Preparing for a SOC 2 audit — or leading an ongoing compliance program between audits — is different work from performing the audit itself, and it matters that those two things stay separate. NetCoreSolutions leads SOC 2 readiness, gap remediation, and compliance-program leadership work. We do not conduct the independent audit. Here’s exactly what that means, and why it’s led by someone who has actually done this before.
What SOC 2 Readiness Actually Means (and What It Doesn’t)
SOC 2 compliance work generally falls into three categories, and it’s worth being precise about which one you’re hiring for:
- Readiness and remediation consulting — assessing where your controls stand today, identifying gaps against the SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, and building the plan to close them.
- Compliance-program leadership — the ongoing work of running and maintaining a compliance program, not just a one-time readiness push.
- Independent attestation — the actual audit, performed by a licensed CPA firm under AICPA standards, resulting in the SOC 2 report itself.
NetCoreSolutions provides the first two. We do not provide the third. We do not conduct independent SOC 2 audits, issue SOC 2 reports, provide CPA attestations, or act as your independent auditor — and we don’t guarantee a successful attestation, guarantee certification or compliance, or claim any kind of “pass rate.” That attestation has to come from an independent CPA firm, separate from whoever did your readiness work — that separation is a requirement of the standard itself, not a limitation we’re apologizing for.
Readiness Experience That Goes Beyond Checklists
The experience behind the NetCoreSolutions SOC 2 practice includes hands-on leadership of SOC 2 Type II readiness and compliance programs supporting three consecutive annual attestations. That experience includes work with organizations such as a supply-chain industry company with approximately 150 employees and a printing-industry company with fewer than 100 employees — real, sized-appropriate SOC 2 readiness work, not enterprise theater.
This is the hands-on experience behind the NetCoreSolutions SOC 2 practice — not a claim about how many SOC 2 engagements NetCoreSolutions as a company has completed, and it shouldn’t be read as one. It’s exactly why this practice exists.
How We Work
- Scoping — Understanding your business, your systems, and which Trust Services Criteria apply to you.
- Gap Assessment — Reviewing your current controls against what SOC 2 actually requires.
- Remediation Planning — Building a specific, prioritized plan to close the gaps that were found.
- Ongoing Program Support — For businesses that want compliance-program leadership, not just a one-time push, we stay engaged to keep the program current.
How long this takes depends entirely on your organization’s size, scope, current control maturity, and how much remediation is needed — we don’t publish a fixed timeline or promise an attestation date, because anyone who does hasn’t actually scoped your situation yet.
For broader cybersecurity support, including vulnerability assessment and incident response planning, explore our Cybersecurity & Compliance Consulting services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NetCoreSolutions perform our SOC 2 audit?
No. We lead readiness, remediation, and compliance-program work. The independent attestation is performed by a separate, licensed CPA firm.
What’s the difference between readiness consulting and the actual attestation?
Readiness consulting is the preparation work — assessing your controls, closing gaps, and building your compliance program. The attestation is the formal, independent audit itself, performed by a CPA firm under AICPA standards. Those need to be two different parties.
How long does SOC 2 readiness typically take?
It depends on your organization’s size, current control maturity, and how much remediation is needed. We’ll give you a real estimate after scoping — not a generic number.
What is compliance-program leadership, and how is it different from a one-time readiness assessment?
A one-time readiness assessment gets you ready for a single audit. Compliance-program leadership is the ongoing work of keeping your program current between audits — policies, controls, and evidence that stay maintained rather than scrambled together once a year.
Has NetCoreSolutions done this before?
The experience behind the NetCoreSolutions SOC 2 practice includes hands-on leadership of SOC 2 Type II readiness and compliance programs supporting three consecutive annual attestations. That experience includes work with a supply-chain organization of approximately 150 employees and a printing-industry organization with fewer than 100 employees. NetCoreSolutions provides readiness, remediation, and compliance-program support; independent attestations are performed by licensed CPA firms.