What’s on this page
Auditors or assessors complete their review of frameworks such as Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2), International Organization for Standardization 27001 (ISO 27001), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and others, and the organization receives the formal security report several weeks later. Teams often view this as the endpoint, but it actually transfers full ownership to the organization for response and improvement.
The post-audit sequence varies
- SOC 2 Type 2 security reports outline exceptions across the examination period, which often require resolution before customer sharing.
- ISO 27001 assessments require corrective action plans for nonconformities, typically within 30–90 days.
- PCI DSS Reports on Compliance emphasize continuous control operation.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) outcomes often result in Plans of Action and Milestones to address gaps.
- Vulnerability reports or penetration test reports list severity-ranked issues, leaving verification and fixes internal.
Practical recommendations
- Convene a debrief within seven days of security report receipt, gathering compliance, technical, and process owners.
- Build one tracker that captures each finding's owner, deadline, and evidence requirements.
- Spot cross-report overlaps early (e.g., access issues in SOC 2 and PCI DSS security reports) to streamline work.
- Deliver monthly leadership updates on progress to sustain support.
Methodical handling accelerates resolution and cuts recurring findings in later security audits or assessments.