ISO 27001 is an international standard focused on building a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS), whereas SOC 2 is a reporting framework primarily popular in North America. ISO 27001 is more prescriptive about how you manage security, while SOC 2 is more focused on proving your controls work.

Stage 1 is a "document review" where the auditor checks if your policies and procedures meet the standard's design requirements. Stage 2 is the "implementation audit" where they verify that you are actually following those procedures in your daily operations.

With our automation platform, most companies can be audit-ready in weeks. However, the external audit process typically takes 1-3 months depending on auditor availability and the required gap between Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.

Yes, ISO 27001 (Control A.12.6.1) requires you to prevent exploitation of technical vulnerabilities. A professional penetration test is the standard industry method to satisfy this requirement and demonstrate due diligence.

The standard requires defined roles and responsibilities, but for many SMBs, this role can be effectively held by a CTO or VP of Engineering, supported by our virtual CISO services and automation platform to handle the heavy lifting.