What Is a SOC 2 Certification and Why Does It Matter?

We live in a world where bad actors find opportunities for exploitation in all forms of technology. Systems that leverage large language models (LLMs) are no exception. When choosing an LLM platform to work with your proprietary data, it's essential to ensure that it is SOC 2 Type 2-certified - the most comprehensive certification within the Systems and Organization Controls protocol. Carrying this certification demonstrates that deepset, the provider of a leading LLM platform for enterprise teams, is dedicated to providing a secure environment for its users.

What is SOC 2 Type 2 certification?

Confusingly, the acronym SOC can stand for both "Systems and Organization Controls" and "Service Organization Control." However, the meaning of SOC 2 isn't ambiguous at all: SOC 2 Type 2 certification is a critical benchmark for evaluating a service provider's security practices. It is part of the SOC framework of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). SOC 2 specifically focuses on a service organization's controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

The "Type 2" designation signifies that the service provider has undergone a comprehensive audit over a period of time to assess the effectiveness of their security controls. This audit evaluates whether the security controls are in place and consistently maintained and followed.

Why certification matters

If this is your first exposure to SOC certification, it’s natural to ask “what’s in it for me.”

• Assurance of Security: Certification provides assurance that a product, solution, or platform has robust security measures in place. Users' data, projects, and AI models are all protected from potential threats.
• Commitment to Data Protection: SOC 2 Type 2 certification demonstrates a company’s unwavering commitment to protecting data and ensuring its confidentiality and integrity.
• Reliability: Users can rely on a product’s availability and processing integrity, knowing that it has been thoroughly audited for these aspects.
• Peace of Mind: Partners and customers know their data and AI projects are hosted in a secure environment.
• Regulatory Compliance: Achieving these security standards simplifies regulatory compliance for users who handle sensitive data.

In short, organizations that choose to deploy in deepset Cloud can expect a secure and compliant environment, and can pass that assurance on to their customers. Choosing a SOC-certified partner shows your customers that you value security. 

What happens if you don’t choose a SOC 2 partner?

Choosing to integrate a product, solution, or platform without SOC certification tells customers that the company is willing to take a risk with their data and sensitive information. Without the assurance provided by SOC certification, there's an increased vulnerability to data breaches, unauthorized access, and security lapses. Any security breach can potentially lead to:

• Identity theft
• Data loss
• Financial losses
• Reputational damage

Organizations that rely on non-certified services may face compliance challenges and increased regulatory scrutiny because they can’t demonstrate the same level of security and control over their users' data. Ultimately, choosing SOC-certified solutions demonstrates to customers that the organization is taking proactive steps to protect both individual and organizational security and values maintaining trust.

Our ongoing commitment to security

It's important to note that SOC 2 Type 2 certification is not a one-time achievement. deepset Cloud continually monitors, assesses, and improves its security measures to adapt to evolving threats and industry best practices to maintain its certification. 

Our commitment to security doesn't stop there. We invite you to check out our free on-demand webinar, "Securing LLMs: How to Detect Prompt Injections” and walk away from this webinar knowing:

• The concerns surrounding potential prompt injections that have hindered AI integration. 
• How you can bolster your security by integrating our trained model into your system. 
• How to better mitigate risks, ensure system integrity, and enhance the adoption of AI with minimal reservations