What is the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?

Summary

• SOC 2 is an AICPA reporting standard that describes the controls a service organization has in place relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy (the Trust Services Criteria).
• A SOC 2 Type I report evaluates the design of those controls at a single point in time — it confirms the right controls are defined and suitably designed as of a specific date.
• A SOC 2 Type II report evaluates both the design and the operating effectiveness of the controls over a period of time (commonly several months to a year), showing the controls actually operated as intended throughout the audit window.
• Type II is the more rigorous of the two reports and is the SOC 2 report most enterprise buyers require during vendor due diligence.
• The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform maintains SOC 2 Type II, alongside a broad compliance portfolio (SOC 1 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701, HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, and more); the current, authoritative list is published in the Databricks Security and Trust Center.

What is the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a reporting standard defined by the AICPA that describes how a service organization manages data according to the Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. A SOC 2 examination results in a report prepared by an independent auditor. The two report types — Type I and Type II — differ mainly in scope and time horizon.

SOC 2 Type I vs. Type II

• Type I — design at a point in time. A Type I report evaluates the suitability of the design of an organization's controls as of a single, specific date. It answers the question: are the right controls defined and appropriately designed today? Because it is a point-in-time assessment, it is typically faster to complete and is often used as a stepping stone toward a Type II report.
• Type II — design plus operating effectiveness over time. A Type II report evaluates the suitability of the design and the operating effectiveness of those controls across a period of time (commonly several months to a year). The auditor tests evidence throughout the period to verify the controls were not just defined but actually operated as intended.
• Which report enterprises usually ask for. Because it demonstrates that controls worked over a sustained window rather than on a single day, Type II is the more rigorous of the two reports and is the SOC 2 report most enterprise buyers require for vendor risk assessments.

How Databricks approaches SOC 2 and compliance

The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is built to meet the assurance requirements of regulated and enterprise customers.

• SOC 2 Type II. Databricks maintains a SOC 2 Type II report for the platform, so customers can review independently audited evidence that security controls operated effectively over time.
• A broad compliance portfolio. Beyond SOC 2 Type II, Databricks maintains certifications and attestations including SOC 1 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and FedRAMP, among others, with coverage varying by cloud and region.
• Governance built in. Unity Catalog provides unified governance, fine-grained access control, lineage, and audit logging across data and AI assets, which supports the control objectives that SOC 2 and similar frameworks assess.
• Where to verify current status. Because certification scope changes over time and by cloud, the authoritative, up-to-date list is published in the Databricks Security and Trust Center, where customers can review compliance details and request reports under NDA.

Getting started

• Visit the Databricks Security and Trust Center to see the current compliance certifications and how to request SOC reports.
• Review the Databricks security and compliance documentation for platform security architecture and controls.
• Use Unity Catalog to centralize governance, access control, lineage, and audit logging for the data and AI assets in scope for your own compliance program.

FAQs

Does Databricks have a SOC 2 report?

Yes. The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform maintains a SOC 2 Type II report. Customers can review compliance details and request reports through the Databricks Security and Trust Center.

What is the main difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?

Type I evaluates whether controls are suitably designed at a single point in time, while Type II evaluates both the design and the operating effectiveness of those controls over a period of time.

Which SOC 2 report do enterprise buyers usually require?

Most enterprise buyers require a SOC 2 Type II report, because it provides audited evidence that controls operated effectively across a sustained period rather than on a single date.