Mastering SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance for Modern Security Leaders
You’re not just managing security anymore. You’re expected to prove it. Under the microscope of clients, investors, and regulators, one compliance gap can cost millions in lost trust-and lost revenue. The pressure is real, the deadlines relentless, and the consequences of inaction grow by the day. You’ve read the frameworks, attended the briefings, and tried to piece together guidance from fragmented sources. But you’re still left with more questions than answers. Where do you even begin with SOC 2 Type 2? How do you align your team, document controls effectively, and survive the audit without consuming six months of engineering time? Introducing Mastering SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance for Modern Security Leaders-the only end-to-end system designed for security professionals who need to go from uncertainty to full compliance readiness in as little as 45 days, with a board-ready compliance narrative and audit-proof documentation. One Chief Information Security Officer used this methodology to lead her company through its first successful SOC 2 Type 2 audit in under 10 weeks-without hiring external consultants. Her team gained clarity, alignment, and credibility across sales, legal, and executive leadership. Now, she presents quarterly compliance reports with confidence, not fear. Whether you're in a high-growth SaaS startup, scaling fintech, or enterprise tech with complex infrastructure, this course delivers a repeatable process that adapts to your unique environment. No fluff. No theory. Just the exact sequence of actions, decision logic, and control mapping that eliminates risk while accelerating your timeline. Here’s how this course is structured to help you get there.Course Format & Delivery Details Self-Paced. Immediate Online Access. Zero Time Conflicts. This course is built for leaders who don’t have the luxury of fixed schedules. Enroll today and begin immediately. Move at your own pace, revisit modules as needed, and apply each concept directly to your organisation. What You Get
- On-demand access with no live sessions, recordings, or time-bound enrollment windows
- Designed for completion in 4 to 6 weeks with just 60–90 minutes per week of focused work
- Most learners report actionable progress within the first week, with full compliance roadmaps completed by week five
- Lifetime access to all course materials, including future updates at no additional cost
- 24/7 global access across devices-fully mobile-friendly for learning on the go
- Direct guidance from compliance architects with real-world experience across 200+ SOC 2 engagements
- Structured support pathways, including step-by-step checklists, control templates, and escalation protocols
- Earn a Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service, a globally recognised provider of professional development for security and risk leaders
Why This Works for You-Even If You’ve Tried Before
You may have attempted compliance mapping before, only to get stuck in documentation loops, control sprawl, or misalignment between engineering and audit teams. This course works because it was built for the real world-not textbook ideals. It gives you a decision-driven framework that cuts through complexity and focuses only on what auditors actually require. This works even if: Your environment uses hybrid cloud infrastructure, you lack internal audit expertise, your team resists process overhead, or your leadership demands quick wins with measurable ROI. Accepts major payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, PayPal. Pricing is transparent with no hidden fees, recurring charges, or upsells. Every enrolment comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you follow the process and don’t gain clarity, confidence, and tangible progress toward compliance, simply request a full refund. No questions asked. This eliminates your risk and proves our confidence in the outcome. After enrollment, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Access details for the course materials will be sent separately once your learner profile is finalised, ensuring secure and compliant delivery. You’re not buying information. You’re buying a proven system-one that hundreds of security leaders have used to pass their SOC 2 Type 2 audits, strengthen client trust, and turn compliance into a competitive advantage. This is not hope. This is execution.
