SOC 2 attestation in Australia

SOC 2 attestation in Australia at a glance

SOC 2 reports are written by CPA firms, not certification bodies, and that difference shapes the whole engagement. A licensed CPA firm examines controls at a service organisation relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy, applying the AICPA's trust services criteria; a Type 1 report covers control design at a point in time, a Type 2 report adds operating effectiveness over a period. Australian software and data-processing companies usually meet the request when they sell to American customers. At home, APRA's CPS 230 makes banks, insurers and superannuation trustees look harder at their material service providers, and CPS 234 expects information security capability to match the threats; neither names SOC 2, but a current report answers many of their due-diligence questions. Sterling's Sydney office designs the control set, runs a readiness assessment and supports the CPA firm's fieldwork, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included.

Who needs SOC 2 in Australia, and what happens without it

In Australia the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Australian SaaS and cloud providers selling to US customersUS buyers commonly request a SOC 2 report in procurement.
• Material service providers to APRA-regulated entitiesRegulated customers assess providers' controls under CPS 230 and CPS 234.
• Payroll, fintech and data-processing providersCustomers' auditors rely on independent assurance over controls.

SOC 2 requirements in Australia

Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 2 asks a service organisation to report on six things about the controls behind its service.

In Australia these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SOC 2 explained →

How to get a SOC 2 report in Australia

One team from the Sydney office carries the work from scoping to report. All states and territories, delivered from the Sydney office; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the Australian requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• SOC 2 gap analysis
• SOC 2 implementation plan

How long does SOC 2 attestation take in Australia?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Australia these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Type 1 versus Type 2 and the length of the observation period
• Number of trust services categories in scope
• Maturity of control evidence

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the SOC 2 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does SOC 2 attestation cost in Australia?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the CPA firm’s fees, which are quoted separately. In Australia these factors move both.

• Number of trust services categories and systems in scope
• CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
• Tooling for evidence collection

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of SOC 2

SOC 2 consultants and auditors in Australia

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; a licensed CPA firm then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SOC 2 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Australia are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

SOC 2 in Australia: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Australian organisations

• SOC 2: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement SOC 2
• Accounting and professional services: SOC 2 for the sector
• BPO and shared services: SOC 2 for the sector
• Fintech and payments: SOC 2 for the sector
• Healthcare IT and health BPO: SOC 2 for the sector
• HR, payroll and staffing: SOC 2 for the sector
• MSPs and data centres: SOC 2 for the sector
• SaaS and technology: SOC 2 for the sector
• Sterling in Sydney
• SOC 2 attestation in Australia and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Australian businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Australia often combine SOC 2 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in Australia →