Compliance for US Growth Companies, Done for You

• Done for you, end to end

  We write the policies, set up the controls and evidence, run the internal audit and coordinate the independent audit. You deal with one team from first call to final report.

• Simple and quick

  A free gap assessment, then one plan with dates from day one. Effivity, our GRC automation platform, is included to keep the evidence moving.

• 8,100+ client engagements

  In 60+ countries over 20+ years, with experts who bring 30+ years of experience.

• Under US$10,000, all-inclusive

  For most start-ups and SMEs: SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA or ISO 9001, including the independent audit. A fixed quote follows a free gap assessment.

Every Sterling consulting engagement comes with the following, so you are not buying extras to get to the finish line:

• Effivity, Sterling's GRC automation platform, with a full-year subscription, to run your controls, evidence, tasks and audits in one place.
• Sterling Academy: preferential course access, with complimentary awareness training for your people.
• Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard.
• For information-security engagements, a vulnerability assessment.

These are part of the engagement, not a separate purchase. The details depend on the standard you are working toward, which we confirm during the free gap assessment.

Consulting and auditing are always separated: the people who consult never audit you. That keeps your internal audit objective and protects the independence of the CPA firm, Qualified Security Assessor or certification body that performs the final step.

Behind this are 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries over 20+ years, led by experts with 30+ years of experience.

What the fee covers, and what it doesn't:

• It is the fee for your first SOC 2 report or your first certification only.
• Annual work is always additional and billed the following year: later SOC 2 report periods, and ISO surveillance and recertification audits.
• It assumes a typical start-up or SME scope: one product or service and one main location.
• Larger or multi-site scopes get a fixed quote after the gap assessment.
• PCI DSS is quoted separately: a fixed quote follows a free gap assessment.

^[1] Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: 15-1212 Information Security Analysts, national annual median wage. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. accessed October 23, 2026.

The outcome. You get the report or certificate your US customer, investor or contract is waiting for, quickly, with the work done for you and one team accountable from first call to final document. Sterling's record is 100% success and on-time completion across 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries over 20+ years, led by experts with 30+ years of experience.

We work with US companies that need evidence, not theory:

• Start-ups and scale-ups. Raising a round or closing a first enterprise logo.
• SMEs selling to larger US organizations. Inheriting their vendor rules.
• SaaS, IT services and MSPs. Trusted with customer data and systems.
• Fintech, payments and healthtech. Answering to banks, card brands, hospitals and health plans.
• AI companies. Asked how models are governed.
• Contract manufacturers. Expected to run a documented quality system.

Why it moves fast. We arrive with the policy set, risk method and evidence plan ready to tailor, so your team reviews and approves instead of writing from a blank page. Your dated plan follows the gap assessment within days.

The outcome. You start from the request in front of you, not from a textbook. Pick the row that matches your week.

The outcome. You name the right document in the right words. A SOC 2 report is an attestation^[1]; ISO standards lead to a certificate; PCI DSS is validated through an assessment or SAQ^[2]; HIPAA has no certificate at all^[3]. The table is a first orientation; your buyer's own wording decides, and the free gap assessment confirms it. In Sterling's experience, US enterprise procurement teams most often name SOC 2, while public-sector and international buyers name ISO 27001.

The outcome. One sequence, no wasted projects.

1. US customers first. Start with SOC 2 Type 1 so independent evidence exists fast, then move straight into the Type 2 period. 2. Buyers abroad or in the public sector. Add ISO/IEC 27001 when a certificate is named. 3. AI at the core of the product. Add ISO/IEC 42001 when buyers ask how you govern it. 4. Card or patient data. Treat PCI DSS and HIPAA as obligations, whatever else you hold.

We build one control set and map it to each standard, so the second standard is mostly mapping. Compare the first two in SOC 2 vs ISO 27001, or see SOC 2 for Series A if a round is close.

The outcome. Your people keep running the business while we carry the program.

1. Free gap assessment. Your product, hosting and documents measured against what the US counterparty requires; a ranked gap list and a dated plan. 2. Policies and controls. Written to match how you operate; your team puts the controls in place with our guidance. 3. Evidence. Gathered in Effivity, Sterling's GRC automation platform, as part of normal work. 4. Internal audit. Consulting and auditing are always separated: the people who consult never audit you. 5. The independent step, coordinated. The SOC 2 report is issued by a US-licensed CPA firm, as AICPA standards require^[1]. For ISO standards, an accredited certification body audits and certifies; Sterling does not certify. For PCI DSS, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) performs the assessment and Report on Compliance where one is required; for SAQ-eligible merchants and service providers we prepare and support the SAQ^[2].

