Building a SOC 2 Compliant ISMS from Scratch
How to structure your Information Security Management System (ISMS) to pass a SOC 2 Type II audit.
By Ashray Jha
Updated Apr 24, 2026
15 min read
TL;DR
An ISMS is the collection of policies, procedures, and controls that govern your security program. Start with a risk assessment to identify threats, then map controls to the AICPA Trust Services Criteria.
What is an ISMS?
An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information so that it remains secure.
The Core Policies
Your ISMS must include foundational policies like Access Control, Incident Response, Data Classification, and Acceptable Use.
Continuous Monitoring
A SOC 2 Type II audit measures your adherence to these policies over a period of time (usually 6-12 months). Continuous monitoring through automated platforms ensures you don't fail the audit due to a forgotten access revocation.
AJ
Ashray Jha
CISSPCIPP/E
Founder & CEO, CitizenJar
Ashray is a former security engineer who built CitizenJar to automate the compliance busywork he hated doing.