What is SOC 2 compliance and how does UEM support it?

Thomas C. Redman aka “the Data Doc”, said in one his books on data management,  

‘Where there’s data smoke, there’s business fire’

This means, when your data shows early signs of trouble, it’s often a signal of deeper issues beneath the surface.

Data is now central to every aspect of business—from customer information and employee records to financials and intellectual property. It moves constantly across systems, applications, and endpoints, increasing the need for control, visibility, and assurance.

This is where SOC 2 compliance becomes essential.

But as device fleets expand and workforces become more distributed, consistently enforcing these controls at the endpoint level is no small task. That’s where Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) enables IT teams to implement, monitor, and enforce SOC 2-aligned policies across every managed device.

Let’s deep dive and explore what SOC 2 compliance involves, why it matters, and how UEM can serve as a practical enabler in maintaining it.

What is SOC 2 Compliance?

SOC 2 compliance is a security and privacy framework designed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It helps service organizations demonstrate that they manage customer data with accountability, transparency, and trust.

Unlike SOC 1, which evaluates internal controls over financial reporting, SOC 2 focuses on non-financial controls across five Trust Services Criteria (TSC):

• Security – Preventing unauthorized access to systems and data
• Availability – Ensuring uptime and operational resilience
• Processing Integrity – Guaranteeing accurate and authorized data processing
• Confidentiality – Safeguarding sensitive information from exposure
• Privacy – Protecting personal data according to stated policies

SOC 2 isn’t a certification—it’s an audit-based attestation conducted by a licensed CPA firm.

• A Type I report evaluates whether appropriate controls are designed and implemented at a specific point in time.
  
• A Type II report assesses how effectively those controls operate over a defined observation period (typically 3 to 12 months).

And with hybrid workforces, remote access, and device sprawl, achieving SOC 2 compliance now depends heavily on how well you manage endpoints and secure mobile devices. That’s where a unified endpoint management solution plays a critical role—and that’s exactly what we’ll explore in the sections ahead.

Why SOC 2 compliance matters for modern organizations

SOC 2 compliance isn’t just about passing an audit—it’s about proving that your organization takes data protection seriously. Whether you’re handling sensitive customer information, managing critical systems, or supporting remote operations, aligning with SOC 2 builds operational credibility and long-term trust.

Here’s why it matters:

1. Establishes trust with customers, partners, and regulators

A SOC 2 report is an independent validation that your organization follows established best practices for data security and privacy. It assures stakeholders that controls are not only defined, but consistently applied and monitored.

2. Enables business growth and contract eligibility

Many enterprises and government agencies require SOC 2 compliance before engaging with vendors. A valid report can eliminate procurement friction, fast-track partnerships, and expand your market reach, especially in regulated industries.

3. Minimizes data security risk

By aligning with SOC 2’s Trust Services Criteria, your organization strengthens access controls, incident response, data classification, and user authentication—key pillars for mitigating internal and external threats.

4. Reduces the burden of vendor security assessments

With a SOC 2 report in hand, your organization can simplify third-party risk reviews and demonstrate readiness during vendor due diligence—without lengthy technical documentation cycles.

5. Lays the foundation for future compliance and certifications

SOC 2 compliance complements other frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, and HIPAA. It also supports modern security models such as Zero Trust, which require granular control and monitoring of all endpoints and access points.

6. Supports continuous compliance in a dynamic IT environment

Achieving compliance isn’t a one-time effort. As teams grow, endpoints multiply, and cloud systems evolve, IT compliance management requires real-time visibility and enforcement. Tools like UEM solutions ensure policy consistency, data security, and audit readiness across devices.

Benefits of SOC 2 compliance

SOC 2 compliance benefits both service providers and their customers by improving security transparency, reducing risk, and simplifying oversight.

For customers (organizations engaging service providers):

• Independent validation of provider’s security posture: A SOC 2 report offers third-party assurance that your service provider maintains effective controls across data security, availability, confidentiality, and more.
  
• Improved visibility into provider controls and processes: The audit report details the specific technical and organizational measures the provider has implemented, supporting informed decision-making and reducing uncertainty.
  
• Defined shared responsibility: SOC 2 helps outline which controls are managed by the provider and which must be maintained by your own organization, ensuring there’s no ambiguity in risk ownership.
  
• Identification of potential risk gaps: If the report highlights any control deficiencies or exceptions, your organization gains early insights into weaknesses that could impact your operations.

For service providers (the audited entity):

• Single audit, multiple benefits: One SOC 2 report can be shared with multiple customers, drastically reducing the time spent on repetitive security questionnaires and individual audits.
  
