About SOC 2
SOC 2 is the go-to security and compliance framework for SaaS platforms, cloud-native vendors, healthtech providers, and any service company handling customer data. It’s often a prerequisite for doing business with enterprises, winning deals, or passing vendor risk assessments.
As cybersecurity expectations rise, SOC 2 shifts the conversation from trust claims to verifiable proof. It requires companies to document, enforce, and validate controls that protect systems and data — not just once, but continuously. Whether you're entering new markets or scaling customer trust, SOC 2 shows you take security seriously — and can back it up.
Transforming SOC 2 criteria into tangible assurance
SOC 2 revolves around five core pillars — the Trust Services Criteria (TSC) — that define what it means to run a secure and trustworthy digital service. These aren’t just best practices; they’re the foundation of how your organization earns and maintains customer trust.
SOC 2 Compliance Requirements:
Security
Ensures systems are protected from unauthorized access, whether accidental or malicious
Availability
Confirms that systems remain accessible and operational when users need them
Processing Integrity
Validates that data is processed accurately, completely, and in a timely manner
Confidentiality
Protects sensitive business and customer data from exposure
Privacy
Reviews how personal information is collected, stored, used, and deleted based on privacy standards
Penetration testing brings these criteria to life by showing how your controls perform under realistic attack scenarios, offering tangible evidence that they are both present and effective — especially critical for SOC 2 Type II, where auditors assess how well controls function over time.
To meet expectations from auditors, enterprise buyers, and procurement teams, it’s not enough to have documented policies — you need proof your controls work as intended when it matters most.
It helps demonstrate to auditors, enterprise clients, and partners that your systems can withstand threats, protect sensitive data, and continue operating securely — not just in theory, but in practice.
Is penetration testing specifically required by SOC2?
While SOC 2 doesn’t mandate penetration testing to achieve compliance, it explicitly calls for independent evaluations and technical assessments to identify vulnerabilities and verify the effectiveness of internal controls.
Penetration testing is recognized as a key method for fulfilling these expectations — especially under the following criteria:
CC3.2 – Risk Assessment
SOC 2 requires organizations to identify their critical information assets (e.g., systems, data flows, third-party services), assess their value, and analyze vulnerabilities and threats — both internal and external. This includes threats from vendors, partners, and customers. Penetration testing helps uncover and validate those vulnerabilities across environments and integrations.
CC4.1 – Monitoring Activities
Organizations must perform ongoing and/or separate evaluations to confirm that security controls are implemented and functioning. SOC 2 specifically cites penetration testing as an example of such an evaluation, alongside audits and external certifications like ISO 27001.
CC7.1 – System Operations
Stay audit-ready with continuous control testing, evidence updates, and expert guidance through system changes, risk reviews, and Type II audit cycles.
In practice, most auditors and enterprise buyers expect to see real evidence that your security program is working under pressure. Penetration testing provides exactly that — helping you move from documented intent to demonstrated assurance.
How penetration testing supports broader SOC 2 requirements?
Beyond the core security checks, penetration testing helps validate operational resilience, data protection, and even privacy-by-design. These extended test outcomes reinforce your alignment with criteria across all five Trust Service Categories — strengthening both your technical assurance and audit readiness.
Risk Assessment & Threat Identification
Reveals exploitable weaknesses that traditional risk reviews may miss — including insecure configurations, exposed assets, and third-party integration risks.
Application & Infrastructure Security
Evaluates whether core defenses — like firewalls, WAFs, secure configs, and input handling — can block real-world attack techniques.
Access Control Enforcement
Confirms that authentication, authorization, and segmentation controls prevent privilege escalation and unauthorized access — both horizontally and vertically.
Credential & Session Security
Tests the strength of MFA, password policies, session handling, and token protection to ensure identity boundaries hold under pressure.
Data Confidentiality
Verifies technical protections for sensitive data — from API security to storage and transmission — and flags exposure through misconfigurations or weak access control.
Availability & Resilience
Assesses your system’s ability to withstand load-based attacks, DoS vectors, and infrastructure-level stress conditions.
Privacy & Data Handling
Identifies weaknesses in personal data handling — such as insecure storage, unintended exposure via logs or debug endpoints, or insufficient access controls around sensitive user information.
What penetration testing validates
Trust service criteria
Security
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Broken authentication and weak session management
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Insecure direct object references (IDOR) and access control flaws
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Privilege escalation and lateral movement risks
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Misconfigured firewalls, open ports, or vulnerable services
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Logging, monitoring, and alerting mechanisms (through exploit simulation)
Availability
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Denial-of-service vectors (e.g., rate limiting bypass)
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Resource exhaustion attacks (e.g., CPU/memory abuse)
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Network or application-layer misconfigurations that reduce uptime or resilience
Processing Integrity
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Logic manipulation and input tampering
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Insecure APIs that allow injection or data corruption
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Bypasses of validation or business rules that impact processing accuracy
Confidentiality
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Exposure of sensitive data via insecure endpoints or APIs
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Lack of access segregation or over-privileged accounts
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Misconfigured S3 buckets, cloud storage, or internal portals
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Encryption gaps or improper key handling
Privacy
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Insecure collection and storage of personal data
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Data leakage through logs, debug endpoints, or browser storage
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Inadequate protection of PII/PHI in transit and at rest
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Lack of safeguards against unauthorized access to personal data
How often should you perform penetration testing?
