What is SOC 2?
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an assurance standard that assesses whether a service provider adequately manages its information security and data processing. The emphasis is on the trust criteria of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
In the OT context, SOC 2 provides insight into how IT or OT service providers handle access to sensitive or production-critical systems, including Cloud or remote services.
🧠 Key elements of SOC 2
- Trust Services Criteria (TSC) – Security, availability, integrity, confidentiality, privacy
- SOC 2 Type I – Assesses the design of controls at a point in time
- SOC 2 Type II – Assesses both the design and operating effectiveness of controls over a longer period (usually 6–12 months)
- Control objectives – Measures aimed at risk reduction (e.g. access management, change management)
- Audit by an independent party – Often performed by a CPA or a specialised audit organisation
- Not a certification, but assurance – It is a reporting form, not a ‘certificate’ like ISO 27001
🔐 SOC 2 in OT/IT convergence
| SOC 2 domain | Relevance to the OT context |
|---|---|
| Security | How are OT assets, access, and network segmentation technically protected? |
| Availability | Which measures are in place for the continuity of, for example, SCADA? |
| Processing integrity | Are data and processes executed correctly and without manipulation? |
| Confidentiality | How is sensitive production or customer data handled? |
| Privacy | Protection of personal data within OT cloud applications or CMMS systems |
SOC 2 is particularly relevant to services that provide (cloud) connectivity or remote access to OT environments.
✅ SOC 2 measures relevant to OT
| SOC 2 measure | Application in OT/ICS |
|---|---|
| Access Control | Access to OT systems based on Least Privilege and MFA |
| Monitoring & logging | Detection and logging of unusual behaviour at field level and in remote access |
| Change Management | Version control and test procedures for changes to OT assets |
| Backup and recovery procedures | Backups of HMI configurations, recipe data, and PLC programs |
| Patch management | Controlled updates to SCADA and firmware components |
| Incident Management | How is a cyber incident handled and reported within OT? |
🔁 SOC 2 and other standards
| Standard | Relation to SOC 2 |
|---|---|
| ISAE 3402 | SOC 2 and ISAE 3402 are both assurance reports, but with different focuses |
| ISO 27001 | Many SOC 2 controls overlap with ISO 27001 Annex A measures |
| IEC 62443-2-4 | SOC 2 can demonstrate that suppliers meet OT-specific requirements |
| NIS2 | SOC 2 supports the evidence base for supplier assessment |
📦 SOC 2 in IT vs. OT
| SOC 2 in IT | SOC 2 in OT |
|---|---|
| Web applications, data centres, APIs | Remote access to PLCs, SCADA-as-a-Service |
| SaaS platforms, cloud infrastructure | CMMS, EMS, or Historian systems via external integrators |
| Logging at application and system level | Logging at network, controller, and field level |
| Change management via DevOps | Change management via FAT, SAT, and version control on OT assets |
Suppliers with SOC 2 can demonstrate that their services can be safely integrated into OT processes, provided that OT-specific risks are within scope.
📌 In summary
SOC 2 provides insight into how external parties handle information security and system management. In OT environments, a SOC 2 Type II report is especially valuable for cloud providers, integrators, and service providers with remote access or data processing in critical infrastructure.