Module 1: Foundations of Trust and Compliance - Understanding the strategic importance of SOC 2 Type 2 in customer acquisition and retention
- Differentiating between SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2: implications for security maturity
- The five Trust Services Criteria: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, Privacy
- Mapping SOC 2 to business outcomes: reducing friction in sales cycles and procurement reviews
- Common misconceptions that delay compliance initiatives
- When to start: identifying the right trigger points for your organisation
- Stakeholder landscape: aligning security, legal, engineering, and executive teams
- The role of the Security Leader as compliance orchestrator
- Defining success: what a passing audit looks like vs. audit readiness
- How compliance becomes a product differentiator in competitive RFPs
Module 2: Governance and Organisational Readiness - Establishing a formal compliance steering committee
- Defining roles: who owns evidence, controls, and remediation
- Creating a compliance charter approved by executive leadership
- Developing a risk-based approach to scope and prioritisation
- Securing budget and resources without lengthy approval cycles
- Setting compliance KPIs tied to business performance metrics
- Change management: overcoming organisational resistance to compliance processes
- Documenting organisational policies that meet auditor expectations
- Best practices for version control and policy distribution
- Using policy templates to accelerate governance maturity
Module 3: Scoping Your SOC 2 Engagement - Identifying in-scope systems, services, and data flows
- Defining service commitments and system attributes
- Avoiding scope creep: when to say no to out-of-scope requests
- Mapping physical and logical access layers to control objectives
- Cloud infrastructure considerations for AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments
- Third-party vendors and subprocessors: inclusion vs. exclusion logic
- Using data flow diagrams to visualise scope boundaries
- How to document system descriptions that satisfy auditor review
- Incorporating DevOps, CI/CD, and containerised workloads into scope
- Preparing a system narrative that tells a coherent story to auditors
Module 4: Control Design and Mapping - Translating Trust Services Criteria into actionable control statements
- Control tiering: preventative, detective, corrective
- Designing controls that are scalable, sustainable, and measurable
- Auditor-aligned control language: avoiding ambiguity and misinterpretation
- Mapping controls to Common Criteria (CC) identifiers
- Integrating ISO 27001, NIST, or CIS benchmarks into SOC 2 control sets
- How to avoid over-documenting controls that lack operational impact
- Automated vs manual controls: when to invest in tooling
- Control ownership matrices: assigning accountability across teams
- Using control libraries to reduce duplication and improve consistency
Module 5: Evidence Collection and Management - Understanding what auditors look for in evidence packages
- Types of evidence: logs, screenshots, reports, attestations, configurations
- Time-bound evidence requirements for Type 2 (daily, weekly, monthly)
- How to collect evidence without burdening engineering teams
- Automating evidence collection using SIEM, IAM, and logging tools
- Evidence retention policies aligned with audit windows
- Secure storage and access controls for audit repositories
- Creating evidence collection calendars and ownership workflows
- Preparing evidence binders that are auditor-ready from day one
- Avoiding evidence gaps that trigger findings or delays
Module 6: Security Control Implementation - Access control: MFA enforcement and role-based access policies
- User provisioning and deprovisioning workflows
- Privileged access management for administrative accounts
- Session monitoring and log retention for access events
- Password policies and credential rotation strategies
- Network security: firewall rules, segmentation, and intrusion detection
- Endpoint protection and device compliance standards
- Encryption of data at rest and in transit
- Key management practices for cryptographic systems
- Secure configuration baselines for servers and cloud services
Module 7: Availability and Resilience Controls - Service level agreements and uptime commitments
- Incident response planning for system outages
- Monitoring and alerting for system performance metrics
- Back-up strategies: frequency, retention, and restoration testing
- Disaster recovery plans with documented recovery objectives
- Failover mechanisms for critical services
- Maintenance windows and change control procedures
- Capacity planning to support growth without degradation
- Third-party SLAs and how they impact your availability claims
- Documenting incident metrics and post-mortem processes
Module 8: Processing Integrity Controls - Defining processing integrity in customer-facing systems
- Input validation mechanisms to prevent data corruption
- Error handling and corrective action workflows
- Output review and reconciliation processes
- Change management for application logic and algorithms
- Automated testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Logging and monitoring for transaction completeness
