ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, NIST & SOX IT General Controls: What’s the Difference (and What’s the Same)?

If you’re a business leader trying to make sense of the alphabet soup of security standards - ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, NIST, and SOX IT General Controls (ITGCs) - you’re not alone. Here’s a straightforward guide to what sets them apart, where they overlap, and why it matters for your business.

In Plain English: Why Does It Matter?

• ISO 27001 is your blueprint for building a security culture across the business

• SOC 2 Type 2 is your proof to customers that you’re serious about protecting their data

• NIST is your toolkit for best-practice cybersecurity, whether you’re a start-up or a government agency

• SOX ITGCs are your safety net for financial integrity and compliance

Key Differences

1. Purpose & Scope

• ISO 27001: Sets out a holistic, risk-based approach to information security across the whole organisation

• SOC 2 Type 2: Focuses on how well a service organisation’s controls operate over a period (usually 6-12 months), especially for customer data

• NIST: Offers a flexible, modular set of best practices and controls for managing cybersecurity risk—can be tailored to any organisation

• SOX ITGCs: Specifically targets IT controls that impact financial reporting, such as access, change management, and data backup

2. Certification & Audit

• ISO 27001: Formal certification by an accredited body, valid for three years with annual surveillance audits

• SOC 2 Type 2: Attestation report by an independent auditor (usually a CPA firm), covering a defined period

• NIST: No formal certification—organisations self-assess or use it as a benchmark

• SOX ITGCs: Assessed as part of annual financial audits; no standalone certification, but must be effective for SOX compliance

3. Geography & Applicability

• ISO 27001: Global

• SOC 2 Type 2: Most common in North America, but increasingly recognised elsewhere

• NIST: US-centric but widely adopted as best practice

• SOX ITGCs: Required for US-listed companies, but the principles are relevant for any business with robust financial controls

Where They Overlap

Despite their differences, these frameworks share a lot of common ground:

• Access Controls: All require strong controls over who can access systems and data

• Change Management: Each framework expects you to manage changes to systems and software carefully to avoid introducing risk

• Incident Response: All emphasise the need for plans to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents

• Risk Management: Whether it’s formal (ISO 27001, NIST) or implied (SOC 2, SOX ITGCs), risk assessment and mitigation are central themes

• Continuous Improvement: Regular reviews, audits, and updates are expected to keep controls effective and relevant

Most growing businesses will find that these frameworks reinforce each other. If you’re already working towards one, you’re well on your way to meeting the requirements of the others—especially when it comes to the basics of good security and IT governance

If you want to know which framework is right for your business, or how to make them work together without doubling your workload, drop me a DM or email rachel@rtgcommercialservices.com.

Let’s build something brilliant (and secure) together!

(This post is for general guidance—always seek professional advice for your specific compliance needs.)