List of 14 Recommended SOC 2 Policies

The SOC 2 audit process can be intimidating. It is definitely time-consuming, resource-intensive, and expensive. However, it does not need to be so complicated if the right legwork is done. One of the key aspects of SOC 2 is to have the right policies in place to protect customer data. If done right, and adhered to diligently, this can save an organization a significant amount of time and money during the audit. Unsurprisingly, clear, concise policy documentation is the foundation for a successful SOC 2 audit.
What are SOC 2 policies?
The SOC 2 policies establish a framework for expectations from employees and the procedures for meeting these expectations. These policies are reviewed by the SOC 2 auditor in great detail with respect to adherence to SOC 2 controls and are expected to be documented and accepted by each employee (and often external parties like vendors).
List of 14 commonly recommended security policies for SOC 2 compliance
The scope for what policies need to be drafted and deployed for SOC 2 compliance will vary depending on the company's size, services offered, and the Trust Services Criteria chosen. However, there are a few policies that will be required and are recommended for SOC 2:
1. Information Security Policy
Information Security (IS) policy is the cornerstone of SOC 2 compliance for any organization, and acts as the foundation for all other infosec-related policies. The key objective of the IS policy is to ensure all employees and service providers who have the access to critical data related to the organization, or its networks, satisfy the stated rules and regulations. It is important to note that the IS policy covers both physical and digital data.
2. Access Control Policy
This policy provides guidance on restricted admittance to various systems and applications and expectations from the admin accounts and their holders. It also covers the process for authorizing, modifying, and removing users, and access using the role-based access control.
3. Password Policy
The password policy includes the approach for password management, and the necessary protocols for password creation (e.g., length and complexity), changes (e.g., frequency of password changes), and mechanisms (e.g., multi-factor authentication).
4. Data classification policy
Data classification policy incorporates instructions on how to protect data and what measures need to be taken to secure the data based on the criticality and sensitivity of the data itself.
5. Physical Security Policy
The physical security policy incorporates the basics of protecting data assets from ecological and physical dangers. This reduces threats from theft, loss, harm or unauthorized access to these valuable assets.
6. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The Acceptable Use policy describes the restrictions and regulations for utilizing the organization's technology assets.
7. Backup Policy
Regular Backup policy is vital for any organization in the cloud era. The policy necessitates protecting critical business data with fixed periodic backups. Ideally, backups can be safely stored with the 3-2-1 method. That implies three data copies should be stored in two different types of media, and one copy should be saved for disaster recovery.
8. Logging and Monitoring Policy
The logging and monitoring policy lays out the requirements that need to be satisfied for logging user activities and protocols for log inspections.
9. Risk Management Policy
The Risk Management policy covers the mechanisms and procedures for performing risk assessments. This also covers expected threats and potential impact. Through this policy, one can assess the risk associated with each identified threat, estimate the impact on the organization and define the appropriate mitigation strategies.
10. Change Management Policy
A change management policy acts as the ground for managing changes in production environments. The main aim of this policy document is to describe practices that minimize potential risks for unauthorized, un-tested, and sub-optimal changes. A change management policy should ideally consist of:
- The most common set of changes that happen in the organization's infrastructure
- Brief description of processes to initiate the change - from source to end results along with approval criteria
- Stakeholders involved in each layer of change process
- Documentation and maintenance of each change record for future audit and compliance.
11. Incident Response Policy
The IR (Incident Response) policy defines the approach of the enterprise in case of an unwanted and unexpected security incident. The policy is focused on minimizing the impact on business operations and customers while handling such an incident.
12. Business Continuity Plan
The Business Continuity Plan lays down the operating procedures in case of an emergency. It covers three major aspects for a business:
- How will it coordinate efforts in case of emergency?
- How will the hardware, applications and essential data will be restored in case of a disaster?
- How will the business continue in any unexpected situation?
13. Remote Access Policy
The remote access policy describes the allowed practices of connecting remotely to an enterprise's internal networks. Remote access policy is a key requirement for businesses allowing permanent or semi-permanent remote work for employees.
14. Email/Communication Policy
This policy provides guidelines to employees for acceptable and unacceptable usage of an organization's various communication mediums.
Scrut Automation is an innovative and radically simple governance, risk, and compliance automation platform for growing startups and mid-market enterprises. With Scrut, compliance teams can reduce ~70% of their manual effort in continuously maintaining compliance towards SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and CCPA. Schedule your demo today to see how it works.
Related Posts
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
See what a real security- first GRC platform looks like
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Focus on the traveler experience. We’ll handle the regulations.
Achieve and maintain compliance without the busywork.
Choose risk-first compliance that’s always on, built for you, and never in your way.
Ready to see what security-first GRC
One platform, every framework. No more duplicate work.
You can’t manage user access if you’re always playing catch-up.
Explore the future of enterprise GRC
Tired of chasing vendors for risk assessments?
