SOC 2 and ISO 27001 both prove you take security seriously, to different audiences. SOC 2 is a US-centric attestation from a CPA firm, favored by American enterprise buyers. ISO 27001 is an international certification from an accredited body, favored by global and European customers. Many companies eventually do both.
Book a 15-minute review →The core distinction: SOC 2 is an attestation report - a licensed CPA firm opines on how well your controls meet the Trust Services Criteria over time. ISO 27001 is a certification - an accredited body certifies that you operate an information security management system (ISMS) and apply the Annex A controls you've deemed applicable. One is a report about controls; the other certifies a management system.
Who asks for which: US enterprise buyers, especially in tech, most often ask for SOC 2. International customers, European partners, and some regulated industries ask for ISO 27001. If your market is one or the other, start there; if it's both, you'll likely need both.
The overlap is substantial - access control, encryption, monitoring, incident response, and evidence that controls operate. That's why doing the second framework is far cheaper than the first: one well-monitored environment feeds both.
MDRwatchdog maps one monitored environment to both the Trust Services Criteria (SOC 2) and Annex A controls (ISO 27001), so the second framework rides on the first's evidence. A SOC 2 report is issued by a CPA firm; an ISO 27001 certificate by an accredited body. We get you ready for either or both. Not legal advice.
SOC 2 is a US attestation report from a CPA firm about your controls; ISO 27001 is an international certification from an accredited body that you run an ISMS. SOC 2 is report-based; ISO is management-system-based.
Most often SOC 2. International and European customers more often ask for ISO 27001. Choose based on your market, or do both if your customers are split.
Yes. The controls overlap heavily, so one monitored environment feeds both - making the second framework far more efficient than the first.
MDRwatchdog provides security monitoring and compliance evidence to support readiness. It is not a certification and not legal advice. Certification and formal audits are performed by the appropriate authorized bodies (a C3PAO for CMMC, a licensed CPA firm for SOC 2, an accredited body for ISO 27001).