SOC 2 CC5.2: Technology General Controls
CC5.2 requires organizations to select and develop general control activities over technology infrastructure to reliably support business objectives. For SMBs managing SOC 2 compliance, this control establishes the foundational technical safeguards that prevent security failures before they compromise your systems.
What this means
Technology general controls are the baseline technical mechanisms—such as access management, change control, system monitoring, and infrastructure hardening—that protect your IT environment. CC5.2 mandates that you actively select, implement, and maintain these controls based on your specific risk profile and operational needs. This isn't a one-time setup; it requires ongoing evaluation of whether your chosen controls remain effective as threats and business requirements evolve.
How to comply
- 1.Inventory all technology systems and infrastructure components supporting critical business processes
- 2.Conduct a risk assessment to identify which general controls are necessary for each system class
- 3.Select appropriate control activities (access controls, change management, encryption, monitoring, logging)
- 4.Document control design specifications and implementation standards for your organization
- 5.Deploy selected controls across development, staging, and production environments
- 6.Establish monitoring and testing procedures to verify controls operate as designed
- 7.Review control effectiveness quarterly and adjust selections based on emerging threats or business changes
- 8.Maintain audit trails and configuration records demonstrating control implementation
Evidence auditors look for
- Technology risk assessment documentation with control selections mapped to identified risks
- System architecture diagrams showing implemented general controls by system type
- Change management procedures and approval logs for technology modifications
- Access control matrices defining who can perform which functions on systems
- Encryption standards and deployment records for data at rest and in transit
- System configuration baselines and hardening standards documentation
- Automated monitoring and alerting configurations for system health and security events
- Quarterly control effectiveness review meeting minutes and supporting test results
- Incident response logs showing how controls detected and contained security events
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
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