Join the thousands of companies automating their compliance with Scrut.
The right partner makes all the difference. Let’s grow together.
Make your business easy to trust, put security transparency front and center.
Risk-first security starts with risk-first visibility.
Secure your team from the inside out.
Don't settle for slow, expensive compliance. Get Scrut instead.
Risk-first compliance for forward-thinking teams.
Audits without the back-and-forth. Just seamless collaboration.
Scale fast. Stay compliant. Automate the rest.
Compliance? Done and dusted, in half the time.
Get ahead of GDPR compliance before it becomes a problem.
Outgrowing table-stakes compliance? Create custom frameworks with ease.
Navigate SOC 2 compliance, minus the stress.
PCI DSS compliance, minus the panic.
Take the wheel of your HIPAA certification journey today.
We’ve got what you need to fast-track your ISO 27001 certification.
Make your NIST AI RMF journey as smooth as possible.
Your GRC team, multiplied and AI-backed.
Modern compliance for the evolving education landscape.
Ready to simplify healthcare compliance?
Don’t let compliance turn into a bottleneck in your SaaS growth.
Find the right compliance frameworks for your business in minutes
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Real-time visibility into every asset
Ready to simplify fintech compliance?
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Scrut helps you set up a security program that scales with your business and stands up to audits. Without last-minute chaos.
Scrut helps you streamline audits, close deals faster, and stay ahead of risk without slowing down your team. Because trust shouldn’t take months to earn.
Scrut helps you set up a security program that scales with your business and stands up to audits. Without last-minute chaos.
Tag, classify, and monitor assets in real time—without the manual overhead.
Whether you're entering new markets or launching new products, Scrut helps you stay compliant without slowing down.
Scrut pulls compliance data straight from the tools you already use—so you don’t have to dig for evidence, chase approvals, or manually track controls.
Less manual work, more customizability. The Scrut Platform gives you everything you need to align your compliance to your business’s priorities.
With Scrut, you’re not just adding a tool to your offering—you’re adding a competitive edge. Join our Partner Network and help your clients streamline their GRC program.
Gaining trust is your first step to growing and cracking better deals. The Scrut Platform comes pre-built with all the tools you need to showcase a firm security posture and build confidence.
Don’t settle for rigid systems—Scrut ensures your risk management strategy is as flexible as your business needs.
Start building a security-first culture. Save your operations from improper training and a lack of compliance awareness.
Scrut fast-tracks compliance so you can focus on scaling, not scrambling. Automate compliance tasks and accelerate enterprise deals—without the grind.
Automate assessments, track compliance, and get full visibility into third-party risk—all in one place.
Scrut automates compliance tasks, supports proactive risk management, and saves you time, so you can focus on growing your business. Start building trust with customers and scaling confidently.
Leave legacy GRC behind. Meet the AI-powered platform built for teams managing risk and compliance in real time.
Give auditors direct access, keep track of every request, and manage audits effortlessly—all in one place.
Scrut ensures access permissions are correct, up-to-date, and fully compliant.
Whether you need fast results or a fully tailored program mapped to your risks and needs, Scrut delivers exactly what you need, when you need it. Ready to start?
Scrut unifies compliance across all your frameworks, so you can stop juggling systems and start scaling securely.
Manually managing your compliance processes and audits can get inefficient and overwhelming. Scrut automates these outdated, manual processes and eliminates your last-minute worries.
Access automated compliance, real-time risk tracking, and expert-backed support—all in one platform. Get started with Scrut!
Less manual work, more customizability. The Scrut Platform gives you everything you need to align your compliance to your business’s priorities.
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Earn trust and back it up with solid evidence. Scrut takes you through the SOC 2 compliance journey step-by-step, navigating every complexity you face.
Manage your PCI DSS compliance with real-time monitoring and effortless automation. Get started with Scrut today!
Securing your PHI shouldn’t be a constant hassle. Scrut automates your workflows—from risk assessments to monitoring—so you can put your compliance worries on the back burner.
Automate security controls, simplify audits, and keep your ISMS aligned with the latest standards. Get started with Scrut!
Tackle potential AI risks with NIST AI RMF-compliant controls and get expert support every step of the way.
Offload the grunt compliance work to us. Execute manual, draining GRC tasks with the reliable AI-powered Scrut Teammates without switching contexts or bottlenecks.
Whether you're managing student data, partnering with educational institute, or expanding to new geographies—Scrut gives you the tools to stay compliant, manage risk, and build trust at every step.
Scaling healthcare doesn’t have to come at the cost of security. Scrut keeps your organization compliant, audit-ready, and protected—no matter how fast you grow.
Scrut automates the hard parts of compliance and security so you can move fast and stay ahead of risks from day one.
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Growth in fintech comes with heavy scrutiny. Scrut helps you stay compliant, audit-ready, and secure—without slowing down your momentum.



