SOC 2 attestation in Egypt

SOC 2 attestation in Egypt at a glance

Security questionnaires from overseas customers have a way of ending with the same request: a SOC 2 report. Egyptian software houses, outsourcing firms and fintechs meet it often, because the clients buying their services are used to asking service organisations for independent assurance. A licensed CPA firm examines controls against the AICPA trust services criteria and issues an attestation report, not a certificate, so neither Sterling nor an accreditation body is involved in issuing it. The request comes from clients rather than from Egyptian authorities, and Law No. 151 of 2020 does not require a report, although it can sit among the evidence processors provide. Sterling's Dubai office helps with scoping, control design, evidence collection and readiness assessments ahead of the CPA firm's examination, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.

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

In Egypt 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.

• Software and SaaS companies selling to enterprisesEnterprise customers in North America and Europe ask for a SOC 2 report in security reviews.
• Outsourcing firms and managed service providersOverseas clients ask service organisations for an independent report on their controls.
• Fintechs and payment providersBanking partners and investors expect independent assurance over controls.
• Cloud and data-centre operatorsCustomers depend on them for availability and confidentiality and ask for an attestation.
• Processors preparing evidence for data protection permitsA report can be part of the evidence a processor gives its customers and the Center.

SOC 2 requirements in Egypt

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

In Egypt 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 Egypt

One team from the Dubai office carries the work from scoping to report. Clients across Egypt are served from Sterling's Dubai office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the Egyptian 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 Egypt?

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

• Type 1 or Type 2 report and length of the observation period
• Control maturity and evidence automation
• Which trust services criteria are in scope
• CPA firm availability

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 Egypt?

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 Egypt these factors move both.

• Number of systems, locations and criteria in scope
• Remediation of control gaps and tooling for evidence
• CPA firm examination fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Readiness assessment before the examination

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 Egypt

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 Egypt 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 Egypt: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Egyptian 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
• SOC 2 attestation in Egypt and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Egyptian businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Egypt →