- Data accuracy checks across APIs and integrations
- Handling retries, duplicates, and race conditions
- Documentation standards for processing workflows
Module 9: Confidentiality and Data Protection - Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Understanding the strategic importance of SOC 2 Type 2 in customer acquisition and retention
- Differentiating between SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2: implications for security maturity
- The five Trust Services Criteria: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, Privacy
- Mapping SOC 2 to business outcomes: reducing friction in sales cycles and procurement reviews
- Common misconceptions that delay compliance initiatives
- When to start: identifying the right trigger points for your organisation
- Stakeholder landscape: aligning security, legal, engineering, and executive teams
- The role of the Security Leader as compliance orchestrator
- Defining success: what a passing audit looks like vs. audit readiness
- How compliance becomes a product differentiator in competitive RFPs
Module 2: Governance and Organisational Readiness - Establishing a formal compliance steering committee
- Defining roles: who owns evidence, controls, and remediation
- Creating a compliance charter approved by executive leadership
- Developing a risk-based approach to scope and prioritisation
- Securing budget and resources without lengthy approval cycles
- Setting compliance KPIs tied to business performance metrics
- Change management: overcoming organisational resistance to compliance processes
- Documenting organisational policies that meet auditor expectations
- Best practices for version control and policy distribution
- Using policy templates to accelerate governance maturity
Module 3: Scoping Your SOC 2 Engagement - Identifying in-scope systems, services, and data flows
- Defining service commitments and system attributes
- Avoiding scope creep: when to say no to out-of-scope requests
- Mapping physical and logical access layers to control objectives
- Cloud infrastructure considerations for AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments
- Third-party vendors and subprocessors: inclusion vs. exclusion logic
- Using data flow diagrams to visualise scope boundaries
- How to document system descriptions that satisfy auditor review
- Incorporating DevOps, CI/CD, and containerised workloads into scope
- Preparing a system narrative that tells a coherent story to auditors
Module 4: Control Design and Mapping - Translating Trust Services Criteria into actionable control statements
- Control tiering: preventative, detective, corrective
- Designing controls that are scalable, sustainable, and measurable
- Auditor-aligned control language: avoiding ambiguity and misinterpretation
- Mapping controls to Common Criteria (CC) identifiers
- Integrating ISO 27001, NIST, or CIS benchmarks into SOC 2 control sets
- How to avoid over-documenting controls that lack operational impact
- Automated vs manual controls: when to invest in tooling
- Control ownership matrices: assigning accountability across teams
- Using control libraries to reduce duplication and improve consistency
Module 5: Evidence Collection and Management - Understanding what auditors look for in evidence packages
- Types of evidence: logs, screenshots, reports, attestations, configurations
- Time-bound evidence requirements for Type 2 (daily, weekly, monthly)
- How to collect evidence without burdening engineering teams
- Automating evidence collection using SIEM, IAM, and logging tools
- Evidence retention policies aligned with audit windows
- Secure storage and access controls for audit repositories
- Creating evidence collection calendars and ownership workflows
- Preparing evidence binders that are auditor-ready from day one
- Avoiding evidence gaps that trigger findings or delays
Module 6: Security Control Implementation - Access control: MFA enforcement and role-based access policies
- User provisioning and deprovisioning workflows
- Privileged access management for administrative accounts
- Session monitoring and log retention for access events
- Password policies and credential rotation strategies
- Network security: firewall rules, segmentation, and intrusion detection
- Endpoint protection and device compliance standards
- Encryption of data at rest and in transit
- Key management practices for cryptographic systems
- Secure configuration baselines for servers and cloud services
Module 7: Availability and Resilience Controls - Service level agreements and uptime commitments
- Incident response planning for system outages
- Monitoring and alerting for system performance metrics
- Back-up strategies: frequency, retention, and restoration testing
- Disaster recovery plans with documented recovery objectives
- Failover mechanisms for critical services
- Maintenance windows and change control procedures
- Capacity planning to support growth without degradation
- Third-party SLAs and how they impact your availability claims
- Documenting incident metrics and post-mortem processes
Module 8: Processing Integrity Controls - Defining processing integrity in customer-facing systems
- Input validation mechanisms to prevent data corruption
- Error handling and corrective action workflows