• Enhanced internal governance and process maturity: The SOC 2 process helps identify internal gaps, strengthen risk management, and improve control design, leading to more mature operational practices.
  
• Alignment with other frameworks: The structure of SOC 2 allows for easier integration with broader IT governance models like COBIT, ISO 27001, and NIST. Many controls can be cross-mapped, accelerating multi-framework readiness.
  
• Builds long-term customer trust: A clean SOC 2 report demonstrates accountability, increases customer confidence, and differentiates the provider in competitive markets.
  
• Promotes continuous security posture improvement: The process encourages regular risk assessments, internal audits, and security awareness across teams, supporting a culture of compliance and readiness.

How does Scalefusion UEM help with SOC 2 compliance 

Out of the Five Trust Services Criteria, the Security Trust Principle is non-negotiable. Your organization will need to demonstrate that the controls satisfy your infrastructure’s security needs. A modern UEM solution like Scalefusion helps you satisfy a multitude of security, availability, privacy, and confidentiality principles. How? Let’s see. 

Security 

a. Data encryption: If bad actors have physical access to a device, a password alone won’t be sufficient to protect data. You can initiate BitLocker and FileVault for Windows and Mac devices, respectively.

b. Password management: Companies can prevent unauthorized access to unattended devices. Scalefusion UEM allows you to make passwords mandatory and define length, complexity, and maintain a record history.

c. BYOD management: You can create a separate managed work container for the end-user to access the work resources and applications. It separates work data and apps, which ensures data protection. You can also enforce password policies, conditional email access, implement zero-trust access via keycard, mandate multifactor authentication, and execute single sign-on. 

d. Incident response and remediation: In case a device is compromised, you can use the Scalefusion UEM to lock the device remotely. The device cannot be used until the correct password is inserted. If the device is lost and unretrievable, you can remotely wipe all company data from the device.

e. Network data security: Configure VPN and WiFi settings for each device to ensure secure access to corporate information. Enable Scalefusion Veltar’s VPN tunneling for added network security. 

Availability

Scalefusion  UEM offers the following features to keep devices operational, maintain their device health, and align with the SOC 2 requirement for reliable service delivery:

a. OS and patch management: Enforce timely and consistent OS updates across Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS devices. Automatically scan for missing patches and schedule patch deployment—especially for critical and high-severity vulnerabilities—on Windows and macOS endpoints. This minimizes the risk of performance disruptions, reduces downtime, and ensures systems remain available and stable for end users. 

b. Device Vital Monitoring:  Track device health metrics like battery, storage, and CPU usage to detect issues early and reduce endpoint downtime, supporting consistent system availability.

Privacy 

In a BYOD set it is important to maintain user privacy while ensuring device and data security. With Scalefusion you can separate the personal and work profiles on Android, iOS ,and Windows devices. 

a. For Android: Create a work container on an Android device through containerization – separating work data from personal data. S

b. For iOS: Enable sandboxing on iOS devices – This isolates corporate apps and data from personal content, reducing the risk of data leakage and supporting SOC 2 compliance.

c. For Windows devices: Create a managed user account on the user’s personal device to enforce security policies without affecting personal data or settings.

These methods ensure that you have access to only work profiles while keeping the end-users’ data private. 

Confidentiality

Maintaining data confidentiality means restricting access to individuals based on role, authority, and need. With Scalefusion, you can 

a. Device or user group: Create device or user groups to share sensitive data with the correct audience.

b. Role-based access control: You can enforce role-based access for outlining who gets access to what level for resources. 

c. JIT Admin Access: Scalefusion OneIdP helps you enforce Just-In-Time Admin access on macOS and Windows devices, allowing you to provide temporary admin privileges to standard users along with time restrictions. 

Scalefusion: Your compliance-ready UEM solution

SOC 2 compliance isn’t just about technical checkboxes—it’s about building a resilient, secure, and trusted IT environment. But as device ecosystems grow more complex, achieving and maintaining SOC 2 standards requires more than ad-hoc controls.

Scalefusion brings structure and precision to endpoint governance. It supports the key pillars of SOC 2—security, availability, privacy, and confidentiality—through centralized policy enforcement, risk mitigation, and real-time visibility across all managed devices.

Whether it’s encrypting sensitive data, enabling secure BYOD practices, enforcing least-privilege access, or proactively monitoring device health, Scalefusion empowers IT teams to confidently align endpoint strategy with audit-ready compliance.

As regulatory demands tighten and cyber risks escalate, having a UEM platform like Scalefusion isn’t just helpful—it’s fundamental to operational trust and long-term growth.