One unexpected challenge organizations face while implementing SOC 2
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<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="20219" class="elementor elementor-20219" data-elementor-post-type="post"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3027e049 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent" data-id="3027e049" data-element_type="container"> <div class="e-con-inner"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-55374070 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="55374070" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <blockquote> <p><b>One Unexpected SOC 2 Challenge: </b><b>Overcoming Cultural Resistance to Security-First Thinking</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When companies start their <a href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/soc2/" rel="noopener">SOC 2</a> journey, most expect the technical checklist: configure access controls, deploy logging, and gather evidence. But what we’ve consistently seen with our customers is that the toughest part isn’t the technology. It’s the culture.</span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SOC 2 compliance is often framed as a technical or operational milestone. But after guiding multiple organizations through the SOC 2 implementation process, I can confidently say that one of the most unexpected and arguably most complex challenges is cultural: shifting an entire organization’s mindset to embrace a “security-first” ethos.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While technical controls, documentation, and third-party audits are crucial, they are not the steepest hills to climb. What most organizations fail to anticipate is how deeply human behavior, organizational habits, and departmental silos can obstruct progress. Security is not a siloed function; it must be integrated into daily workflows, decision-making, and company values. And changing behavior at scale is never easy.</span></p> <p>Read the “<a class="title" href="https://community.trustcloud.ai/docs/grc-launchpad/grc-101/compliance/which-soc-2-trust-service-criteria-are-applicable-to-my-organization/" rel="noopener"><span class="doc-section">Confidently choose your SOC 2 trust service criteria</span></a>” article to learn more!</p><div class="code-block code-block-12 ai-track" data-ai="WzEyLCIiLCJCbG9jayAxMiIsIiIsMV0=" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <style> .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block, .ai-list-block-ip, .ai-list-block-filter {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; top: -1000px; z-index: -9999; margin: 0px!important;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback {min-width: 1px;} </style> <div class="ai-rotate ai-unprocessed ai-timed-rotation ai-12-1" data-info="WyIxMi0xIiwxXQ==" style="position: relative;"> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden;" data-index="1" data-name="VGVjaHN0cm9uZyBHYW5nIFlvdXR1YmU=" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Fojn5NFwaw8" target="_blank"><img src="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Techstrong-Gang-Youtube-PodcastV2-770.png" alt="Techstrong Gang Youtube"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> </div> </div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article explores that unexpected challenge in detail, offering insights, lessons learned, and tactical strategies for any team preparing for their own SOC 2 journey.</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key takeaway</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we’ve learned is simple: Tools make compliance easier. Culture makes it real. The companies that succeed don’t just pass the audit; they build a foundation where every team owns a piece of security. That’s the part no checklist prepares you for. And that’s the part that makes all the difference.</span></p> </blockquote> <h2 data-start="114" data-end="192">Beyond the checklist, why SOC 2 is harder than it looks</h2> <p data-start="194" data-end="670">At first glance, SOC 2 seems straightforward: gather evidence, document policies, and adopt the right tools to meet the Trust Services Criteria. Many leadership teams start here, treating compliance like a technical to-do list. But anyone who’s gone through a readiness project knows the reality is far more complicated. SOC 2 isn’t just about servers, logs, or access controls; it’s about how people work, make decisions, and interact with security in their day-to-day roles.</p><div class="code-block code-block-15" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2091799172090865" crossorigin="anonymous" type="6119e7497c4cc9fc9760284e-text/javascript"></script> <!-- SB In Article Ad 1 --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-2091799172090865" data-ad-slot="8723094367" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins> <script type="6119e7497c4cc9fc9760284e-text/javascript"> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div> <p data-start="672" data-end="1082">The hardest part of SOC 2 isn’t the frameworks or the auditors; it’s the cultural shift it demands. Engineers may resist extra steps that slow down velocity, sales teams may see security reviews as blockers, and managers may underestimate the importance of documentation. Left unchecked, these cultural gaps can derail timelines, create inconsistent evidence, and leave your company scrambling during audits.</p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-b25115e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image" data-id="b25115e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="image.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="800" height="444" src="https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/One-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-SOC-2-1.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-20225" alt="SOC 2" srcset="https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/One-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-SOC-2-1.jpg 900w, https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/One-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-SOC-2-1-300x167.jpg 300w, https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/One-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-SOC-2-1-768x427.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="SOC 2"> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-ac701ff elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="ac701ff" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p data-start="1084" data-end="1355">The following guide shares what we learned navigating SOC 2 from the inside. You’ll see why treating compliance as “just a technical exercise” is the first and most dangerous, miscalculation, and how building a security-first culture is the real foundation for long-term success.</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part 1: The illusion of a purely technical problem</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When leadership teams kick off their SOC 2 preparation, there’s usually an initial focus on systems and processes:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What evidence do we need to collect?</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What policies must be documented?</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What tools should we implement for logging, monitoring, or access control?