- Output review and reconciliation processes
- Change management for application logic and algorithms
- Automated testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Logging and monitoring for transaction completeness
- Data accuracy checks across APIs and integrations
- Handling retries, duplicates, and race conditions
- Documentation standards for processing workflows
Module 9: Confidentiality and Data Protection - Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Identifying in-scope systems, services, and data flows
- Defining service commitments and system attributes
- Avoiding scope creep: when to say no to out-of-scope requests
- Mapping physical and logical access layers to control objectives
- Cloud infrastructure considerations for AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments
- Third-party vendors and subprocessors: inclusion vs. exclusion logic
- Using data flow diagrams to visualise scope boundaries
- How to document system descriptions that satisfy auditor review
- Incorporating DevOps, CI/CD, and containerised workloads into scope
- Preparing a system narrative that tells a coherent story to auditors
Module 4: Control Design and Mapping - Translating Trust Services Criteria into actionable control statements
- Control tiering: preventative, detective, corrective
- Designing controls that are scalable, sustainable, and measurable
- Auditor-aligned control language: avoiding ambiguity and misinterpretation
- Mapping controls to Common Criteria (CC) identifiers
- Integrating ISO 27001, NIST, or CIS benchmarks into SOC 2 control sets
- How to avoid over-documenting controls that lack operational impact
- Automated vs manual controls: when to invest in tooling
- Control ownership matrices: assigning accountability across teams
- Using control libraries to reduce duplication and improve consistency
Module 5: Evidence Collection and Management - Understanding what auditors look for in evidence packages
- Types of evidence: logs, screenshots, reports, attestations, configurations
- Time-bound evidence requirements for Type 2 (daily, weekly, monthly)
- How to collect evidence without burdening engineering teams
- Automating evidence collection using SIEM, IAM, and logging tools
- Evidence retention policies aligned with audit windows
- Secure storage and access controls for audit repositories
- Creating evidence collection calendars and ownership workflows
- Preparing evidence binders that are auditor-ready from day one
- Avoiding evidence gaps that trigger findings or delays
Module 6: Security Control Implementation - Access control: MFA enforcement and role-based access policies
- User provisioning and deprovisioning workflows
- Privileged access management for administrative accounts
- Session monitoring and log retention for access events
- Password policies and credential rotation strategies
- Network security: firewall rules, segmentation, and intrusion detection
- Endpoint protection and device compliance standards
- Encryption of data at rest and in transit
- Key management practices for cryptographic systems
- Secure configuration baselines for servers and cloud services
Module 7: Availability and Resilience Controls - Service level agreements and uptime commitments
- Incident response planning for system outages
- Monitoring and alerting for system performance metrics
- Back-up strategies: frequency, retention, and restoration testing
- Disaster recovery plans with documented recovery objectives
- Failover mechanisms for critical services
- Maintenance windows and change control procedures
- Capacity planning to support growth without degradation
- Third-party SLAs and how they impact your availability claims
- Documenting incident metrics and post-mortem processes
Module 8: Processing Integrity Controls - Defining processing integrity in customer-facing systems
- Input validation mechanisms to prevent data corruption
- Error handling and corrective action workflows
- Output review and reconciliation processes
- Change management for application logic and algorithms
- Automated testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Logging and monitoring for transaction completeness
- Data accuracy checks across APIs and integrations
- Handling retries, duplicates, and race conditions
- Documentation standards for processing workflows
Module 9: Confidentiality and Data Protection - Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Understanding what auditors look for in evidence packages
- Types of evidence: logs, screenshots, reports, attestations, configurations
- Time-bound evidence requirements for Type 2 (daily, weekly, monthly)
- How to collect evidence without burdening engineering teams
- Automating evidence collection using SIEM, IAM, and logging tools
- Evidence retention policies aligned with audit windows
- Secure storage and access controls for audit repositories
- Creating evidence collection calendars and ownership workflows
- Preparing evidence binders that are auditor-ready from day one
- Avoiding evidence gaps that trigger findings or delays
Module 6: Security Control Implementation - Access control: MFA enforcement and role-based access policies
- User provisioning and deprovisioning workflows
- Privileged access management for administrative accounts
