ITPartners+
Speciality: Cybersecurity Penetration Testing
Cybersecurity and IT services company specializing in managed services, security, and penetration testing; 29 employees, $7M revenue, $30M funding; based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; provides penetration testing services and targeted IT solutions for government, enterprise, and public sectors.
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.
PCI DSS Certification
Origin
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was created in 2004 by the major credit card companies: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB International. These companies formed the PCI Security Standards Council in 2006 to manage and evolve the standard. PCI DSS was developed in response to increasing credit card fraud and data breaches, establishing a unified set of security requirements for all organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder data. The goal was to create consistent security measures across the payment card industry to protect sensitive payment information.
Industry Value and Importance
PCI DSS compliance is mandatory for any business that handles credit card transactions, making it one of the most critical security standards in commerce today. The certification demonstrates that an organization has implemented robust security controls, including network protection, access management, encryption, and regular security testing. Non-compliance can result in severe consequences, including substantial fines (up to $100,000 per month), increased transaction fees, loss of payment processing privileges, and reputational damage following a breach. For IT professionals, PCI DSS expertise is highly valued as organizations across all industries need qualified personnel to implement, maintain, and audit these security controls.
- DBC Natural Holistic Health Center
- Welch Tile and Marble
- Griffin Transportation
- Accurate Truck Service
- River City Equipment Sales
- Ponce Inlet
- Hiestand