</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are all valid questions, but they imply that SOC 2 is a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">technical</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> exercise. That’s the first major miscalculation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SOC 2 isn’t just a test of your infrastructure. It’s an evaluation of how securely your </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">organization</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> operates, and that includes people. According to a report by Verizon, 74% of data breaches involve the human element, whether it’s error, misuse, or social engineering. 【source: Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report】. SOC 2 recognizes this, which is why the Trust Services Criteria include not just system operations, but also risk management, personnel onboarding, and access governance.</span></p> <h3>The Cultural Gap</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite these requirements, companies often overlook the degree to which their team culture may clash with SOC 2 principles:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Engineers are focused on velocity, not documentation.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Product teams prioritize user experience, not secure defaults.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Customer-facing roles may perceive security reviews as bottlenecks to sales.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The outcome? Even with the right tools and frameworks in place, friction emerges when people don’t understand </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">why</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> security matters or </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">how</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it should be integrated into their work. This friction can delay audits, create inconsistent evidence, and lead to non-conformities during assessments.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part 2: Key cultural pain points (and how we navigated them)</span></h2> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lack of cross-functional alignment</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In our first SOC 2 readiness project, we made the mistake of keeping the initiative “within security and compliance.” The result? Weeks of delays waiting for evidence from engineering, stale documentation, and confusion around responsibilities.</span></p> <p><b>What we learned</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Every department plays a role in SOC 2. Success required creating a </span><b>RACI matrix</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) that clearly outlined ownership for every control.</span></p> <p><b>What we did</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Created department-specific training for product, HR, engineering, and sales.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Held monthly cross-functional syncs to track progress and unblock dependencies.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Used collaborative tooling like TrustCloud to assign tasks and collect audit-ready evidence automatically.</span></li> </ol> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Engineering pushback on “Security debt”</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Engineers, by nature, thrive in systems that reward speed, iteration, and problem-solving. SOC 2, by contrast, rewards consistency, auditability, and control.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Initially, when we asked teams to implement controls like</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MFA enforcement across all accounts</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Logging changes in GitHub</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Access reviews every quarter</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">…we were met with resistance. “This slows us down,” or “We’ll do it later” became common refrains.</span></p> <p><b>Our turning point</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> came when we reframed SOC 2 not as a restriction, but as </span><b>an enabler of trust </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">with customers, with partners, and even with regulators. We also brought engineers into the design of the control implementation so they could choose </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">how</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to meet the requirements, giving them autonomy within constraints.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Documentation apathy</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SOC 2 demands policies, dozens of them. Everything from onboarding checklists to incident response plans to change management procedures. But getting people to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">follow</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">update</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> these documents regularly? That’s the real challenge.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one company, we found that only 30% of managers had reviewed the acceptable use policy with their teams, even though they had “acknowledged” it in a system like Confluence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To address this, we:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Integrated policy reviews into onboarding and quarterly refreshers.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Used simple quizzes post-review to ensure comprehension.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adopted document management tools that tracked not just acknowledgments but engagement.</span></li> </ol></div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3e70b79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode" data-id="3e70b79" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="shortcode.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="elementor-shortcode"> <div class="tc-sched getto"> <div class="left-box"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/TrustOps-icon-1.svg" alt="TrustCloud" title="TrustCloud"></div> <div class="right-box"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.trustcloud.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/TrustOps-icon-1.svg" alt="TrustCloud" class="mImg" title="TrustCloud"> <p>Looking for automated, always-on IT control assurance?</p> <p>TrustCloud keeps your compliance audit-ready so you never miss a beat.</p> <p><a class="elementor-button" href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/learn-more?utm_source=TCArticle&utm_medium=TCArticle&utm_campaign=TCCTA">Learn More</a></p></div> </div> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3fd192a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent" data-id="3fd192a" data-element_type="container"> <div class="e-con-inner"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-cd5e0aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="cd5e0aa" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part 3: The role of leadership in culture change</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the biggest success factors in our journey was </span><b>executive sponsorship</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. When the CEO and CTO started including “security updates” in company all-hands, it signaled that this wasn’t just a checkbox; it was part of our DNA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leaders can accelerate culture change by:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Publicly recognizing teams who implement good security practices.