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Product Security Onboarding

1. What is “Product Security” in SaaS?

  • Protecting customer data from breaches, misuse, or accidental loss.
  • Covering both technology (encryption, access control, monitoring) and processes (policies, vendor checks, incident handling).
  • Demonstrated via recognized certifications & frameworks — these give customers proof we follow industry standards.


2. Key Certifications & Frameworks (What’s Out There)

(you get audited, get a formal certificate, can show customers)
  1. SOC 2 Type II – US SaaS trust standard, very common in procurement.
  2. ISO/IEC 27001 – International information security management certification.
  3. ISO/IEC 27701 – Privacy management (pairs with ISO 27001).
  4. FedRAMP Moderate – Required if selling to US federal agencies (government cloud).
  5. CMMC Level 2 – Required for Department of Defense-related contracts.
  6. PCI DSS SAQ – Payment card security compliance (usually handled by payment processor, but you still attest).
  7. CSA STAR Certification – Cloud security certification recognized globally.

Frameworks & Compliance Standards

(best practices, often referenced in RFPs; you align to them)
  1. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) – US government–favored baseline for managing cybersecurity risk.
  2. NIST SP 800-53 – More detailed control set for government contracts.
  3. State Privacy Laws Compliance – CCPA/CPRA (California)
  4. GDPR – EU privacy regulation (important if expanding internationally).
  5. CJIS Security Policy – If handling law-enforcement-related data for municipal utilities.


3. Which Are Necessary for us as a Utility SaaS


  1. SOC 2 Type II – Most common for US SaaS, directly boosts sales via RFP compliance. Covers ~70–80% of ISO 27001 and aligns with many privacy/security laws.
  2. CCPA/CPRA Compliance – Mandatory for California consumer data. Complements SOC 2 work and can be implemented in parallel.
  3. ISO/IEC 27001 – Expands credibility internationally; much of the work overlaps with SOC 2 (~70–80%).
  4. ISO/IEC 27701 – Adds strong privacy governance; builds on ISO 27001 (~20–30% extra work).
  5. PCI DSS SAQ (likely SAQ A) – If processing payments, even with Stripe/DOKU, you’ll still need the light self-assessment -
    • We won’t need full PCI DSS certification (because Stripe/DOKU are PCI DSS Level 1 compliant and handle cardholder data).
    • We will still need to complete a PCI DSS SAQ - but the lightest version, usually SAQ A, since we never touch or store cardholder data on your systems.


6. Others only if required specifically by our customers:

  • FedRAMP, CMMC → Only for US government clients. (not needed if you get this data from state or municipal -> super costly process than that of SOC2 and ISO)
  • GDPR, CCPA → Privacy laws; implement alongside SOC 2 work for efficiency. (State Privacy Laws Compliance)
  • CSA STAR → Optional cloud security badge.
  • NIST CSF/SP 800-53 → Mostly if targeting US gov or regulated sectors.


Overlap: Completing SOC 2 first covers ~70%90% of ISO 27001, 50% of NIST CSF, and key privacy/security requirements.


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4. Why we’re choosing SOC 2 Type II as a top priority

1. Direct Impact on Sales & RFP Wins

  • SOC 2 Type II is the most commonly requested security certification in U.S. SaaS procurement processes.
  • Many RFPs, especially from utilities, municipalities, and enterprise clients, have a hard requirement for SOC 2 before you can even bid.
  • Without it, we’re often blocked early in the sales funnel — losing deals before we can show the product.

2. Trust Signal for B2B and B2C Stakeholders

  • Enterprise customers see SOC 2 Type II as proof that we’re not just claiming security — it’s been verified by an independent auditor.
  • Consumers benefit indirectly, knowing their personal data is protected by rigorous controls.
  • Builds confidence for potential partners, resellers, and integrations.

3. Fits Our Current Market Focus

  • Our current customer base is mostly U.S.-based, where SOC 2 is the gold standard for SaaS security assurance.
  • It’s faster to achieve than ISO 27001 (typically 6–9 months vs. 12+ months) and gets us to market-ready compliance quicker.

4. Long-Term Strategic Benefit

  • Completing SOC 2 lays the foundation for other certifications with reduced cost and effort later (ISO 27001, ISO 27701, FedRAMP, etc.).
  • Annual renewal keeps our processes sharp, preventing security drift.

5. Coverage Across Multiple Compliance Needs

  • SOC 2 covers ~70–80% of the requirements in ISO 27001 (international standard) and ~50–60% of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, meaning we get multi-framework progress from one effort.
  • It also aligns with privacy laws like CCPA/CPRA by requiring strong controls for data protection, encryption, access management, and incident response.


5. SOC 2 Complete Overview

What's Exactly SOC 2 - https://bookstack.bynry.com/books/soc-ii/page/soc-2-overview

Certification Process - https://bookstack.bynry.com/books/soc-ii/page/certification-process-detailed-roadmap

Checklists - https://bookstack.bynry.com/books/soc-ii/chapter/checklists


6. Manual vs. Vendor Approach


Aspect

Factor

Manual

 Approach

Vendor Approach (Sprinto, Vanta)

Vanta, etc.)

TimeImplementation to readinessSpeed

6–99–12 months on average (especially first-time)

2–44–6 months (with automation + templates)

InternalTeam workloadEffort Required

HighHeavy lift from internal team: security lead, engineering, HR, legal, ops

ModerateVendor handles automation, reminders, control mapping; your team mainly provides evidence

ToolingDocumentation

BuildMust fromwrite scratchevery policy, process, and evidence request manually

Pre-built, auditor-approved templates; fill in and customize

Evidence Collection

Manual screenshots, log exports, and uploads — very time-consuming

Automated evidenceintegrations collectionpull logs from AWS, GCP, Okta, GitHub, Jira, etc.

CostAudit (first year)Coordination

LowerYou inframanage cost,timelines, highercommunicate peoplewith costauditor, ensure completeness

PlatformVendor +acts auditas feeproject manager, keeps you on track, talks directly to auditors

RenewalKnowledge easeGaps

HarderRisk (manualof evidencemissing collectioncontrols eachor year)misinterpreting requirements

Automated,Vendor easieralready yearlyknows upkeepwhat auditors expect — reduces risk of rework or failure

Cost

Lower out-of-pocket, but high hidden cost in

employee hours

Higher subscription cost, but faster completion = faster revenue impact

Renewal Prep

Repeat manual effort every year

Ongoing monitoring; renewal becomes a light lift

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