Think about what your IT provider can access.
Every device. Every employee account. Your cloud environment. Your offboarding workflows. Your most sensitive business data.
Now ask yourself: have they ever been independently audited on how they protect it?
We are currently in our 5th consecutive clean SOC 2 Type II audit, and we believe every company should understand what that means before signing with any IT provider.
What Is SOC 2 Type II, Actually?
SOC 2 is a security framework developed by the AICPA. It evaluates how a service provider manages data across five Trust Service Criteria: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.
There are two types:
- Type I — A snapshot. An auditor verifies your controls exist at a single point in time.
- Type II — A film reel. An auditor tests whether your controls actually worked over a period of 6–12 months.
Type II is significantly harder to achieve because it requires consistent operational discipline, not a one-time cleanup.
Why It Matters That Your MSP Has It (Not Just You)
Most companies think about SOC 2 in the context of their own compliance obligations, especially SaaS companies preparing for enterprise sales.
But here’s the risk most people overlook:
Your IT provider is a vendor with privileged access to your entire environment. When enterprise customers, investors, or security teams audit you, they’re increasingly asking about your vendors too.
If your MSP can’t produce a SOC 2 Type II report? That’s a gap in your security posture, even if your house is in order.
What Separates a SOC 2-Certified MSP From One That Isn’t
| SOC 2 Type II Certified MSP | Non-Certified MSP | |
| Access controls | Independently verified | Self-reported |
| Incident response | Documented, tested, audited | May exist on paper |
| Data handling | Formal policies, reviewed annually | Varies by staff |
| Vendor accountability | Third-party validated | Trust us, bro |
| Your compliance posture | Strengthened | Potential liability |
What 5 Consecutive Years Means
Getting SOC 2 Type II certified once is an achievement. Maintaining it for five straight years means:
- Security isn’t a project we do before an audit, it’s how we operate daily
- Our controls have been tested and validated, year after year, by an independent third party
- When something changes in our environment, we update our policies, not just our pitch deck
For our clients in fintech, legal, healthcare-adjacent, and enterprise SaaS, this matters. Not as a checkbox, but as a real operational commitment.
Questions to Ask Your IT Provider
If you’re evaluating MSPs, or reconsidering your current one, here are five questions worth asking:
- Are you SOC 2 Type II certified? Can I see the report?
- When was your last audit completed — and who conducted it?
- How do you handle access management for your own staff who touch our environment?
- What’s your incident response process if there’s a breach at your company?
- Do you have a formal information security policy, and is it reviewed annually?
If the answers are vague, that’s a signal.
The Bottom Line
Your MSP isn’t just a vendor, they’re an extension of your IT infrastructure. Trusting them with that access without accountability isn’t just a risk to your data. It’s a risk to your clients’ data, your compliance obligations, and your reputation.
SOC 2 Type II doesn’t guarantee perfection. But it does mean that an independent party has verified that the controls are real, consistent, and tested.
We’re proud to be going through our fifth consecutive audit, and even prouder that our clients can use our certification as part of their own security story.
Want to learn more about what Advisory’s SOC 2 compliance means for your business? Let’s talk.
Advisory is a SOC 2 Type II certified Managed Service Provider based in New York City. We work with growth-stage companies, SaaS businesses, agencies, and professional services firms to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable IT operations.