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Holding directors accountable for their role in control effectiveness.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being transparent about security incidents or audit gaps (in appropriate forums).</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This top-down advocacy helped transform security from “someone else’s problem” to “everyone’s job.”</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part 4: Tools help, But don’t replace culture</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tools like TrustCloud, Drata, Vanta, or Secureframe automate evidence collection, policy management, and risk registers. They are incredibly helpful in maintaining continuous compliance. But </span><b>tools cannot enforce a security culture</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We saw this firsthand when a team toggled off a critical logging feature; technically, it wasn’t caught until the next quarterly check. The lesson? You need </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">both</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> automation and awareness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To strengthen the human element, we:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Built a lightweight “Security Champions” program where each team nominated one person to stay in sync with security policies and updates.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ran phishing simulations and gamified results (e.g., prizes for teams with the fewest click-throughs).</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conducted “brown bag” sessions on real-world security breaches and what we could learn from them.</span></li> </ol> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part 5: Final audit day isn’t the finish line</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another unexpected challenge was the </span><b>post-certification complacency</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. After months of effort, when we finally got the SOC 2 Type II report, teams assumed the hard part was over.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In reality, SOC 2 requires </span><b>ongoing</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> evidence collection. Many controls must be repeated periodically (e.g., quarterly access reviews, annual risk assessments). If your culture hasn’t internalized this, the next audit period becomes a fire drill all over again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To prevent that:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We embedded control check-ins into regular team workflows.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Used TrustCloud to maintain a “control calendar” and send reminders.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Measured maturity over time, e.g., how quickly teams closed security tickets, updated access, or logged incidents.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The goal wasn’t just to pass the audit but to operate like a SOC 2-compliant company </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">every single day</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summary: What to expect and how to prepare</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are the main takeaways for any organization preparing for SOC 2:</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2705.png" alt="✅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> Don’t treat SOC 2 as just a technical exercise.</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Security is as much about people as it is about systems. The audit evaluates how your company operates, not just your codebase.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2705.png" alt="✅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> Expect resistance from teams not used to security rigor.</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Engineers, product managers, and even executives may view compliance as a burden unless you show how it builds customer trust.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2705.png" alt="✅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> Get cross-functional alignment early.</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Establish responsibilities, timelines, and training plans that include every relevant department; security can’t do it alone.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2705.png" alt="✅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> Automate where possible, but reinforce with culture.</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tools reduce human error, but you still need champions, education, and feedback loops to keep the culture alive.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2705.png" alt="✅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> Treat your first SOC 2 report as the beginning, not the end.</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Build systems for continuous compliance so your teams are never caught off guard during the next audit period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The unexpected challenge of SOC 2 isn’t technology; it’s transformation. Shifting your organization’s culture to prioritize security in every decision is hard, messy, and rarely discussed. But once that shift happens, something remarkable follows: security becomes a strength, not a speed bump. Customers notice, teams take pride, and your company becomes not just compliant but trusted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And that, ultimately, is the true goal of SOC 2.</span></p> <h2>FAQs</h2> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-c433227 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent" data-id="c433227" data-element_type="container"> <div class="e-con-inner"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-d2969c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-n-accordion" data-id="d2969c5" data-element_type="widget" data-settings='{"default_state":"expanded","max_items_expended":"one","n_accordion_animation_duration":{"unit":"ms","size":400,"sizes":[]}}' data-widget_type="nested-accordion.