SOC 2 attestation in Malaysia

SOC 2 attestation in Malaysia at a glance

Malaysian technology providers selling software, cloud hosting or managed services to American customers are often asked for a SOC 2 report before a contract is signed. SOC 2 is an attestation, not a certification: a licensed CPA firm examines controls relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy under AICPA standards and issues a Type 1 or Type 2 report. Banks and payment institutions supervised under Bank Negara Malaysia's Risk Management in Technology policy document must oversee their technology service providers, and a SOC 2 report gives that oversight independent evidence. Many providers already hold ISO/IEC 27001 and map its controls to the trust services criteria to avoid duplicating work. Sterling's Kuala Lumpur consultants scope the system description, close control gaps, set up evidence collection for the observation period and support the CPA firm's fieldwork; the opinion belongs to the CPA firm alone. The local questions follow.

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

In Malaysia 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, cloud and managed service providers selling to US customersUS customers commonly request a SOC 2 report.
• Technology service providers to BNM-regulated institutionsRMiT expects institutions to oversee third-party service providers; a SOC 2 report gives independent evidence.
• Data centres and shared-service centresCustomers ask for assurance over security and availability controls.

SOC 2 requirements in Malaysia

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

In Malaysia 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 Malaysia

One team from the Kuala Lumpur office carries the work from scoping to report. Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley on-site; other states, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan on-site or remote as the engagement requires.

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

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

• Type 1 or Type 2 report and the length of the observation period
• Trust services criteria in scope
• Maturity of evidence collection
• Existing ISO/IEC 27001 controls to map

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 Malaysia?

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 Malaysia these factors move both.

• System boundaries and trust services criteria in scope
• CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
• Control remediation and tooling
• Number of subservice organisations

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 Malaysia

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 Malaysia 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 Malaysia: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Malaysian 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 Kuala Lumpur
• SOC 2 attestation in Malaysia and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Malaysian businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 22 standards Sterling delivers in Malaysia →