The article discusses SOC2 compliance for a Laboratory Information Management System or Electronic Lab Notebook vendor and highlights the importance of cybersecurity controls in the age of cloud computing.

SOC 2 compliance evaluates cybersecurity controls for business, in this case, a LIMS or ELN vendor, through an on-site audit. According to Thehackernews.com the top security risks in 2023 are:

  1. Web application weakness – web applications are at the core of what SaaS companies do and how they operate and need to be secured.
  2. Misconfiguration mistakes – according to Gartner, up to 99% of cloud environment failures will be attributed to human errors.
  3. Vulnerable software and patching – ensure that the operating system and library security patches are applied as they are released.
  4. Weak internal security policies and practices – a SaaS vendor must have strong security practices.

What’s more, with an increasing amount of data stored in the cloud and offsite, it has never been more critical to ensure that the proper cybersecurity controls are in place.

Compliance with SOC 2 determines whether adequate internal controls are implemented to safeguard customer data. These controls should be sufficient and designed correctly, and the end game is to ensure they fulfill the required Trust Services Criteria.

SOC 2 Type 1 certificates refer to an evaluation of cybersecurity controls and processes audited at a single point in time. Sapio Sciences, a leading LIMS and ELN software vendor, is happy to report that in December 2022, RKL Advisors audited and renewed their SOC 2 Type 1 certification.