A scoped assessment plan
Agree services, systems, data, locations, criteria, evidence needs and the intended users of the assessment.
Evidence for informed decisions
Know where you stand.
Show what
you can demonstrate.
Turn a customer, regulatory or security requirement into a clear assessment. Understand your gaps, prioritise improvements and prepare for the independent assurance outcome that applies to your business.
A practical engagement
The right criteria.
A defined scope.
Useful evidence.
An assessment is useful when it answers a business question: which requirements apply, where are the gaps, how well do controls operate and what evidence is available? We define the objective and intended use of the report before choosing the method.
For SOC 2, prepare for an independent CPA examination. For PCI DSS, confirm the applicable validation route with the organisation accepting your compliance evidence. For privacy laws such as HIPAA or GDPR, assess relevant obligations and operating practices without presenting the work as an ISO certificate.
What you receive
Clear work.
Useful outputs.
Agree what success means, who owns each action and what evidence is needed before the work starts.
Findings with business context
Explain observed gaps, supporting evidence, relevant risks and the limitations of the assessment. Distinguish missing design, inconsistent operation and missing records.
A prioritised improvement roadmap
Assign actions, owners, dependencies and completion evidence. Make urgent risks and management decisions visible.
Readiness for the next assurance step
Organise evidence, clarify responsibilities and coordinate preparation for the selected independent examiner or applicable validation provider.
An assessment report describes a defined scope and point or period of review. It does not guarantee that every weakness has been identified or replace legal advice where interpretation is needed. Consulting fees, independent examination fees and any QSA, ASV or other scheme-specific role should be clear in the engagement. Live SOC and managed network monitoring are not part of this offer.
Your pathway
Know what
happens next.
Scope, responsibilities and checkpoints are agreed around your business needs.
Plan the engagement ↗01
Clarify the requirement
Review the customer request or applicable obligation. Identify the correct assurance output and any independent provider requirements.
02
Assess and prioritise
Review evidence, interview the relevant owners and evaluate practices within the agreed scope. Explain findings and practical next steps.
03
Improve and prepare
Support remediation, check readiness and coordinate the evidence needed for the applicable independent process.
Official references: AICPA SOC services; PCI SSC validation guidance; HHS on Security Rule certification.
Assessment that supports action
Findings your team
can work with.
A practical assessment explains what was reviewed, why each finding matters, what evidence supports it and how the organisation can respond. Agree those expectations before the work begins.
Discuss the proposed delivery ↗Expertise that fits your business.
- Project leadership and agreed availability
- Relevant expertise and credentials to review
- Scope-specific deliverables and responsibilities
- Clear distinction between consulting and independent assurance
Questions worth asking
Make an
informed choice.
What is the difference between an assessment and attestation?
An assessment evaluates an agreed scope against criteria and may produce findings and recommendations. Independent attestation is a distinct professional engagement that provides an opinion or conclusion under the applicable professional standards. The provider’s qualifications, independence and report purpose matter.
Who issues a SOC 2 report?
An independent licensed CPA firm performs the SOC 2 examination and issues the report. CyberVantage360 supports readiness, control implementation, evidence organisation and coordination. The independent firm’s scope, fees and timetable should be agreed separately.
Will a PCI DSS gap assessment complete our validation?
A gap assessment helps identify remediation needs. Your applicable validation route may involve a Self-Assessment Questionnaire, Report on Compliance and associated attestation documentation. Confirm the route and provider requirements with the compliance-accepting entity, such as your acquirer or payment brand.
Can you certify HIPAA compliance?
HIPAA does not have an official HHS Security Rule certification requirement. We can help assess applicable obligations, risks, safeguards and implementation priorities. A private assessment is not a government approval or a substitute for ongoing compliance.
Can existing ISO 27001 work be reused?
Relevant controls and evidence may support more than one programme. Map them to the actual scopes and criteria, identify differences and retain each programme’s separate assurance requirements. An ISO certificate does not automatically replace a SOC 2 report or PCI DSS validation.
What do you need to prepare a proposal?
Share the service or business activity, country, customer or regulatory request, major systems, existing assurance work and intended deadline. We use that context to define the scope and deliverables. Do not send credentials or sensitive incident evidence in the initial enquiry.
Let’s define the right scope.
Share the requirement, your current position and the outcome you need.