SOC 3 Assessment: A Public-Facing Trust Report for Your Website & Marketing
A SOC 3 report gives you a publicly shareable seal of assurance based on the same Trust Services Criteria as SOC 2 — without disclosing the detailed controls your clients and competitors can read in a full SOC 2 report.
What Is a SOC 3 Assessment?
A SOC 3 (System and Organisation Controls 3) report is a general-use report based on the same AICPA Trust Services Criteria (TSC) as a SOC 2 assessment — but designed specifically for public distribution. Where a SOC 2 report contains detailed descriptions of your control environment and test results (suitable for sharing under NDA with clients), a SOC 3 report contains only the auditor’s opinion and a high-level system description.
Because the SOC 3 omits sensitive control detail, it can be published freely on your website, included in marketing materials, and shared with prospects without restriction. Many organisations pursue both a SOC 2 and a SOC 3 — using the SOC 2 for formal due diligence with enterprise clients and the SOC 3 as a trust signal on their website and in sales conversations.
Crucially, a SOC 3 report can only be issued alongside a clean SOC 2 Type II opinion. You cannot obtain a standalone SOC 3 without first completing a full SOC 2 Type II assessment. Cianaa delivers both reports from a single combined engagement.
SOC 2 vs SOC 3: What’s the Difference?
Both reports use the same Trust Services Criteria and require the same underlying audit work — but they serve very different purposes and audiences.
SOC 2 Type II Report
SOC 3 Report
When Is a SOC 3 Report Most Valuable?
A SOC 3 is most valuable when you want to signal security trustworthiness to a broad audience — without giving away the operational detail inside your SOC 2.
Website Trust Signal
Publish your SOC 3 report and AICPA seal on your website’s security or compliance page to give prospects instant reassurance before they reach your sales team.
Marketing & Sales Enablement
Include a link to your SOC 3 in proposal documents, pitch decks, and email signatures — demonstrating independently audited security without disclosing sensitive control detail.
Self-Serve Procurement
Many mid-market buyers complete security reviews without speaking to a sales rep. A publicly available SOC 3 lets them self-qualify your security posture and progress faster.
Marketplace & App Store Listings
Software marketplaces (AWS, Salesforce AppExchange, etc.) and app store listings increasingly allow or feature SOC 3 reports as a trust indicator for listed products.
Partner & Integration Programmes
Technology partner programmes and API integration reviews often ask for evidence of security compliance. A SOC 3 satisfies this without requiring an NDA first.
Government & Regulated Sector Sales
Government and regulated sector procurement portals increasingly list SOC 3 reports as an accepted security assurance document for supplier pre-qualification.
Who Should Get a SOC 3 Report?
Any organisation with an existing or in-progress SOC 2 Type II engagement is a candidate for adding a SOC 3. It is particularly valuable for organisations selling to a large or broad customer base.
SaaS Companies
SaaS vendors with high volumes of inbound prospects benefit enormously from a publicly posted SOC 3 — it answers the security question before it’s even asked in the sales cycle.
Growth-Stage Technology Companies
Fast-growing tech companies using SOC 2 to unlock enterprise sales can pair it with a SOC 3 to simultaneously build broad market trust and satisfy individual client due diligence.
Managed Service Providers
MSPs can use a SOC 3 on their website to differentiate from competitors who only claim security compliance without independently audited evidence.
Fintech & Payment Platforms
Fintech companies with broad consumer or SMB audiences use SOC 3 to build public trust in data security — particularly important in regulated financial services markets.
Data & Analytics Platforms
Data platform providers can post a SOC 3 to address the immediate security concerns of prospective clients browsing their website — before a formal sales conversation begins.
API & Integration Providers
Companies building platforms that other businesses integrate into their products use SOC 3 to satisfy the security review requirements of potential integration partners at scale.
What’s Included in a SOC 3 Report?
A SOC 3 report contains four standardised sections — enough to demonstrate independently audited compliance, without disclosing the sensitive operational detail that belongs inside a SOC 2.
Independent Auditor’s Report
The formal opinion issued by the CPA firm — stating whether the service organisation’s system met the applicable Trust Services Criteria throughout the review period. This is the core trust signal clients and prospects rely on.
Management’s Assertion
A statement from your organisation’s management asserting that the system description fairly presents the system and that controls were suitably designed and operated effectively.
High-Level System Description
A brief, non-sensitive description of the service organisation’s system — what it does, the infrastructure it runs on, and the general nature of the data it processes — without disclosing specific control details.
AICPA SOC Seal of Assurance
A licensed AICPA seal that can be displayed on your website, in marketing materials, and in sales collateral — providing instant visual recognition of independently audited compliance status.
How Cianaa Delivers Your SOC 3 Report
A SOC 3 is always delivered as part of a combined SOC 2 + SOC 3 engagement — there is no additional audit work required beyond the SOC 2 Type II assessment itself.
SOC 2 Type II Assessment
Complete the full SOC 2 Type II audit across your chosen Trust Services Criteria categories. The SOC 3 is based entirely on this work.
Clean Opinion Confirmed
Once the SOC 2 audit concludes with an unqualified (clean) opinion, you are eligible for a SOC 3 report. A qualified opinion prevents SOC 3 issuance.
SOC 3 Report Drafted
Cianaa prepares the SOC 3 report — auditor opinion, management assertion, and high-level system description — aligned to the SOC 2 findings.
Report & Seal Issued
Final SOC 3 report and AICPA SOC seal issued — ready to publish on your website, include in marketing, and share freely with prospects and partners.
Why Get Your SOC 3 Report Through Cianaa?
Combined SOC 2 + SOC 3 Engagement
We deliver both reports from a single coordinated engagement — maximising the value of your audit investment without duplicating effort or cost.
No Extra Audit Work Required
Since the SOC 3 is derived entirely from the SOC 2 assessment, you get a publicly shareable report at minimal incremental cost once the Type II audit is complete.
Experienced SOC Auditors
Our audit team has delivered SOC 2 and SOC 3 reports across SaaS, cloud, MSP, and fintech environments in Australia and New Zealand.
Remediation Support Included
We work with your team to resolve any findings before finalising the SOC 2 opinion — helping ensure you achieve the clean opinion needed to unlock the SOC 3.
Marketing-Ready Outputs
We provide guidance on how to present your SOC 3 report and seal on your website and in marketing materials to maximise the trust signal with prospects.
Asia-Pacific Based
Locally based in Australia and New Zealand with deep understanding of regional market expectations and enterprise buyer security requirements.
Get a Free SOC 2 + SOC 3 Scoping Call
Talk to a Cianaa SOC auditor for a complimentary call — we’ll scope a combined SOC 2 + SOC 3 engagement so you walk away with both an enterprise-grade audit report and a publicly shareable trust seal.
Ready to Add a SOC 3 to Your SOC 2 Engagement?
Talk to our audit team about combining your SOC 2 and SOC 3 in a single efficient engagement — and get a publicly shareable trust report alongside your full audit.
Talk to a SOC Auditor →