American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA SOC1)

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) SOC 1 report is a crucial tool for organizations that rely on service providers to maintain the security, availability, and confidentiality of their sensitive information. The report provides an independent assessment of the service provider's controls and processes for protecting sensitive data, as well as an assurance that the controls are operating effectively.

A SOC 1 report is an audit report on controls at a service organization relevant to user entities’ internal control over financial reporting. The purpose of a SOC 1 report is to provide assurance to user entities and their auditors about the effectiveness of the service provider's controls and processes related to financial reporting.

The SOC 1 report is specifically designed for organizations that use service providers for financial reporting purposes, such as payroll processing, accounts payable, and other financial operations. The report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the service provider's systems and processes, including security, availability, and confidentiality controls.

The SOC 1 report is performed by an independent certified public accountant (CPA) who is a member of the AICPA. The CPA evaluates the service provider's systems and processes, as well as the related control activities, to ensure that they are operating effectively. This involves a review of the provider's policies and procedures, as well as a review of the actual implementation of these policies and procedures.

The CPA also evaluates the service provider's ability to maintain the confidentiality, availability, and security of the information processed, stored, or transmitted by the provider. This includes an assessment of the provider's security controls, such as access controls, physical and environmental security, and disaster recovery and business continuity planning.

Once the evaluation is complete, the CPA provides a detailed report of their findings, including any deficiencies or areas for improvement. The report includes a description of the service provider's controls and processes, as well as an assessment of their effectiveness.

The SOC 1 report is an important tool for organizations that rely on service providers for financial reporting purposes. The report provides an independent assessment of the provider's systems and processes, and helps to ensure that the provider is meeting the required standards for information security, availability, and confidentiality.

In conclusion, the AICPA SOC 1 report is a crucial tool for organizations that rely on service providers for financial reporting purposes. The report provides an independent assessment of the provider's systems and processes, and helps to ensure that the provider is meeting the required standards for information security, availability, and confidentiality. Organizations can use the SOC 1 report to make informed decisions about the security and reliability of their service providers and to ensure that their sensitive information is being properly protected.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) introduced the SOC 1 report to document the internal controls of a cloud service provider that may impact a customer's financial reporting. The report is beneficial for organizations that conduct financial statement audits.

To keep up with international accounting standards, the AICPA's Auditing Standards Board created the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 18 (SSAE 18) which aligns closely with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements 3402 (ISAE 3402). These standards are used to produce a report by an independent third party, attesting to the assertions made by an organization regarding its controls. The Service Organization Controls (SOC) framework is used to evaluate the control of financial information.

NSPECT.IO uses Google Cloud Platform for its marketplace and other operations and undergoes regular third-party audits to certify their products against the SSAE 18 and ISAE 3402 standards.