Software alone stores evidence but writes no policy and answers no examiner. Our tool versus consulting guide sets out the difference.

• SaaS: SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001.
• Fintech: SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001.
• Healthtech: HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001.
• AI companies: ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001.
• IT services and MSPs: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS.
• Manufacturing and supply chain: ISO 9001, ISO 27001.
• Payments and e-commerce: PCI DSS, SOC 2.
• Start-ups: SOC 2, ISO 27001.

• SOC 2 cost: what drives it and what is included.
• SOC 2 timeline: how long each stage takes.
• SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2: which report first.
• Answering security questionnaires: a working playbook.
• ISO 42001 vs NIST AI RMF: a certifiable standard next to a voluntary US framework.

A SOC 2 engagement has one deliverable that no consultant can hand you: the report. The SOC 2 report is issued by a US-licensed CPA firm, as AICPA standards require^[1]. What Sterling does is make sure you get there ready, and that nothing between today and the report lands on your desk.

With Sterling, you deal with one team from start to finish. We coordinate:

• a readiness review and a gap assessment against the Trust Services Criteria;
• the policies, procedures and controls you need, written for how your company actually works;
• evidence collection, so the examination does not become a scramble;
• an internal audit before the examiner arrives, carried out by people who did not advise you on the controls;
• the Type 1 or Type 2 path that fits your deal timeline, and the examination itself, including scheduling, requests and follow-ups.

Our experts bring 30+ years of experience, and the firm has completed 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries over 20+ years. You get a single plan, a single point of contact and a clear view of what happens next.

^[1] SOC (System and Organization Controls) Suite of Services. AICPA & CIMA. accessed October 23, 2026.

ISO management system standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001 and ISO 9001 are certified by an accredited certification body, not by a consultant^[1]. Sterling never certifies. The certificate carries the name of the body that issued it, and that independence is what makes it credible to your buyers.

What Sterling does is prepare your company so that the certification body's audit goes smoothly. We coordinate:

• a gap assessment against the standard;
• the management system itself: scope, risk assessment, policies, procedures and records, sized for your company;
• training for your people and an internal audit before the certification audit;
• management review and corrective actions;
• the certification audit process, from choosing an accredited body to closing any findings.

Consulting and auditing are always separated. The people who consult never audit you, so the internal audit is a genuine test and the certification body's audit is independent.

Sterling has completed 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries over 20+ years, and our experts bring 30+ years of experience.

^[1] About the IAF MLA (multilateral recognition arrangement). International Accreditation Forum (functions transferred to Global Accreditation Cooperation Inc., 1 Jan 2026). accessed October 23, 2026.

PCI DSS is validated in one of two ways, depending on how you handle card data and what your acquirer or card brand requires. A Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) performs the assessment and Report on Compliance where one is required^[1]; for SAQ-eligible merchants and service providers we prepare and support the SAQ.

Either way, you work with Sterling from first scoping call to final submission. We coordinate:

• scoping: where card data is stored, processed or transmitted, and how to shrink that footprint;
• a gap assessment against the current version of the standard;
• the policies, procedures and technical control improvements needed to close the gaps;
• evidence collection and an internal review before anyone external looks at your environment;
• the assessment itself, including scheduling, evidence requests and follow-up questions.

What you receive is a validation of compliance, documented in the form your acquirer or card brand accepts. Our experts bring 30+ years of experience, and Sterling has completed 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries over 20+ years.

^[1] Become a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA). PCI Security Standards Council. accessed October 23, 2026.

A compliance tool is software. It can track tasks, collect evidence and show you a dashboard. What it cannot do is decide what your scope should be, write policies that match how your team really works, interview your engineers, or sit across from an examiner when a question is unexpected.

That work still has to be done by someone. With a tool-only approach, that someone is usually a founder or an engineering lead, which means a few weeks of product time quietly turns into a few months.

Done-for-you consulting changes who carries the load:

• we scope the program so you are not controlling more than you need to;
• we write the policies and procedures, and we show your team the few things they must actually do;
• we collect and check evidence, and run an internal audit before the external one;
• we coordinate the final step, so you have one plan and one contact.

Tooling still matters, which is why Effivity, our GRC automation platform, is included in every engagement. The difference is that it is run by people who have done this for 20+ years across 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries.

