If you’re working toward SOC 2 compliance, you’ve likely heard about the Trust Services Criteria (TSC) — the foundation of every SOC 2 audit.
But what exactly are these criteria? And why are they so important for your business?
In this guide, we’ll break down each of the five Trust Services Criteria — Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy — and explain what auditors look for, so you can prepare confidently.
What Are the SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria?
The Trust Services Criteria are a set of principles defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to evaluate how a service organization manages customer data.
SOC 2 reports assess how well your controls align with these criteria to ensure data protection, service reliability, and customer trust.
While Security is mandatory for all SOC 2 audits, the other four criteria — Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy — are optional and based on your business needs.
The 5 Trust Services Criteria Explained
1. Security (Mandatory)
Goal: Protect systems and data from unauthorized access.
This criterion ensures that your organization has effective access controls, authentication, firewalls, intrusion detection, and vulnerability management in place.
Auditors look for:
- Strong user authentication and password policies
- Physical security for servers and workspaces
- Network monitoring and incident response plans
- Regular penetration testing and vulnerability scanning
2. Availability
Goal: Ensure systems are available for operation and use as promised.
This relates to uptime commitments, disaster recovery, and incident response.
Auditors look for:
- System monitoring and performance tracking
- Redundancy and failover systems
- Backup procedures and disaster recovery plans
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for uptime
3. Confidentiality
Goal: Protect sensitive business and customer information from unauthorized disclosure.
This applies to proprietary business data, financial records, and sensitive contracts.
Auditors look for:
- Encryption for data at rest and in transit
- Access control restrictions for confidential files
- Secure data disposal methods
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with employees and vendors
4. Processing Integrity
Goal: Ensure that system processing is accurate, complete, timely, and authorized.
This is critical for services where transaction accuracy impacts customers, such as SaaS billing platforms or financial systems.
Auditors look for:
- Input validation controls
- Error detection and correction procedures
- Quality assurance processes
- Change management policies
5. Privacy
Goal: Protect personal information collected, used, retained, disclosed, or disposed of in accordance with your privacy policy.
This aligns closely with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Auditors look for:
- Consent management for data collection
- Privacy policy alignment with actual practices
- Rights for individuals to access or delete data
- Data retention and deletion processes
How to Choose Which Criteria to Include
- All organizations must include Security in their SOC 2 scope.
- SaaS providers often include Availability and Confidentiality.
- Financial and transaction-heavy services benefit from Processing Integrity.
- Companies handling personal data (healthcare, HR tech, e-commerce) should include Privacy.
Why the Trust Services Criteria Matter
Implementing controls that align with the Trust Services Criteria is not just about passing an audit — it’s about building customer trust, reducing risk, and gaining a competitive edge.
A SOC 2 report that covers multiple criteria can open doors to enterprise contracts and help you stand out in a crowded market.
How SOC2.in Can Help
At SOC2.in, we help companies across 25+ countries achieve SOC 2 compliance — faster, more affordably, and without cutting corners.
✅ Audit-ready in as little as 7 days
✅ Up to 80% cost savings with offshore compliance talent
✅ Experience with leading GRC tools like Drata, Vanta, and Secureframe
✅ 97% first-time audit pass rate
Whether you need a Type I or Type II report covering one or all five criteria, we provide end-to-end readiness and audit support.
Final Takeaway
The SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria are the building blocks of a strong compliance program.
- Security is non-negotiable.
- The other four criteria should be chosen based on your industry, clients, and data handling practices.
By understanding and implementing these principles, you not only prepare for a smooth SOC 2 audit but also strengthen your security posture and customer trust.
