United States · Attestation
SOC 1 attestation in the United States
Achieve SOC 1 attestation in the US with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- Independent attestation
- New York office team
- Effivity software included
- Academy training included
Who asks for SOC 1 in the US
Clients include
SOC 1 attestation in the US at a glance
One US instrument bears on SOC 1. It does not name the standard. So why do buyers in the US keep asking for the report?
Auditors of a company's financial statements need to know whether the payroll processor, loan servicer, fund administrator or claims platform it relies on has controls they can depend on. A SOC 1 report answers that question. As the AICPA describes it, SOC 1 is an examination of controls at a service organisation that are likely to be relevant to user entities' internal control over financial reporting, written for those user entities and their auditors. It is an attestation issued by a licensed CPA firm, not a certificate, and comes as a Type 1 report on design or a Type 2 report that also tests operation over a period. Demand is strongest among service providers to banks, insurers and other financial institutions, including firms supervised by New York's Department of Financial Services. Sterling's New York office documents control objectives, maps them to processes, runs a readiness review and supports the CPA firm's fieldwork, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. Questions follow.
Who needs SOC 1 in the US, and what happens without it
In the US 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.
- Payroll, benefits and HR outsourcing providersClient auditors rely on controls relevant to financial reporting.
- Loan servicers, fund administrators and claims processorsUser entities' auditors request SOC 1 reports.
- Service providers to New York-licensed banks and insurersCovered entities must oversee third-party service providers.
- Fintech platforms processing transactions for other businessesCustomers' financial statement auditors need assurance over transaction controls.
Not sure which of these applies to you?Answer a short set of questions and your readiness report arrives by e-mail.
Take the SOC 1 (ISAE 3402 / SSAE 18) readiness checkSOC 1 requirements in the US
Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 1 asks a service organisation to report on six things about controls affecting its clients' financial reporting.
In the US 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 1 explained →
How to get a SOC 1 report in the US
One team from the New York office carries the work from scoping to report. Delivered from the New York office across the US, with remote delivery for teams in other time zones and on-site work as agreed.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against SOC 1 and the US requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
- The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does SOC 1 attestation take in the US?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In the US these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Type 1 versus Type 2 and the length of the period covered
- Number of control objectives and processes in scope
- Alignment with user entities' audit cycles
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does SOC 1 attestation cost in the US?
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 the US these factors move both.
- Number of control objectives, processes and systems
- CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
- Subservice organisations in scope
- Evidence-collection tooling
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
SOC 1 consultants and auditors in the US
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 1 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
- Ask the consultant how the local requirements in the US 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.
Laws and regulations that drive SOC 1 in the US (2)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| AICPA SOC 1 examination | Attestation framework Examination of controls at a service organisation likely to be relevant to user entities' internal control over financial reporting. |
| 23 NYCRR Part 500 (New York DFS) | Expected in practice Third-party service provider security policy (500.11); SOC 1 not cited. |
"Expected in practice" means the instrument asks for the outcomes SOC 1 covers without naming a standard, and SOC 1 is what buyers and regulators commonly accept as evidence of them.
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in the US
Attestation, not certification: the SOC 1 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm under AICPA standards. No firm is named here unless verified. Edition and transition details: SOC 1 hub →
Audit language
Reports are issued in English.
Remote and on-site
CPA firms commonly perform fieldwork remotely with system access; on-site visits are at the firm's discretion.
SOC 1 in the US: questions clients ask
What is the difference between SOC 1 and SOC 2?
SOC 1 reports on controls at a service organisation that are relevant to user entities' internal control over financial reporting, whereas SOC 2 reports on controls relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy. Pick SOC 1 when your customers' auditors need assurance over financial processes.
Is SOC 1 a certification?
No. A SOC 1 report is an attestation issued by a licensed CPA firm, not a certificate from a certification body. The report itself, rather than a certificate, is what you hand to customers, so choose the CPA firm with that in mind.
Who asks for a SOC 1 report?
User entities, meaning the businesses that rely on your service, and their financial statement auditors. They ask because your controls can affect their own internal control over financial reporting. When a customer asks, find out which processes and which period they want the report to cover.
More on SOC 1 for US organisations
Other standards US businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in the US often combine SOC 1 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the New York office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- AICPA SOC 1 examination — aicpa-cima.com (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- 23 NYCRR Part 500 (New York DFS) — dfs.ny.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Higher-level contract quality requirements (FAR 46.202-4) — acquisition.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
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