Evaluate any enterprise software and you will meet two acronyms on every security page: ISO 27001 and SOC 2. They are among the most recognised signals of a vendor's security posture — and among the most misread. Here is what they actually mean for a buyer.
ISO 27001, in short
ISO 27001 is an international standard for an Information Security Management System (ISMS) — a framework for how an organisation manages security risk across people, process and technology. Certification is granted by an accredited body after an audit, and maintained through ongoing surveillance.
SOC 2, in short
SOC 2 is an attestation report (common in North America) in which an independent auditor assesses controls against trust principles such as security, availability and confidentiality. A Type I report looks at controls at a point in time; a Type II examines how they operated over a period.
How to read them as a buyer
- Check scope — what part of the business and which systems the certificate or report actually covers.
- Check status — certified/attested, versus in progress or in audit.
- Check recency — when it was issued, and the period a SOC 2 Type II covers.
- Treat them as necessary signals, not a substitute for your own due diligence on data handling and residency.
Where Certopact stands
Certopact's SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits are in progress, alongside encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access and India data residency — and, by design, Aadhaar verification that never stores the full number (Aadhaar masking). Always confirm current certification status and scope directly before relying on it.