- Session monitoring and log retention for access events
- Password policies and credential rotation strategies
- Network security: firewall rules, segmentation, and intrusion detection
- Endpoint protection and device compliance standards
- Encryption of data at rest and in transit
- Key management practices for cryptographic systems
- Secure configuration baselines for servers and cloud services
Module 7: Availability and Resilience Controls - Service level agreements and uptime commitments
- Incident response planning for system outages
- Monitoring and alerting for system performance metrics
- Back-up strategies: frequency, retention, and restoration testing
- Disaster recovery plans with documented recovery objectives
- Failover mechanisms for critical services
- Maintenance windows and change control procedures
- Capacity planning to support growth without degradation
- Third-party SLAs and how they impact your availability claims
- Documenting incident metrics and post-mortem processes
Module 8: Processing Integrity Controls - Defining processing integrity in customer-facing systems
- Input validation mechanisms to prevent data corruption
- Error handling and corrective action workflows
- Output review and reconciliation processes
- Change management for application logic and algorithms
- Automated testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Logging and monitoring for transaction completeness
- Data accuracy checks across APIs and integrations
- Handling retries, duplicates, and race conditions
- Documentation standards for processing workflows
Module 9: Confidentiality and Data Protection - Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Service level agreements and uptime commitments
- Incident response planning for system outages
- Monitoring and alerting for system performance metrics
- Back-up strategies: frequency, retention, and restoration testing
- Disaster recovery plans with documented recovery objectives
- Failover mechanisms for critical services
- Maintenance windows and change control procedures
- Capacity planning to support growth without degradation
- Third-party SLAs and how they impact your availability claims
- Documenting incident metrics and post-mortem processes
Module 8: Processing Integrity Controls - Defining processing integrity in customer-facing systems
- Input validation mechanisms to prevent data corruption
- Error handling and corrective action workflows
- Output review and reconciliation processes
- Change management for application logic and algorithms
- Automated testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Logging and monitoring for transaction completeness
- Data accuracy checks across APIs and integrations
- Handling retries, duplicates, and race conditions
- Documentation standards for processing workflows
Module 9: Confidentiality and Data Protection - Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Classifying data based on sensitivity and regulatory impact
- Access controls for confidential information by role and need-to-know
- Data encryption strategies: at rest, in transit, and in memory
- Secure data sharing practices with external partners
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality policies
- Data masking and anonymisation techniques
- Secure development practices to prevent leaks in test environments
- Code reviews and secrets scanning in repositories
- Monitoring for unauthorised data access or exfiltration
- Regular audits of data access logs and permissions
Module 10: Privacy Controls and Data Subject Rights - Mapping privacy controls to data lifecycle stages
- Consent management and data collection transparency
- Purpose limitation and data minimisation principles
- Retention schedules and secure disposal methods
- Handling data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data portability and right to erasure workflows
- Third-party data sharing disclosures and consent tracking
- Privacy notices and customer-facing documentation
- Integrating GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy frameworks into SOC 2
- Employee training on privacy handling procedures
Module 11: Change Management and Operational Controls - Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Formal change control processes for infrastructure and applications
- Change advisory board (CAB) roles and meeting cadence
- Documenting change requests, approvals, and implementation results
- Emergency change procedures with post-implementation review
- Version control for configuration files and deployment scripts
- Automated deployment validation and health checks
- Rollback plans for failed changes
- Integrating change management into DevOps workflows
- Tracking change success rates and incident correlation
- Auditor expectations for change logs and approval trails
Module 12: Incident Response and Monitoring - Developing an incident response plan aligned with SOC 2
- Incident classification and severity levels
- Response roles and escalation paths
- Containment, eradication, and recovery procedures
- Post-incident review and root cause analysis
- Integrating incident data into compliance reporting
- Security event monitoring with SIEM and EDR tools
- Real-time alerting and correlation rules
- Threat intelligence integration for proactive detection
