping each finding to its control and remediation owner
Control implementation roadmap with timelines for Type I or Type II
Policy and procedure templates aligned to auditor expectations
Evidence checklist and collection workflow for the observation period
Pre-audit walkthrough and mock-review feedback
Auditor-ready documentation pack to hand to your CPA firm
Sample deliverable
What you'll see in your report
Every engagement ends with a clear, prioritized report: severity-rated findings with CVSS scores, affected assets, and remediation status - plus a free retest. The figures below are illustrative.
Findings by severity
16 total
Critical
0
High
4
Medium
7
Low
5
High · CVSS 7.5CX-1402
MFA not enforced for admin / console access
SOC 2 CC6.1IdP & cloud adminOpen
High · CVSS 7.1CX-1408
No centralized audit logging or monitoring
SOC 2 CC7.2Production environmentOpen
Illustrative soc 2 readiness review sample - anonymized to example.com.
Medium · CVSS 5.4CX-1414
User access reviews not performed
SOC 2 CC6.2All in-scope systemsOpen
Want the full anonymized sample report? We'll include it with your quote.
Cumulative figures across our team's combined engagement history
Shared under NDA · details anonymized
“Senior testers, fast turnaround, and a free retest that actually proved our fixes worked. They made our SOC 2 audit painless.”
SOC 2 passed first attempt
VE
VP of Engineering
Series B FinTech · Payments platform
FinTech
Certifications held by our testers
OSCP
CRTP
CREST
CEH
eWPTX
ISO 27001
ISO 9001
Frequently asked questions
No. SOC 2 attestation reports can only be issued by a licensed CPA firm. CyberXplore is an independent security consultancy that gets you audit-ready - we run the gap analysis, implement controls, and prepare evidence, then keep that work separate from the examiner to preserve auditor independence. We can also recommend reputable CPA firms.
