Understanding Ssae 18 Certification: Service Organizations Must Have This

By Author: Qadit
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In particular, service organizations have to ensure that data integrity, security and transparency is maintained when handling out sensitive information. SSAE 18 Certification is a must for organizations seeking to assure clients and stakeholders that the organization is reliable and that meets the Industry Security standards. Organizations that offer services based on customer data management, financial process, or IT infrastructure, cannot afford to miss this certification. If you want to know about SSAE 18 Certification and why it matters so much to the business landscape now, please read on.

What is SSAE 18 Certification?

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) have set SSAE 18 Certification which GAAND 18 – Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 18. This is the certification focusing on the control of service organizations on data, security and governance. SSAE 18 superseded the older SSAE 16 standard, but with more stringent measures — notably risk assessment and third-party management — it is an important certification for data concerned businesses.

SSAE 18 ...
... Certification can be achieved by service organizations that deal with customer data including cloud computing providers, financial institutions and IT service providers. Getting SSAE 18 certification is a way to show that these organizations follow guidelines regarding data processing and management while ensuring security, a mindset which could strengthen the organization's credibility.

SSAE 18 Certification: The Importance for Businesses

SSAE 18 Certification gives businesses that work with service organizations peace of mind. It gives them peace of mind that the provider is up to date with industry standards and that they have good systems in place towards data responsibly. If you operate a business in heavily regulated industry such as finance or healthcare, SSAE 18 Certification is of particular value.

SSAE 18 Certification can also give you a competitive advantage by leaving the message that you commit to high service and risk management. By achieving this certification, organizations can be confident of gaining client trust on the data protection against any possible risk. In today's market, with incidents like data breaches and compliance issues destroying a business's reputation and customer trust, this trust is hugely important.

SSAE 18 Certification Process

To achieve SSAE 18 Certification, a company must undergo a rigorous audit that examines a company’s internal controls and risk assessment processes as well as the security of third party providers. In the case, this process is usually performed by an external auditor who tests everything from data input to data handling and management.

An SSAE 18 certification audit is where an organization's operations and supply chain are very thoroughly assessed and mitigated against for known risks. Third party vendor management is also part of the audit to ensure that with any external partners handling data, it is also done in a manner consistent with standards. Although the certification process may be complex, the commitment is solid, made clear by the certification itself, which protects sensitive information.

Benefits of SSAE 18 Certified

SSAE 18 Certification both builds trust in clients as well as streamlines the regulatory compliance. However, the certification can cut down the auditing process for businesses already mandated by regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA as the certification covers various overlapping requirements. In addition to that, SSAE 18 Certification helps build and maintain internal controls, minimizes risk exposure and drives a culture of accountability for the company.

Those who provide services which process sensitive data will find SSAE 18 Certification a asset to add. This certification helps companies signal to their clients and stakeholders that they meet such high standards in data security, risk management and third party oversight. A SSAE 18 Certification puts service organizations ahead of the game with offering customers ability to maintain their data integrity and security.