SOC 2 vs HIPAA: what's the difference and which do you need?
SOC 2 is a voluntary attestation of a service organization's controls, issued by an independent CPA firm against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. HIPAA is US federal law that requires safeguards for protected health information (PHI). SOC 2 proves your security posture to customers; HIPAA is a legal obligation if you create, receive, or store PHI. Many healthcare technology vendors need both.
What SOC 2 is
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an attestation report issued by an independent CPA firm under the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria: Security, and optionally Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. It is voluntary — no law requires it — but customers and procurement teams frequently ask for it before trusting a vendor with their data.
A Type I report describes whether controls are suitably designed at a point in time; a Type II report tests whether they operated effectively over a period (commonly 3–12 months). The output is a report you share under NDA, not a public certificate.
What HIPAA is
HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is US federal law. Its Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules require covered entities (providers, plans, clearinghouses) and their business associates to safeguard protected health information. Enforcement is by the HHS Office for Civil Rights, and violations can carry civil and criminal penalties.
HIPAA does not issue a certificate. You demonstrate compliance through implemented safeguards, risk analyses, policies, workforce training, and Business Associate Agreements — and, when required, by responding to OCR.
Do you need one, the other, or both?
If you handle PHI on behalf of a covered entity, HIPAA is not optional — it applies by law, and you will typically sign a Business Associate Agreement. SOC 2 is what buyers ask for to gain confidence in your controls, in healthcare and well beyond it.
In practice, many health-tech vendors pursue both: HIPAA because they must, and SOC 2 (often with a HIPAA mapping, sometimes called 'SOC 2 + HIPAA') because it shortens security reviews and shifts diligence from a questionnaire to an auditor's report.
SOC 2 vs HIPAA at a glance
| SOC 2 | HIPAA | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Voluntary attestation | US federal law |
| Issued / enforced by | Independent CPA firm | HHS Office for Civil Rights |
| Scope | Security (+ optional Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy) | Protected Health Information (PHI) |
| Output | Type I / Type II report (shared under NDA) | No certificate — an ongoing legal obligation |
| Applies to | Any service organization | Covered entities and business associates |
| Cadence | Annual report period | Continuous, with periodic risk analysis |
Frequently asked questions
Is SOC 2 required by law?
No. SOC 2 is a voluntary attestation. It is often required contractually by customers, but it is not a legal mandate.
Does HIPAA give you a certificate?
No. There is no official HIPAA certification. You demonstrate compliance through safeguards, risk analyses, policies, training, and Business Associate Agreements.
Can one SOC 2 report also cover HIPAA?
A SOC 2 examination can be mapped to the HIPAA Security Rule (sometimes marketed as 'SOC 2 + HIPAA'), but the mapping supplements — it does not replace — your legal HIPAA obligations.
This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Verify specifics against the current text of each framework and your own counsel.