SOC 2 PI1.5: Storage Completeness and Accuracy

What this means

This control mandates that your organization establish and maintain formal policies and procedures governing how data is stored at every stage—from initial input through processing to final output. Storage must align with your documented system specifications and retention requirements. The control emphasizes three critical elements: completeness (all required data is captured), accuracy (data remains unchanged and valid), and timeliness (storage occurs when and how your systems require). This applies to all forms of data storage, including databases, file systems, backups, and archives.

How to comply

1. 1.Document storage policies that define data classification, retention periods, and storage locations for inputs, in-process items, and outputs
2. 2.Define system specifications that detail storage format, structure, and validation rules for all data types handled by your systems
3. 3.Implement automated validation controls that verify data completeness and accuracy at the point of storage
4. 4.Establish backup and recovery procedures that preserve data integrity and enable timely restoration
5. 5.Configure access controls to prevent unauthorized modification of stored data
6. 6.Conduct regular audits to verify that stored data matches source records and system specifications
7. 7.Maintain audit logs documenting all storage, modification, and retrieval activities
8. 8.Test disaster recovery procedures periodically to ensure stored data can be completely and accurately restored

Evidence auditors look for

• Written data storage and retention policies addressing completeness, accuracy, and timeliness requirements
• System specifications documents defining storage formats, validation rules, and acceptance criteria
• Configuration records showing automated validation controls and error-handling procedures
• Backup and recovery plan documentation with tested procedures and recovery time objectives
• Access control matrices limiting modification rights to authorized personnel only
• Audit reports showing periodic verification of stored data integrity against source records
• System logs and monitoring records demonstrating continuous validation and change tracking
• Disaster recovery test results confirming successful restoration of complete and accurate data

Frequently asked questions

GRCWatch automates PI1.5 compliance by continuously monitoring your data storage systems, validating completeness and accuracy against your system specifications, and generating audit-ready evidence reports—eliminating manual storage audits and reducing detection time for integrity violations.

See how GRCWatch handles this control automatically

Related controls