- Demonstrating continuous monitoring for Type 2 duration
Module 13: Vendor Risk and Third-Party Management - Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Creating a vendor inventory with risk categorisation
- Conducting risk assessments for high-impact vendors
- Reviewing vendor SOC 2 reports and understanding exceptions
- Establishing contracts with required security clauses
- Ongoing monitoring of third-party compliance status
- Managing subcontractors and downstream dependencies
- Documenting reliance on vendor controls in your audit report
- Performing vendor due diligence as part of client audits
- Automating vendor risk reassessment timelines
- Building a centralised vendor risk dashboard
Module 14: Internal Audit and Readiness Assessment - Conducting a gap analysis against SOC 2 requirements
- Scoring control effectiveness and identifying weaknesses
- Creating a remediation backlog with prioritisation matrix
- Simulating auditor interviews and walkthroughs
- Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency
- Testing evidence collection workflows end-to-end
- Engaging independent reviewers for blind spot detection
- Measuring compliance maturity across domains
- Preparing a readiness report for executive sign-off
- Setting up continuous monitoring to maintain compliance
Module 15: Selecting and Managing Your Auditor - Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Evaluating audit firms based on industry experience and rapport
- Understanding audit fees, scope, and reporting timelines
- Negotiating the Statement of Work (SOW) to avoid surprises
- Preparing your audit team and point of contact structure
- Setting expectations for auditor requests and deadlines
- Managing auditor communications and status updates
- Avoiding common auditor conflicts and misalignments
- Handling auditor findings with evidence-backed responses
- Leveraging auditor feedback for long-term improvement
- Building a relationship for future audits and advisory support
Module 16: The Audit Process and Fieldwork - Understanding the phases: planning, fieldwork, wrap-up, reporting
- Preparing for auditor walkthroughs and process demonstrations
- Submitting evidence packages in the required format
- Responding to auditor inquiries and follow-up requests
- Conducting internal pre-audit reviews before submission
- Handling sample testing and deviation analysis
- Managing timelines and auditor dependencies
- Coordinating evidence access and system demonstrations
- Dealing with unexpected findings or scope changes
- Ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned during audit period
Module 17: Reporting, Findings, and Remediation - Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- Understanding the SOC 2 report structure: opinion, description, assertion
- Common types of findings: control design, operating effectiveness
- Responding to exceptions with root cause and remediation plan
- Drafting management responses that satisfy auditor concerns
- Implementing quick fixes vs long-term control improvements
- Verifying remediation evidence before final submission
- Obtaining the final audit report and distributing internally
- Handling restricted vs general use reports
- Storing and managing report access securely
- Using the report to enable sales and customer trust
Module 18: Post-Audit Compliance Management - Transitioning from project mode to operational compliance
- Establishing monthly compliance check-ins and reviews
- Updating control documentation as systems evolve
- Managing control attrition and team turnover risks
- Scheduling annual audit prep cycles
- Integrating compliance into onboarding and training
- Creating a living compliance program, not a one-time effort
- Leveraging compliance data for board reporting
- Scaling compliance across additional products or regions
- Using audit results to strengthen security posture holistically
Module 19: Certification, Credibility, and Career Advancement - The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources
Module 20: Integration, Automation, and Future-Proofing - Mapping SOC 2 controls to automated GRC platforms
- Selecting tools for continuous compliance monitoring
- Integrating evidence collection with existing security tools
- Building compliance dashboards for real-time visibility
- Reducing manual effort through workflow automation
- Preparing for ISO 27001, HITRUST, or other frameworks
- Scaling compliance across multiple compliance standards
- Handling M&A-related compliance integration
- Future-proofing your control environment against new threats
- Creating a culture where compliance enables innovation, not hinders it
- The value of completing this course as a Security Leader
- How the Certificate of Completion demonstrates expertise and initiative
- Incorporating certification into LinkedIn, resumés, and professional profiles
- Using course outcomes to support promotions or role transitions
- Sharing successes with leadership to gain visibility
- Positioning yourself as a strategic enabler, not just a technical resource
- Building credibility in cross-functional initiatives
- Contributing to organisational resilience and investor confidence
- Advancing your personal brand as a trusted compliance leader
- Accessing The Art of Service alumni network and career resources