SOC 2 prompt library

Trust Services Criteria analysis prompts

Understanding Trust Services Criteria

Use these prompts to analyze which Trust Services Criteria apply to your service and understand specific requirements for Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.

Scoping your SOC 2 engagement

Determine applicable criteria

I'm preparing for a SOC 2 audit for [describe your service/system]. Help me determine which Trust Services Criteria (Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, Privacy) are applicable based on:
- Service type: [e.g., cloud-based HR platform]
- Data handled: [e.g., employee PII, payroll data]
- Customer expectations: [e.g., 99.9% uptime guarantee]
- Regulatory requirements: [e.g., GDPR, HIPAA]

Provide a recommendation with justification for each criterion.

Scope boundaries definition

Help me define the scope boundaries for my SOC 2 Type [I/II] audit of [service name]. Include:
- In-scope systems and applications: [list key systems]
- Out-of-scope components: [list exclusions]
- Third-party services: [list vendors]
- Physical locations: [list data centers/offices]
- Time period: [for Type II]

Generate a scope statement suitable for inclusion in my system description.

Upload your existing system architecture diagram or network map to help ISMS Copilot provide more accurate scoping recommendations.

Common Criteria (Security - Required)

Security criterion overview

Explain the Security Common Criteria (CC1.0 through CC9.0) requirements for SOC 2. For each criterion, provide:
- The control objective
- Key requirements and points of focus
- Typical controls organizations implement
- Common audit evidence

Specific criterion deep-dive

Provide detailed guidance on SOC 2 criterion [CC6.1] including:
- Full requirement text and points of focus
- How this applies to [describe your environment]
- Example controls that satisfy this criterion
- Evidence auditors typically request
- Common gaps organizations face

Availability criteria

Availability applicability assessment

I offer [service description] with [uptime SLA/commitment]. Should I include the Availability criteria in my SOC 2 scope? Consider:
- Our uptime commitment: [percentage or description]
- System architecture: [e.g., multi-region cloud, single data center]
- Customer contracts: [uptime guarantees]
- Incident history: [recent availability issues]

Provide a recommendation and list the specific Availability criteria I'd need to address.

Availability controls mapping

List all SOC 2 Availability criteria (A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) and for each one, suggest specific controls for [your service type]. Include:
- Monitoring and alerting controls
- Capacity planning processes
- Incident response procedures
- Backup and recovery mechanisms

Processing Integrity criteria

Processing Integrity applicability

Help me determine if Processing Integrity criteria apply to my SOC 2 scope. My service:
- Type: [e.g., payment processing, data transformation, reporting]
- Processing activities: [describe key data processing]
- Accuracy requirements: [customer expectations or regulatory requirements]
- Quality controls: [existing validation processes]

Should I include Processing Integrity? What specific criteria would apply?

Processing controls identification

For SOC 2 Processing Integrity criterion [PI1.1], help me identify controls for [your processing activity]. Address:
- Input validation and data quality checks
- Processing logic verification
- Output accuracy monitoring
- Error detection and correction
- Reconciliation processes

Confidentiality criteria

Confidentiality scoping

I handle [types of confidential information] in my service. Analyze whether Confidentiality criteria should be in scope considering:
- Data types: [customer proprietary data, trade secrets, etc.]
- Contractual obligations: [NDAs, customer agreements]
- Access controls: [who can access what]
- Encryption practices: [at rest and in transit]

Provide a recommendation and list applicable Confidentiality criteria.

Confidentiality controls design

Design controls to meet SOC 2 Confidentiality criteria for [your service]. Cover:
- Data classification scheme
- Access control policies
- Encryption requirements (at rest, in transit, in use)
- Secure disposal procedures
- Third-party confidentiality agreements

Privacy criteria

Privacy applicability assessment

Determine if Privacy criteria apply to my SOC 2 scope. We process:
- Personal information types: [list PII collected]
- Data subjects: [customers, employees, end users]
- Privacy regulations: [GDPR, CCPA, etc.]
- Privacy commitments: [privacy policy, consent mechanisms]
- Geographic scope: [regions where data subjects are located]

Should Privacy be included? Which specific Privacy criteria are most relevant?

GAPP principles mapping

Map the Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP) to our privacy practices for [your service]:
- Notice: [how we inform data subjects]
- Choice and consent: [opt-in/opt-out mechanisms]
- Collection: [what we collect and why]
- Use and retention: [how we use data and retention periods]
- Access: [data subject access rights]
- Disclosure to third parties: [who we share with]
- Security: [privacy-specific security controls]
- Quality: [data accuracy measures]
- Monitoring and enforcement: [compliance oversight]

Generate a Privacy criteria mapping table.

If you operate in multiple jurisdictions, ensure your Privacy criteria analysis accounts for region-specific requirements like GDPR, CCPA, or other privacy laws.

Cross-criteria analysis

Criteria overlap identification

I'm including [list selected criteria] in my SOC 2 scope. Identify where these criteria overlap and how I can design controls that satisfy multiple criteria simultaneously. Provide:
- Common control objectives across criteria
- Shared evidence opportunities
- Integrated control recommendations
- Efficiency tips for audit preparation

Gap analysis by criterion

Conduct a gap analysis for [specific Trust Services Criterion] against our current state:

Current controls in place:
[Describe your existing controls]

Current documentation:
[List policies, procedures you have]

Known weaknesses:
[List any known gaps]

Provide a detailed gap assessment with prioritized remediation recommendations.

Use these criteria analysis prompts early in your SOC 2 journey to establish the right scope and avoid costly scope changes mid-audit.

Was this helpful?