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="e-n-accordion" aria-label="Accordion. Open links with Enter or Space, close with Escape, and navigate with Arrow Keys"> <details id="e-n-accordion-item-2200" class="e-n-accordion-item" open> <summary class="e-n-accordion-item-title" data-accordion-index="1" tabindex="0" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="e-n-accordion-item-2200"> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-header"> <div class="e-n-accordion-item-title-text"> What’s the most unexpected challenge organizations face when implementing SOC 2? </div> <p></p></span><br> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-icon"><br> <span class="e-opened"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> <span class="e-closed"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> </span> </summary> <div role="region" aria-labelledby="e-n-accordion-item-2200" class="elementor-element elementor-element-f5e7efc e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child" data-id="f5e7efc" data-element_type="container"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-fb69b28 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="fb69b28" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>One surprising hurdle that many organizations encounter is <strong data-start="364" data-end="379">mis-scoping</strong> the <a href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/soc2/" rel="noopener">SOC 2</a> audit, from over-scoping to under-scoping. Striking the right balance is tougher than it looks. Go too narrow, and you risk omitting critical systems or data paths tied to customer commitments; too broad, and you burden your team with unnecessary work and audit noise. Misjudging scope can result in misallocated resources, extended timelines, and even audit failure. The key is to carefully map every system touching customer data and then validate that inventory with stakeholders and your auditor. That way, scope becomes strategic, not an afterthought.</p> </div> </div> </div> </details> <details id="e-n-accordion-item-2201" class="e-n-accordion-item"> <summary class="e-n-accordion-item-title" data-accordion-index="2" tabindex="-1" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="e-n-accordion-item-2201"> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-header"> <div class="e-n-accordion-item-title-text"> Why is managing third-party and vendor risk so difficult during SOC 2 readiness? </div> <p></p></span><br> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-icon"><br> <span class="e-opened"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> <span class="e-closed"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> </span> </summary> <div role="region" aria-labelledby="e-n-accordion-item-2201" class="elementor-element elementor-element-9288f76 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child" data-id="9288f76" data-element_type="container"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-d1854b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="d1854b3" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>Many organizations don’t anticipate how intertwined their systems are with vendors, service providers, and partners, yet every external connection introduces a potential compliance blind spot. The real challenge is not only identifying which vendors matter for SOC 2 but also collecting up-to-date assurance from them and continuously tracking their security posture. If one vendor isn’t compliant or fails to manage risk properly, it could ripple into your own audit. The solution is creating a structured vendor assessment pipeline: assess, document, monitor and loop in remediation where needed to shore up the weakest links.</p> </div> </div> </div> </details> <details id="e-n-accordion-item-2202" class="e-n-accordion-item"> <summary class="e-n-accordion-item-title" data-accordion-index="3" tabindex="-1" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="e-n-accordion-item-2202"> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-header"> <div class="e-n-accordion-item-title-text"> Why does evidence collection and organization often become a compliance breaking point? </div> <p></p></span><br> <span class="e-n-accordion-item-title-icon"><br> <span class="e-opened"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> <span class="e-closed"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus" viewbox="0 0 448 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z"></path></svg></span><br> </span> </summary> <div role="region" aria-labelledby="e-n-accordion-item-2202" class="elementor-element elementor-element-bb6137b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child" data-id="bb6137b" data-element_type="container"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-38814ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="38814ca" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>Evidence is the lifeblood of SOC 2 audits and yet it’s often the most chaotic, overlooked component. Auditors want proof of more than just policies; they expect logs, monitoring dashboards, access reviews, incident histories, and more, all formatted clearly and paired with control objectives. When evidence is scattered across emails, spreadsheets, or local drives, you lose credibility fast. Manual collection eats time and invites mistakes. The smarter route is to centralize documentation early, use automated tools where possible, and align evidence directly with control mappings. That way, you build audit readiness into your daily operations, not just scramble when the audit window opens.</p> </div> </div> </div> </details></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/soc-2/one-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2/">One unexpected challenge organizations face while implementing SOC 2</a> first appeared on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/">TrustCloud</a>.</p><div class="spu-placeholder" style="display:none"></div><div class="addtoany_share_save_container addtoany_content addtoany_content_bottom"><div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_20 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://securityboulevard.com/2025/08/one-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2/" data-a2a-title="One unexpected challenge organizations face while implementing SOC 2"><a class="a2a_button_twitter" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F08%2Fone-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2%2F&linkname=One%20unexpected%20challenge%20organizations%20face%20while%20implementing%20SOC%202" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F08%2Fone-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2%2F&linkname=One%20unexpected%20challenge%20organizations%20face%20while%20implementing%20SOC%202" title="LinkedIn" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F08%2Fone-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2%2F&linkname=One%20unexpected%20challenge%20organizations%20face%20while%20implementing%20SOC%202" title="Facebook" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_reddit" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/reddit?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F08%2Fone-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2%2F&linkname=One%20unexpected%20challenge%20organizations%20face%20while%20implementing%20SOC%202" title="Reddit" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_email" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsecurityboulevard.com%2F2025%2F08%2Fone-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2%2F&linkname=One%20unexpected%20challenge%20organizations%20face%20while%20implementing%20SOC%202" title="Email" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share"></a></div></div><p class="syndicated-attribution">*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from <a href="https://www.trustcloud.ai">TrustCloud</a> authored by <a href="https://securityboulevard.com/author/0/" title="Read other posts by Shweta Dhole">Shweta Dhole</a>. Read the original post at: <a href="https://www.trustcloud.ai/soc-2/one-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2/">https://www.trustcloud.ai/soc-2/one-unexpected-challenge-organizations-face-while-implementing-soc-2/</a> </p>