SOC 2 attestation in Vietnam

SOC 2 attestation in Vietnam at a glance

Circular No. 09/2020/TT-NHNN sets information-system safety duties in Vietnamese banking that the IT providers serving banks have to support, and the Law on Personal Data Protection adds obligations for anyone handling personal data. American customers of those same software and outsourcing companies phrase their question differently: they ask for a SOC 2 report. Neither Vietnamese instrument requires SOC 2 itself. The report is an attestation issued by a licensed CPA firm under AICPA standards, covering the trust services categories the provider selects, from security to privacy; Type 1 assesses control design on one date, Type 2 tests operation over time. Providers that also hold or plan ISO/IEC 27001 usually run both from one control set. Sterling's Ho Chi Minh City office drafts the system description and controls, checks readiness before the examination and supports the CPA firm's fieldwork, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. Local questions follow.

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

In Vietnam 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 IT outsourcing companies with US customersUS buyers commonly request a SOC 2 report in procurement.
• Cloud and data-service providers to Vietnamese banksControls support Circular 09/2020 provider selection and contract rules.
• Data-processing service providersCustomers seek assurance over personal data handling.

SOC 2 requirements in Vietnam

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

In Vietnam 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 Vietnam

One team from the Ho Chi Minh City office carries the work from scoping to report. Delivery across Vietnam from the Ho Chi Minh City office, on-site and remote.

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

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Vietnam 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 Vietnam?

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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam

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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Vietnamese 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 Ho Chi Minh City
• SOC 2 attestation in Vietnam and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Vietnamese businesses ask Sterling for

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

All 20 standards Sterling delivers in Vietnam →