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IBM Cloud® compliance: SOC 2

IBM Cloud® compliance: SOC 2

Illustration showing a person interacting with a computer interface, around which are a security shield and a globe on a pedestal

What is SOC 2?

Service Organization Control (SOC) reports are independent, third-party reports issued by assessors certified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) addressing the risk associated with an outsourced service. The AICPA has established Trust Services Criteria (TSC) for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy, against which service organizations may be assessed.

A SOC 2 report evaluates the internal controls that an organization has put in place to protect customer-owned data and provides details about the nature of those internal controls.

Contact an IBM representative to request SOC 2 reports.

 

IBM position

IBM position

A SOC 2 report may be provided for IBM services that have implemented controls in accordance with their selected Trust Service Principles. The SOC 2 report demonstrates that IBM designed controls for the selected Trust Service Principles appropriately and that the controls operated effectively for the report period.

The services listed below have a SOC 2 Type 2 report available, representing a period of time during which controls were assessed. As such reports represent an assessment period in the past, a bridge letter may accompany a SOC 2 Type 2 report, in which IBM attests to service control continued performance since the last reporting period ended. 

IBM Service Descriptions (SDs) indicate if a given offering maintains SOC 2 Type 2 compliance status. Services below issue SOC 2 Type 2 reports at least once each year.

See the IBM Cloud infrastructure system description 

Services

Accelerate your compliance using IBM Cloud services

The most recent version of the PCI DSS (v4.0) was released in March 2022. Organizations must implement these 12 requirements by 31 March 2025 to achieve compliance.

IBM Cloud offers following suite of services that will help you meet specific PCI DSS requirements and accelerate your compliance journey.

 

1. Risk Assesment

IBM Security and Compliance Center

Security

IBM Security and Compliance Center is an integrated solutions suite to define policy as code, implement controls for secure data and workload deployments, and assess security and compliance posture, across hybrid multicloud environments.

See the service

IBM Security and Compliance Center - Workload Protection

Security

In architectures that are focused on container and microservices, you can use IBM Cloud® Security and Compliance Center Workload Protection to find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage configurations, permissions, and compliance from source to run.

See the service

IBM Cloud Security Solutions - Threat Management - IBM Security QRadar Suite

Security

IBM Security® QRadar® Suite is a modernized threat detection and response solution designed to unify the security analyst experience and accelerate their speed across the full incident lifecycle. The portfolio is embedded with enterprise-grade AI and automation to dramatically increase analyst productivity, helping resource-strained security teams work more effectively across core technologies.

With a common user interface, shared insights and connected workflows, it offers integrated products for: Endpoint security (EDR, XDR, MDR),  Log management , SIEM,  SOAR

See the service

IBM Security Guardium

Security

IBM Security® Guardium® is a family of data security software in the IBM Security portfolio that uncovers vulnerabilities and protects sensitive on-premises and cloud data.

See the service

IBM Cloud Database services

Databases

IBM Cloud® Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) services free developers and IT from complex and time-consuming tasks including deployment of infrastructure and database software, infrastructure operations, database software updates, and backup. IBM Cloud® Database SMEs deliver and maintain ready-to-use, highly available, database instances freeing developer and IT staff time to focus on other priorities.

See the service

IBM Cloud Monitoring

Logging & monitoring

 Cloud monitoring and troubleshooting for infrastructure, cloud services and applications 

See the service

2. Control Activities

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Security

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) service securely authenticates users and controls access to all resources consistently in the IBM Cloud Platform.

See the service

IBM Cloud Database services

Security

IBM Cloud® Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) services free developers and IT from complex and time-consuming tasks including deployment of infrastructure and database software, infrastructure operations, database software updates, and backup. IBM Cloud® Database SMEs deliver and maintain ready-to-use, highly available, database instances freeing developer and IT staff time to focus on other priorities.

See the service

Continuous Delivery

Developer Tools

Embrace enterprise-ready DevOps. Create secure toolchains that support your app delivery tasks. Automate builds, tests, deployments and more. 

See the service

IBM Cloud Logs

Logging & monitoring

Gain logs observability with IBM Cloud Logs to help improve infrastructure and app performance 

See the service

3. Logical and Physical Access Controls

IBM Cloud Internet Services (CIS)

Network

IBM Cloud Internet Services brings market-leading security and performance to your external web content and internet applications before they reach the cloud.

See the service

IBM Cloud Direct Link

Network

The IBM Cloud Direct Link solution is designed to seamlessly connect your on-premises resources to your cloud resources. The speed and reliability of IBM Cloud Direct Link helps enable you to extend your organization’s data center network and provides consistent, higher-throughput connectivity—without touching the public internet. 

See the service

IBM Cloud Gateway Appliances

Network

Gateway appliances are devices that give you enhanced control over network traffic, let you accelerate your network’s performance, and give your network a security boost. Manage your physical and virtual networks for routing multiple VLANs, for firewalls, VPN, traffic shaping and more.

