October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which is a great reminder for businesses to revisit data security processes, particularly your cloud-based backup service. Does your provider have a System and Organization Control (SOC) report in place? If not, you may be risking harm to your business’ reputation. Here’s what you should know.

Why is cloud-based backup important?

Cloud-based backup service allows businesses to store their data on remote servers. By not storing on local servers or hard drives, businesses can ensure that important files, documents, and data are significantly more secure. Cloud based backup helps avoid hardware failures, accidental deletions, cyberattacks and natural disasters.

Having cloud-based backup is key, but is your cloud-based backup service provider equipped to handle your data with care?

Why should your cloud-based back up service provider have a SOC report?

Maintaining your integrity means choosing a provider that demonstrates strong data security and compliance, ensuring your business' sensitive information is protected and managed in accordance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

A provider with a SOC 2 report in place shows that they have met these standards effectively. For cloud-based security providers, the SOC report should disclose key controls such as:

• Frequency of backup and availability for restoration
• Disaster recovery plan of the backup provider
• If the backup data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Data replication between cloud backup regions for added availability in the event of a failure at one site
• Data retention controls and deletion controls

What is a SOC 2 report?

SOC 2 is a compliance standard that evaluates a service provider’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy of customer data.

3 concrete reasons you need to request a SOC report from cloud-based backup service

1. Data security assurance- A SOC 2 report ensures that the service provider has implemented rigorous controls to protect your data from unauthorized access, breaches and cyberattacks, which are critical protections for sensitive/confidential data stored in the cloud.
2. Regulatory compliance- Companies in industries that handle particularly sensitive data, like healthcare, finance, etc., may be required to use service providers with SOC 2 certification.
3. Risk management and vendor oversight- A SOC 2 report provides assurance that the provider has effective policies and procedures in place to mitigate operational risks like data loss or service disruptions.

Do you need to renew your SOC 2 report? Check out our blog, Renewing Your SOC 2: What You Should Know for some valuable tips.