Lumifi
Speciality: Network, Cloud, IoT, and OT Penetration Testing
Cybersecurity company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializing in penetration testing and proactive security assessments; offers network, cloud, IoT, OT testing, red/blue/purple team exercises, and continuous vulnerability scanning.
SOC 2 Type II Certification
Origin
SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in 2011 as part of their Service Organization Control reporting framework. It was created to address the growing need for standardized security and privacy assurance as more organizations began storing data in the cloud and relying on third-party service providers. The certification was designed to evaluate how well service organizations manage customer data based on five "Trust Services Criteria": security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Type II specifically requires organizations to demonstrate these controls over a minimum period of time (typically 3-12 months), rather than just at a single point in time.
Industry Value
SOC 2 Type II certification is highly valued because it provides independent verification that a company has implemented and maintained robust security controls over an extended period. For service providers, achieving this certification demonstrates credibility and commitment to data protection, often becoming a competitive differentiator and a prerequisite for winning enterprise clients. Many organizations, particularly in healthcare, finance, and technology sectors, require their vendors to be SOC 2 Type II compliant before sharing sensitive data or establishing business relationships. The certification gives customers confidence that their service providers have been audited by qualified third parties and meet industry-recognized standards for protecting information assets.
NIST 800-171: Origin and Importance
Origin
NIST Special Publication 800-171 was created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a non-regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. First published in June 2015 and subsequently revised, it was developed in response to Executive Order 13556, which aimed to establish standards for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The framework was specifically designed to help non-federal organizations that handle, store, or process CUI on behalf of the federal government implement appropriate security controls to protect sensitive government information outside of federal systems.
Industry Importance
NIST 800-171 has become critically important in the defense industrial base and federal contracting sectors, as compliance is now mandatory for organizations working with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies that handle CUI. The certification demonstrates that an organization has implemented 110 security requirements across 14 control families, covering areas such as access control, incident response, and system integrity. Beyond contractual requirements, achieving NIST 800-171 compliance has become a competitive differentiator and trust signal in the marketplace, showing clients and partners that an organization takes cybersecurity seriously and follows recognized best practices for protecting sensitive information.
- Arizona Cardinals
- Steelcase
- Barrett-Jackson
- WMPO
- FHL Bank Atlanta
- FayPWC