Understanding SSAE 18 Certification: Service Organizations Must Have This
In particular, service
organizations have to ensure that data integrity, security and transparency is maintained
when handling out sensitive information. SSAE 18 Certification is a must for
organizations seeking to assure clients and stakeholders that the organization
is reliable and that meets the Industry Security standards. Organizations that
offer services based on customer data management, financial process, or IT
infrastructure, cannot afford to miss this certification. If you want to know
about SSAE 18 Certification and why it matters so much to the business
landscape now, please read on.
1. What is SSAE 18 Certification?
American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (AICPA) have set SSAE 18 Certification which GAAND 18 –
Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 18. This is the
certification focusing on the control of service organizations on data,
security and governance. SSAE 18 superseded the older SSAE 16 standard, but
with more stringent measures — notably risk assessment and third-party
management — it is an important certification for data concerned businesses.
SSAE 18 Certification can be
achieved by service organizations that deal with customer data including cloud
computing providers, financial institutions and IT service providers. Getting
SSAE 18 certification is a way to show that these organizations follow
guidelines regarding data processing and management while ensuring security, a
mindset which could strengthen the organization's credibility.
2. SSAE 18 Certification: The Importance for Businesses
SSAE 18 Certification gives
businesses that work with service organizations peace of mind. It gives them
peace of mind that the provider is up to date with industry standards and that
they have good systems in place towards data responsibly. If you operate a
business in heavily regulated industry such as finance or healthcare, SSAE 18
Certification is of particular value.
SSAE 18 Certification can also
give you a competitive advantage by leaving the message that you commit to high
service and risk management. By achieving this certification, organizations can
be confident of gaining client trust on the data protection against any
possible risk. In today's market, with incidents like data breaches and
compliance issues destroying a business's reputation and customer trust, this
trust is hugely important.
3. SSAE 18 Certification Process
To achieve SSAE 18 Certification,
a company must undergo a rigorous audit that examines a company’s internal
controls and risk assessment processes as well as the security of third party
providers. In the case, this process is usually performed by an external
auditor who tests everything from data input to data handling and management.
An SSAE 18 certification audit is
where an organization's operations and supply chain are very thoroughly
assessed and mitigated against for known risks. Third party vendor management
is also part of the audit to ensure that with any external partners handling
data, it is also done in a manner consistent with standards. Although the
certification process may be complex, the commitment is solid, made clear by
the certification itself, which protects sensitive information.
4. Benefits of SSAE 18 Certified
SSAE 18 Certification both builds
trust in clients as well as streamlines the regulatory compliance. However, the
certification can cut down the auditing process for businesses already mandated
by regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA as the certification covers various
overlapping requirements. In addition to that, SSAE 18 Certification helps
build and maintain internal controls, minimizes risk exposure and drives a
culture of accountability for the company.
Those who provide services which
process sensitive data will find SSAE 18 Certification a
asset to add. This certification helps companies signal to their clients and
stakeholders that they meet such high standards in data security, risk
management and third party oversight. A SSAE 18 Certification
puts service organizations ahead of the game with offering customers ability to
maintain their data integrity and security.
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