Share the questionnaire, clause or diligence list and we will return the standard, the gaps and a dated plan. See how we work with US teams, then Get started.

• Compliance for AI companies in the US
• Meet US Contract, MSA and RFP Compliance Clauses FastA US MSA, DPA or RFP requires SOC 2, ISO 27001 or ISO 9001? Get the right report or certificate, done for you, matched to your contract date.
• Clear US Enterprise Security Reviews and Questionnaires FastA US buyer asked for SOC 2, ISO 27001 or AI governance evidence? Get the right report, done for you, on a dated plan.
• Pass US Investor Due Diligence on Security, FastA US investor's diligence list asks for SOC 2, ISO 27001 or AI governance? Get data-room evidence, done for you, on a dated plan.
• Win Buyers Abroad: Compliance for US Companies ExpandingA buyer in the EU, UK, Gulf or Asia wants ISO 27001 or AI governance evidence? Build on your SOC 2 work, done for you, on a dated plan.
• Compliance for Fintech companies in the US
• Compliance guides for US companies
• Compliance for Healthtech companies in the US
• Compliance for IT/ITES and MSPs in the US
• Compliance for Manufacturing and supply chain in the US
• Compliance for Medtech companies in the US
• Compliance for Payments and e-commerce in the US
• Compliance for SaaS companies in the US
• Compliance for Start-ups in the US

• SOC 2: standard overviewStandard overview
• ISO/IEC 42001: standard overviewStandard overview
• ISO/IEC 27001: standard overviewStandard overview
• PCI DSS: standard overviewStandard overview
• ISO 9001: standard overviewStandard overview
• HIPAA: standard overviewStandard overview
• Pass US Investor Due Diligence on Security, FastUnited States
• Clear US Enterprise Security Reviews and Questionnaires FastUnited States
• Meet US Contract, MSA and RFP Compliance Clauses FastUnited States
• Win Buyers Abroad: Compliance for US Companies ExpandingUnited States
• SOC 2 Cost for US Start-ups: What You Pay and What Changes ItUnited States
• SOC 2 Timeline for US Start-ups: How Long Each Stage TakesUnited States
• SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2: Which Report US Buyers ExpectUnited States
• SOC 2 vs ISO 27001 for US Companies: Which to Start WithUnited States
• SOC 2 for Series A: What Founders Need and WhenUnited States
• How US Start-ups Answer Security Questionnaires FastUnited States
• ISO 42001 vs NIST AI RMF: Which Do US AI Companies Need?United States
• Compliance Tool vs Consulting for US Start-upsUnited States
• SOC 2 for US SaaS Companies: What Enterprise Buyers RequireUnited States
• PCI DSS for US Fintechs: What Acquirers and Card Programs RequireUnited States
• HIPAA for US Healthtech Companies: What Health Systems and Payers RequireUnited States
• ISO/IEC 42001 for US AI Companies: What Buyers and Rules RequireUnited States
• SOC 2 for US MSPs and IT Services Firms: What Buyers RequireUnited States
• ISO 9001 for US Manufacturers and Suppliers: What OEMs and Contracts RequireUnited States
• PCI DSS for US Online Sellers and Payment BusinessesUnited States
• SOC 2 for US Start-ups: Your First Report, Done for YouUnited States
• ISO 13485 for US Medtech Companies: What FDA and Device Buyers ExpectUnited States
• Sterling in the United StatesUnited States

1. System and Organization Controls: SOC Suite of Services. AICPA & CIMA. accessed October 23, 2026.

2. PCI DSS and PCI Security Standards Council qualified assessors. PCI Security Standards Council. accessed October 23, 2026.

3. 45 CFR 164.308 Administrative safeguards. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (HHS HIPAA Security Rule). accessed October 23, 2026.

The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney about your own situation.

Requirements depend on your scope, your customers' contracts, your industry and the regulations that apply to you. Two companies asking for the same standard can have very different obligations. We confirm yours during a gap assessment, and we update our content as standards change, but you should check the current text of any standard or rule that matters to you.

Sterling consults and prepares. It does not decide whether you meet a standard. That decision belongs to the independent party that performs the final step: the US-licensed CPA firm for a SOC 2 report, the Qualified Security Assessor or acquirer for PCI DSS, and the accredited certification body for ISO certificates. Timelines and outcomes depend on your readiness and on those parties.

Standards and marks named on this site belong to their respective owners.