See the service

 IBM Cloud Transit Gateway 

Network

IBM Cloud Transit Gateway helps you connect and manage your IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks. 

See the service

FortiGate Security Appliance

Network

The FortiGate Security Appliance (FSA) 10 Gbps is a hardware firewall that can be configured to protect traffic on multiple VLANs for both public and private networks.

See the service

Hardware Firewall

Network

The Hardware Firewall provides customers with an essential layer of security that is provisioned on demand without service interruptions. It prevents unwanted traffic from hitting your servers, reducing your attack surface, and allowing your server resources to be dedicated for their intended use.

See the service

IBM Key Protect for IBM Cloud

Security

The IBM® Key Protect for IBM Cloud® service helps you provision and store encrypted keys for apps across IBM Cloud services, so you can see and manage data encryption and the entire key lifecycle from one central location.

See the service

IBM Cloud App ID

Security

IBM Cloud App ID allows you to easily add authentication to web and mobile apps. You no longer have to worry about setting up infrastructure for identity, ensuring geo-availability, and confirming compliance regulations. Instead, you can enhance your apps with advanced security capabilities like multifactor authentication and single sign-on. 

See the service

Secrets Manager

Security

With IBM Cloud® Secrets Manager, you can create secrets dynamically and lease them to applications while you control access from a single location. Built on open source HashiCorp Vault, Secrets Manager helps you get the data isolation of a dedicated environment with the benefits of a public cloud.

See the service

IBM Security and Compliance Center - Data Security Broker - Manager

Security

Protect your data in the cloud with the IBM Cloud Data Security Broker, which is a complete data encryption solution that secures sensitive data in enterprise databases by integrating with key management and databases to provide application-level encryption.

See the service

IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Virtual Servers

Containers

Hyper Protect Virtual Servers for Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a fully managed confidential compute container runtime that enables the deployment of sensitive containerized workloads in a highly isolated environment with technical assurance.

See the service

IBM Cloud Hardware Security Module

Security

IBM Cloud Hardware Security Module (HSM) 7.0 from Gemalto protects cryptographic infrastructure by more securely managing, processing and storing cryptographic keys inside a tamper-resistant hardware device. It helps you solve complex security, compliance, data sovereignty and control challenges migrating and running workloads on the cloud.

See the service

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Security

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) service securely authenticates users and controls access to all resources consistently in the IBM Cloud Platform.

See the service

IBM Cloud Storage Services

Storage

Our cloud storage services offer a scalable, security-rich and cost-effective home for your data while supporting traditional and cloud-native workloads. Provision and deploy services such as access object, block and file storage. Adjust capacity and optimize performance as requirements change. Pay only for the cloud storage you need.

See the service

IBM Cloud Database services

Databases

IBM Cloud® Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) services free developers and IT from complex and time-consuming tasks including deployment of infrastructure and database software, infrastructure operations, database software updates, and backup. IBM Cloud® Database SMEs deliver and maintain ready-to-use, highly available, database instances freeing developer and IT staff time to focus on other priorities.

See the service

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Security

IBM Security MaaS360 is a comprehensive UEM product that helps you manage your organization's mobile devices. It offers: 

  • Management of iOS, Android and iPadOS
  • Mobile security
  • Identity as a service (IDaaS)
  • Multifactor authentication (MFA)
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time analytics of data quality
  • Remote control, app management and integration with 3rd party apps are available
See the service

IPSec VPN

Network

VPN facilitates connectivity from your secure network to IBM IaaS platform’s private network. A VPN connection from your location to the private network allows for out-of-band management and server rescue through an encrypted VPN tunnel. Communicating using the private network is inherently more secure and gives users the flexibility to limit public access while still being able to access their servers. Any user on your account can be given VPN access, which is available as both SSL and PPTP. In addition IBM Bluemix also allows to establish a connection using IPSec.

See the service

SSL VPN

Network

VPN access enables you to manage all servers and services that are associated with your account, remotely, over the IBM Cloud private network. A VPN connection from your location to the private network allows out-of-band management and server rescue through an encrypted VPN tunnel.

Communicating by using the private network is inherently more secure. It gives you the flexibility to limit public access while still being able to manage your servers. Any user on your account can be given VPN access, which is available as SSL. VPN interactions through the IBM Cloud console allow for VPN access customization at the user level.

See the service

4. System Operations

IBM Cloud Direct Link

Network

The speed and reliability of IBM Cloud Direct Link helps enable you to extend your organization’s data center network —without touching the public internet.

See the service

 IBM Cloud Transit Gateway

Network

IBM Cloud Transit Gateway helps you connect and manage your IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks.

See the service

IBM Key Protect for IBM Cloud

Security

The IBM® Key Protect for IBM Cloud® service helps you provision and store encrypted keys for apps across IBM Cloud services, so you can see and manage data encryption and the entire key lifecycle from one central location.

See the service

5. Protect all systems and networks from malicious software

IBM Cloud Internet Services (CIS)

Network

IBM Cloud Internet Services brings market-leading security and performance to your external web content and internet applications before they reach the cloud.

