ISO 27001 vs SOC 2: which should you choose?
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are the two information-security frameworks customers and partners ask for most. They are not competitors — they solve different problems.
What ISO 27001 is
ISO 27001 is an international standard for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It certifies that an organization runs a continuous process of risk assessment and control implementation. The certificate is issued by an accredited body and is valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits.
What SOC 2 is
SOC 2 is an audit report based on the Trust Services Criteria (security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy). It comes in two flavors:
- Type I — evaluates control design at a point in time.
- Type II — evaluates operating effectiveness over a period (typically 3 to 12 months).
When to choose each
| Criterion | ISO 27001 | SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Market | International / Europe | Mostly US |
| Output | Certificate | Attestation report |
| Focus | Management system | Operational controls |
Many organizations end up needing both. The good news: the controls overlap heavily.
Mapping controls across frameworks
This is where most teams lose time — maintaining parallel spreadsheets. Norma maps a single set of controls against multiple frameworks at once, so one piece of evidence satisfies both ISO 27001 and SOC 2 requirements simultaneously.
Want to see how? Talk to our team.