Why You Should Always Look For Cloud Service Providers With SSAE 16/SOC Type II Certifications

May 1, 2015

There are a few certifications that hosting companies can hold today. They go by several names including Statement on Auditing Standards version 70 (SAS 70), Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements 16 (SSAE 16), and Service Organization Controls Report (SOC). All of these certifications involve auditing the systems used for hosting. They confirm the service meets or exceeds a number of security and data standards. There are several reasons to always look for hosting companies that have SAS 70/SSAE 16/SOC certifications.

Many Information Technology professionals consider cloud service providers to have major incentives to be competent when it comes to implementing security standards. With the resources to maintain high security levels, the cloud has made positive contributions to data security. Secure enterprise hosting is a top priority for service providers.

Systems Are Secure

A reason to choose a Volico hosting service plan that has these certifications is to ensure the servers and data center are secure. The certifications look at many areas of the data center in order to determine whether all precautions are being taken in order to protect information and the network. You can be certain that the service provider is as secure as possible when these certifications are held and maintained.

Services Are Using Best Practices

Another part of the auditing and certification process involves looking at how hosting services are performing within the data center. This means determining whether the service is following best practices. Best practices are the highest commonly approved standards for everything from handling data to implementing physical security measures. Your business will benefit in a number of ways by choosing a service that has been certified as using industry best practices.

The Service Meets Advertised Availability Numbers

Part of achieving SAS 70/SSAE 16/SOC certifications involves proving the actual availability of the servers. Availability means what percentage of time the servers are accessible during a period. It is really a measurement of the downtime the servers experience. The certifications confirm that the service meets or exceeds the amount of availability advertised or promised to clients. The certification takes all doubt about uptime claims when choosing a service provider.

Confirm Data Center Integrity

A final part of the certification process looks at data center integrity. This involves making certain that all systems are running correctly, processes are completing normally and everything is authorized and accurate. Integrity ensures that you can always rely on the internal systems of hosting services that have earned this certification.

Vendor Stability

When hosting data and applications with a third-party, the financial stability of the vendor is a major consideration. The provider should have a stable history and commitment to providing cloud services in the chosen region. It should have sufficient scale, assets, and capital to remain a viable long-term service provider. Enterprises should have contingency plans for maintaining operations should a provider suddenly withdraws service.

The data used by compliance and privacy applications are often subject to business and government regulations. Cloud providers should be able to validate that they can address compliance requirements. Handling payment data requires compliance with PCI DSS (Data Security Standard). Other data protection laws require confirmation that data will only be stored in an eligible legal jurisdiction.

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