See the service

IBM Cloud Direct Link

Network

The speed and reliability of IBM Cloud Direct Link helps enable you to extend your organization’s data center network —without touching the public internet.

See the service

FortiGate Security Appliance

Network

Deploy a pair of FortiGate Virtual Appliances to your environment, which can help you reduce risk by implementing critical security controls within your virtual infrastructure. 

See the service

IBM QRadar Suite

Security

IBM Security® QRadar® Suite is a modernized threat detection and response solution designed to unify the security analyst experience and accelerate their speed across the full incident lifecycle.

See the service

IBM Security Guardium

Security

Data security software in the IBM Security portfolio that uncovers vulnerabilities and protects sensitive on-premises and cloud data.

See the service

6. Develop and maintain secure systems and software

IBM Cloud Internet Services (CIS)

Network

IBM Cloud Internet Services brings market-leading security and performance to your external web content and internet applications before they reach the cloud.

See the service

IBM Security and Compliance Center - Workload Protection

Security

Find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage configurations, permissions, and compliance from source to run.

See the service

IBM Security Guardium

Security

Data security software in the IBM Security portfolio that uncovers vulnerabilities and protects sensitive on-premises and cloud data.

See the service

IBM Cloud Container Registry

Containers

Store and distribute container images in a fully managed private registry. Push private images to conveniently run them in the IBM Cloud® Kubernetes Service and other runtime environments.

See the service

IBM Cloud Continuous Delivery

Developer Tools

Embrace enterprise-ready DevOps. Create secure toolchains that support your app delivery tasks. Automate builds, tests, deployments and more. 

See the service

IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service

Containers

 Deploy secure, highly available clusters in a native Kubernetes experience.

See the service

7. Restrict access to systems components and cardholder data by business need to know

IBM Cloud App ID

Security

Easily add authentication to web and mobile apps. Enhance your apps with advanced security capabilities like multifactor authentication and single sign-on. 

See the service

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Security

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management service securely authenticates users and controls access to all resources consistently in the IBM Cloud Platform.

See the service

8. Identify users and authenticate access to system components

IBM Cloud App ID

Security

Easily add authentication to web and mobile apps. Enhance your apps with advanced security capabilities like multifactor authentication and single sign-on. 

See the service

IBM Cloud Secrets Manager

Security

Create secrets dynamically and lease them to applications while you control access from a single location. Built on open source HashiCorp Vault.

See the service

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Security

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management service securely authenticates users and controls access to all resources consistently in the IBM Cloud Platform.

See the service

9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data

IBM Cloud adopts several measures for increased physical security:

Security
  • Physical security of the data center perimeter
  • Entry and exit access controls and logging
  • Secure offices, rooms, and facilities
  • Protection against external and environmental threats
  • Redundancy of power and network equipment
  • Secure disposal of equipment during de-provisioning
  • Corporate HR business policy and security for onboarding, training, and offboarding
See the service

10. Log and monitor all access to system components and cardholder data

IBM Cloud Flow Logs for VPC

Network

Enable the collection, storage, and presentation of information about the Internet Protocol (IP) traffic going to and from network interfaces within your Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).

See the service

IBM QRadar Suite

Security

IBM Security® QRadar® Suite is a modernized threat detection and response solution designed to unify the security analyst experience and accelerate their speed across the full incident lifecycle.

See the service

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Security

IBM Cloud Identity and Access Management service securely authenticates users and controls access to all resources consistently in the IBM Cloud Platform.

See the service

IBM Security Guardium

Security

Data security software in the IBM Security portfolio that uncovers vulnerabilities and protects sensitive on-premises and cloud data.

See the service

IBM Cloud Logs

Logging & monitoring

 Gain logs observability with IBM Cloud Logs to help improve infrastructure and app performance.

See the service

IBM Cloud Monitoring

Logging & monitoring

 Cloud monitoring and troubleshooting for infrastructure, cloud services and applications.

See the service

11. Test security of systems and networks regularly

IBM Security and Compliance Center - Workload Protection

Security

Find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage configurations, permissions, and compliance from source to run.

See the service

IBM QRadar Suite

Security

IBM Security® QRadar® Suite is a modernized threat detection and response solution designed to unify the security analyst experience and accelerate their speed across the full incident lifecycle.

See the service

IBM Security Guardium

Security

Data security software in the IBM Security portfolio that uncovers vulnerabilities and protects sensitive on-premises and cloud data.

See the service

12. Support information security with organizational policies and programs

IBM Security and Compliance Center - Workload Protection

Security

Find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage configurations, permissions, and compliance from source to run.

See the service

IBM Cloud Logs

Logging & monitoring

 Gain logs observability with IBM Cloud Logs to help improve infrastructure and app performance.

See the service

IBM Cloud Monitoring

Logging & monitoring

 Cloud monitoring and troubleshooting for infrastructure, cloud services and applications.

See the service
Take the next step

Questions about a compliance program? Need a protected compliance report? We can help.

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