SOC 2 Policy Templates: 20 Editable Policies Mapped to the Criteria
SOC 2 policy templates give you the written rules an auditor reads before testing your controls. This pack contains 20 editable Word policies, each mapped to the Trust Services Criteria it supports, with [square-bracket] placeholders and guidance notes, so a small team can tailor, approve and publish a full policy set in about two weeks.
Key facts
- 20 policies covering Security (CC1 to CC9) plus the Availability, Confidentiality and Privacy criteria where relevant.
- Price: SOC 2 Policy Templates Pack $129, also included in the SOC 2 Starter Bundle ($199, was $237) and the SOC 2 Compliance Toolkit ($249, was $286).
- Format: editable Word files, no macros, licensed for one organization, instant download.
- Fit promise: refund within 5 days if the templates do not fit your system.
Which policies do you need for SOC 2?
The Trust Services Criteria do not publish a mandatory policy list, but auditors expect written, approved policies behind your controls. These 20 cover what a typical SaaS or service company is tested on. Criteria IDs show the main mapping; your auditor may map some controls differently.
| # | Policy | What it covers | Main criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Information Security | Security objectives, roles, governance, policy review and exceptions | CC1.1, CC1.3, CC2.2, CC5.3 |
| 02 | Access Control | Joiners, movers and leavers, least privilege, MFA, access reviews, physical access | CC6.1 to CC6.4 |
| 03 | Acceptable Use | Rules for company devices, accounts, email, software and data | CC1.1, CC2.2, CC6.8 |
| 04 | Asset Management | Inventory of devices, systems and data, ownership and secure disposal | CC6.1, CC6.5 |
| 05 | Change Management | How changes are requested, reviewed, tested, approved and rolled back | CC8.1, CC5.2 |
| 06 | Secure Software Development | Secure design, code review, dependency scanning, separate environments | CC8.1, CC7.1 |
| 07 | Data Classification and Handling | Data classes and the handling rules for each | CC6.1, CC6.7, C1.1 |
| 08 | Data Retention and Disposal | How long data is kept and how it is securely deleted | CC6.5, C1.2, P4.2, P4.3 |
| 09 | Encryption and Key Management | Encryption at rest and in transit, key ownership and rotation | CC6.1, CC6.7 |
| 10 | Incident Response | Detection, triage, severity, response roles, notification, lessons learned | CC7.3 to CC7.5, CC2.3 |
| 11 | Business Continuity and DR | Recovery objectives, recovery plans and annual testing | CC7.5, CC9.1, A1.2, A1.3 |
| 12 | Backup | Backup scope, frequency, protection and restore testing | A1.2, A1.3 |
| 13 | Vendor and Third-Party Management | Vendor inventory, due diligence, contracts and annual review | CC9.2, CC2.3 |
| 14 | Risk Management | Risk method, scoring, treatment, fraud risk and annual assessment | CC3.1 to CC3.4, CC9.1 |
| 15 | HR Security | Background checks, confidentiality terms, onboarding, offboarding, discipline | CC1.1, CC1.4, CC1.5 |
| 16 | Security Awareness and Training | Onboarding and annual training, phishing awareness, records | CC1.4, CC2.2 |
| 17 | Logging and Monitoring | What is logged, retention, alerting and review | CC7.2, CC7.3, CC4.1 |
| 18 | Vulnerability and Patch Management | Scanning, severity ratings, fix deadlines, penetration testing | CC7.1, CC6.8, CC4.1 |
| 19 | Network and Cloud Security | Network segmentation, firewalls, secure cloud configuration | CC6.1, CC6.6, CC6.7 |
| 20 | Code of Conduct | Ethics, conflicts of interest, reporting concerns and consequences | CC1.1, CC1.5 |
Criteria IDs refer to the AICPA 2017 Trust Services Criteria (revised points of focus, 2022). Descriptions are our own summaries, not AICPA text. For a deeper look at each policy, read the 20 policies you need for SOC 2.
How do you adopt SOC 2 policies in two weeks?
Treat adoption as a short project with one owner and a fixed approval date. Tailor to reality first, then approve and communicate. Ten working days is realistic for a team that already runs most controls informally.
- Day 1: replace [Organization name], name policy owners and pick one approver, usually the CEO or CTO.
- Days 2 to 3: list your real tools and processes: identity provider, cloud, code repository, ticketing, HR system.
- Days 3 to 6: tailor each policy. Set frequencies you can meet, such as quarterly access reviews rather than monthly ones you will miss. Delete what does not apply and follow the guidance notes.
- Days 7 to 8: cross-check with engineering and HR that every "must" is true today or has a start date.
- Day 9: approve formally, record version 1.0 and the date, and publish to your intranet or wiki.
- Day 10: ask every employee and contractor to read and acknowledge the policies, and keep the records as evidence.
What do auditors check about SOC 2 policies?
Auditors check that policies exist, are approved, are communicated and match practice. A beautiful policy that describes something you do not do creates an exception rather than preventing one.
- Approval: named approver, date and version.
- Review: evidence that policies are reviewed at the frequency they state, usually annually.
- Communication: staff acknowledgments at hire and after major changes.
- Consistency: frequencies, owners and tools in the policy match the control matrix and the evidence.
- Exceptions: a documented way to approve and track deviations.
What will the templates not do for you?
They will not run your controls, collect evidence or issue a report. You still need to implement the controls, keep evidence and engage a licensed CPA firm for the audit. The templates remove the blank-page problem and give you wording that is structured the way auditors read. See the SOC 2 guide for the full path.
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026
Templates that do this job
Editable Word and Excel files. Instant download. Licensed for one organization.
Frequently asked questions
How many policies do you need for SOC 2?
There is no fixed number. The criteria describe outcomes, not a policy list. Most SaaS and service companies land between 15 and 20 policies so every tested control has written, approved rules behind it. Smaller companies can combine some, for example backup inside business continuity, as long as the content is complete and consistent.
Do auditors accept policy templates?
Auditors do not care where the wording came from. They care that each policy is approved, communicated, reviewed on schedule and consistent with what you actually do. A template is a starting point. You must tailor owners, frequencies and tools, and delete anything that does not apply, before you approve and publish it.
Are these policies enough to pass a SOC 2 audit?
No set of documents can guarantee a clean report. Policies are one part of SOC 2. You also need working controls, evidence that they ran, a risk assessment, vendor reviews, a system description and a CPA firm to perform the examination. The pack gives you a strong, criteria-mapped foundation for the policy part.
What format are the SOC 2 policy templates?
They are editable Microsoft Word files with no macros, licensed for use within one organization. Each policy uses [square-bracket] placeholders for your details and guidance notes that explain what to change or delete, so you can adapt it to your tools and processes before approval.
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