Our methodology

From zero to
attestation.

A proven four-phase engagement model that delivers SOC 2 Type I or Type II attestation with maximum efficiency and zero audit surprises — built on hundreds of successful engagements worldwide.

The engagement model

Four phases. One outcome.

Collaborative delivery model

Technical control implementation

Phase 01

Scope & Align

Weeks 1 – 3

Every failed SOC 2 audit begins with poorly defined scope. We prevent this by spending the first three weeks mapping exactly which systems, services, and data flows fall within the audit boundary. We align with your business stakeholders to select the Trust Services Criteria that matter — and only those that matter — preventing costly over-scoping that inflates both your remediation effort and the CPA firm’s audit fees.

We review your existing infrastructure, cloud architecture, vendor relationships, and organizational chart. The output is a formal System Description Document (SDD) that will become the backbone of your SOC 2 report.

Output 01

System Description Document

Full narrative of in-scope systems and services

Output 02

TSC Selection Matrix

Justified selection of applicable Trust Services Criteria

Output 03

Vendor & Subprocessor Map

Full inventory of third parties within audit scope

Output 04

Audit Timeline & RACI

Full project plan with owner assignments

Output 05

CPA Firm Introduction

Connection to accredited auditor aligned with your scope

Output 06

Kickoff Workshop

Executive and technical team alignment session

Phase 02

Gap Analysis

Weeks 4 – 6

With scope locked, we conduct a rigorous assessment of your existing controls against every applicable Trust Services Criterion. Our consultants review policies, interview system owners, inspect technical configurations, and test control evidence — the same way a CPA auditor will.

The result is a detailed gap register: every control deficiency mapped to the specific TSC requirement it violates, rated by risk severity, with a concrete remediation recommendation and effort estimate. This roadmap becomes your build plan for Phase 03.

Output 01

Control Gap Register

Full inventory of deficiencies with risk ratings

Output 02

Policy Assessment Report

Review of all existing security and operational policies

Output 03

Technical Controls Review

Infrastructure, access management, logging configuration

Output 04

Remediation Roadmap

Prioritized build plan with timelines and ownership

Output 05

Risk Assessment

Formal organizational risk assessment aligned to COSO

Output 06

Executive Readout

Board-ready summary of current compliance posture

Phase 03

Build & Remediate

Weeks 7 – 18

This is the longest and most intensive phase — and the one where most consultancies leave you to figure things out alone. We don’t. Our team embeds with yours: engineers, security leads, and operations staff work directly with Ariol consultants to implement every control in the remediation roadmap.

We write policies, configure technical controls, build evidence collection workflows, and establish the ongoing monitoring processes that will sustain compliance beyond the audit. Everything is documented to the standard a CPA auditor expects — because we’ve seen what they ask for.

Output 01

Full Policy Suite

20+ security and operational policies written to TSC standard

Output 02

Control Implementation

Technical control configuration across all in-scope systems

Output 03

Evidence Library

Organized repository of control evidence by TSC criterion

Output 04

Vendor Risk Program

Third-party assessment process and documentation

Output 05

Security Awareness Training

TSC-compliant employee training with completion records

Output 06

Incident Response Plan

Tested and documented IR procedure aligned to SOC 2

Phase 04

Attest & Certify

Weeks 19 – 26

Before engaging the CPA firm, we conduct an internal mock audit: the same procedures, the same sampling, the same inquiries the auditor will perform. This readiness assessment is the reason our clients have a 100% first-attempt pass rate — we find and fix problems before they become audit findings.

During the formal CPA audit, our consultants stay fully engaged: translating technical evidence into auditor language, managing information requests, attending walkthroughs alongside your team, and reviewing the draft report before it’s finalized.

Output 01

Mock Audit Report

Internal pre-audit with full findings and remediation

Output 02

Audit Liaison Service

Ariol consultant present for all CPA auditor interactions

Output 03

Evidence Package

Auditor-formatted evidence package for all TSC criteria

Output 04

Draft Report Review

Legal and technical review of CPA draft before issuance

Output 05

Final SOC 2 Report

Issued Type I or Type II attestation report from CPA firm

Output 06

Continuous Compliance Plan

Roadmap for maintaining and renewing attestation annually

Common questions

Process FAQs

How long does the full engagement take?

For a Type II audit (the market standard), our typical engagement runs 22–26 weeks from kickoff to final report. Type I engagements are faster — typically 14–18 weeks. Timeline depends heavily on your organization’s existing security maturity and the speed of internal remediation.

What team resources do we need to provide?

You’ll need a dedicated project owner (typically a VP Engineering, CISO, or Head of Security) and periodic availability from your engineering, DevOps, and HR teams during Phase 03. We design engagements to minimize the burden on your internal team — we do the heavy lifting.

Do you work with our existing CPA firm?

Yes. If you already have a relationship with a licensed CPA firm, we work with them. If not, we can introduce you to accredited CPA auditors from our network — firms we know produce high-quality reports efficiently.

What if we already have ISO 27001?

An ISO 27001 certification provides significant overlap with SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, particularly in the security category. If you hold ISO 27001, your Phase 03 remediation effort will be substantially reduced — and we will scope and price the engagement accordingly.

Is the engagement priced as fixed-fee?

Yes. We scope each engagement precisely in Phase 01 and commit to a fixed fee for the full delivery. No hourly overruns, no scope creep surprises. The CPA firm’s audit fees are separate and quoted directly by the auditor.

What happens after attestation?

SOC 2 Type II attestation typically covers a 12-month observation period and must be renewed annually. We offer a lightweight annual maintenance retainer to keep your controls current, manage evidence collection, and prepare you for renewal — typically at a fraction of the initial engagement cost.

Start today

Ready to begin Phase 01?

Book a scoping call and we’ll map your path to attestation in the first conversation.

Our Process

From zero to
attestation.

Four phases. One outcome.

Process FAQs

Ready to begin Phase 01?

Recent Posts

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Our Process

From zero toattestation.

Four phases. One outcome.

Process FAQs

Ready to begin Phase 01?

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

From zero to
attestation.