SOC 2 doesn't mandate a fixed schedule for penetration testing — but it expects organizations to test proactively, regularly, and in response to risk. Auditors look for evidence that technical evaluations are conducted often enough to remain effective, especially as your systems evolve.
Auditors suggest testing should be performed:
Annually for core applications and infrastructure
Cyber-attacks disrupt normal operations
After significant changes to code, systems, or environments
When onboarding new third-party components or services
Following incidents or in response to new threats and vulnerabilities
At higher frequency for internet-facing or business-critical systems
At Sekurno, we tailor your penetration testing schedule to match your SOC 2 control maturity, risk profile, and audit expectations — ensuring you maintain trust, reduce exposure, and stay ready for review.
What Sekurno Tests — Aligned with SOC 2 Requirements
Penetration testing that builds trust
Web Applications
HTML5, WebAssembly, Progressive Web Apps: Input validation, session management, cross-site scripting prevention, IDORs
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Smart Contracts
Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, etc: Reentrancy attacks, logic errors, gas limit issues, integer overflows/underflows, and misconfigurations.
Leaked Credentials
API keys, user credentials, database passwords: checks for exposures on the darknet, pastebin sites, hacker forums
K8S Configurations
Container isolation, configuration checks, network policies, role-based access control
Network Pentesting
Private Cloud, Network access controls, server vulnerabilities, endpoint protection, user privilege escalation checks
Cloud Infrastructure
AWS, GCP, Azure: Security policies audit, access controls, encryption at rest, misconfiguration prevention
Mobile Applications
Android & iOS: Sensitive info storage, broken authentication, insecure data transmission, code tampering detection
API Testing
REST, SOAP, GraphQL: Broken authorization, leaked API keys, excessive data exposure, rate limiting checks, endpoint vulnerabilities
Methodology built for SOC 2 resilience
Our approach combines real-world threat simulation with SOC 2-aligned testing practices — designed to identify vulnerabilities, validate control effectiveness, and produce audit-ready evidence
Threat Modeling
We start by mapping critical assets, access points, and potential attack paths to understand where and how systems are most likely to be targeted
Manual Testing
Our security engineers simulate real-world exploitation — testing access control, session management, misconfigurations, and business logic flaws that automation alone can’t catch
Source Code Review
We analyze application internals to detect insecure coding patterns, broken authorization logic, and data handling issues that can lead to serious breaches
SAST / DAST Scanning
Automated tools are used to identify known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in both code and live environments — helping you catch risks early and often across the SDLC
Evidence that proves, not just reports
Our deliverables are designed to support audits, inform remediation, and build trust with clients and stakeholders — not just document issues
Penetration Report
Detailed findings on exploited vulnerabilities, attack chains, and business impact — paired with prioritized remediation guidance your team can act on
Threat Model Document
A clear visual of how real-world threats could reach sensitive systems — helping illustrate your understanding of asset exposure and risk flow
Testing Checklist
A documented log of what was tested, how, and with what outcome — offering transparency, repeatability, and evidence of control validation for auditors and stakeholders.
Compliance testing solutions beyond SOC 2
Our penetration testing services are designed to make your systems truly secure — not just technically compliant. By focusing on real-world threats and infrastructure risks, we help you meet and exceed the expectations of critical frameworks like GDPR, EU MDR, FDA, HIPAA, and SOC 2. Whether you're preparing for regulatory submissions, client due diligence, or certification audits, we ensure your cybersecurity posture delivers lasting protection and regulatory confidence.
SOC 2
FDA
EU MDR/IVDR
iSO 27001
What our clients are saying
90% of our clients return
Sekurno exceeded our expectations, identifying critical vulnerabilities that neither we nor other vendors had detected, and providing actionable recommendations. Their team was responsive, flexible, and consistently provided valuable insights.
Sep 18, 2024
Markus T.
Chief Technology Architect
If you are going to invest in penetration testing, make sure it is more than just a formality. Work with a partner who helps you learn something from the process and improves your actual security. With Sekurno, we received useful feedback and our team became more security aware as a result.
April 11, 2025
Mads
CTO
Our collaboration with Sekurno has consistently been seamless.
Jun 12, 2023
Roy
DG VP
We were genuinely impressed; Sekurno identified vulnerabilities that even major cybersecurity companies within the Google group missed
April 11, 2025
Chan S.
CEO
Their expertise was evident in every aspect of the engagement.
Sep 18, 2024
Max, R.
Deputy CTO
