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Why a Structured SOC 2 Action Plan Matters
Preparing for SOC 2 can feel overwhelming, especially for fast-growing SaaS teams without a dedicated compliance department. But getting it right isn’t optional. Achieving SOC 2 shows customers, partners, and auditors that your security and operations meet industry standards.
The challenge? SOC 2 requires tight coordination across teams (IT, HR, legal, security, ops), clear documentation, and traceable workflows. Without a structured plan, it’s easy to overlook critical steps or delay the audit process.
That’s why we created a SOC 2 Compliance Template in Jira using Smart Checklist and Smart Templates. It helps you break down this complex process into manageable steps: one issue, one checklist at a time.
What Is a SOC 2 Compliance Template in Jira?
A SOC 2 compliance template is a structured checklist of issues and subtasks that guides your team through every phase of preparing for a SOC 2 audit. It covers everything from scoping and risk assessment to internal audits and documentation reviews.
Using Smart Templates for Jira, you can replicate this process across audit cycles or even across multiple teams, ensuring consistency, accountability, and visibility.
This template works best when paired with Smart Checklist, which breaks down each issue into specific, actionable steps. That means fewer missed tasks, less manual oversight, and a smoother audit readiness journey.
Here’s what’s inside the SOC 2 Smart Template and how to use it.
How to Structure Your SOC 2 Action Plan in Jira
A structured SOC 2 compliance template in Jira helps you stay on track through one of the most complex processes in modern B2B operations. Instead of juggling scattered documents, audit trails, and policies across tools, your team can work from a central, repeatable plan — aligned with auditor expectations and tailored to your infrastructure.
To simplify this process, you can use Smart Templates by TitanApps. These allow you to create a ready-to-use issue hierarchy that mirrors the entire SOC 2 journey — from scoping and gap analysis to team training and external audits. Once created, the template can be reused, customized, and automated to save time and eliminate missed steps.
Here’s what the compliance template looks like in Jira:
In order to create such a template from scratch you can follow this guide and copy paste the issue names below to repeat this hierarchy for your purposes.
SOC 2 Action Plan for {{project}} – {{year}}:
## 1. Define Scope & Objectives
– Choose **SOC?2 Type**: Type?I (design only) or Type?II (design + operating effectiveness over time).
– Select applicable **Trust Service Criteria**: Security (required), and optionally Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy.
Railsware tip: Start with Security only — it’s required and manageable. Adding more TSCs too early can overcomplicate your first audit.
## 2. Form Compliance Team
– Assign roles (Compliance Lead, Security Lead, IT, HR, Legal, Ops) and define responsibilities and reporting structure.
Expert advice: Involve people who own key systems and processes. Their input ensures policies match reality — not theory.
## 3. Perform Gap Analysis
– Map existing policies, procedures, and controls against chosen Trust Service Criteria.
– Identify gaps and prioritize remediation.
Pro tip: Use a structured checklist or spreadsheet in the issue. This becomes the foundation of your SOC 2 evidence trail.
## 4. Develop Policies & Procedures
Create or update core documentation:
– Information Security Policy
– Access Control & Password Policy
– Change Management Procedure
– Logging & Monitoring Policy
– Incident Response Plan
– Backup & Recovery Policy
– Vendor & Third-party Management Policy
– Data Classification & Acceptable Use
– Other policies (if needed)
Railsware note: Don’t over-document. Keep policies short, specific, and reflective of real practices.
## 5. Build Asset Inventory & Risk Assessment
– Define Inventory assets (systems, data, infrastructure) within scope and document them.
– Define critical assets, important for the company
– Conduct risk assessment, evaluate threats and impacts, and document treatment plans.
Security team insight: Include data flows and tool owners. This improves visibility and supports stronger access controls.
## 6. Implement Access Controls
– Enforce least privilege, role-based access, and MFA.
– Document onboarding/offboarding processes and conduct periodic access reviews.
Checklist example:
- Verify MFA on all production systems
- Review permissions quarterly
- Automate offboarding within 24 hours of departure
## 7. Encrypt Data In-Transit & At-Rest
– Define encryption standards.
– Implement mechanisms and ensure documentation covers encryption practices.
Pro tip: Reference your cloud provider’s encryption practices (e.g., AWS KMS, GCP default encryption). Include links in the checklist.
## 8. Establish Backup & Recovery Processes
– Define backup frequency, retention period, encryption strategy, and restoration procedures.
– Schedule and test recoveries from backups; document results.
Expert suggestion: Auditors may ask for proof of a successful restore. Add checklist items for testing and screenshots.
## 9. Deploy Monitoring & Logging
– Centralize logs (system, application, security).
– Set retention policies and implement periodic log reviews and alerting.
Practical tip: Assign log reviewers and document frequency. Use Smart Checklist to track completion and outcomes.
## 10. Apply Change Management Controls
– Document change request, review, approval, testing, and deployment workflows.
– Maintain an audit trail of all changes.
Railsware process: Use Jira workflows to reflect review stages. Link GitHub commits and test results in the issue.
## 11. Prepare Incident Response Capabilities
– Define incident categories, response roles, communication channels, and remediation steps.
– Conduct tabletop or live drills and capture lessons learned.
Security advice: Add checklist items for severity levels, Slack channels, external comms, and postmortem templates.
## 12. Manage Vendor Risk
– Maintain inventory of third parties.
– Assess their control environment, define SLAs, and implement ongoing monitoring.
Checklist examples:
- Review SOC 2 report of [Vendor]
- Classify risk level (high/medium/low)
- Schedule annual reassessment
## 13. Educate & Train Staff
– Conduct training on all policies, incident reporting, secure practices, and criteria adherence.
– Run awareness campaigns and refresher sessions.
Railsware recommendation: Keep it bite-sized and role-specific. Add an onboarding checklist for new hires with links to required policies.
## 14. Internal Audit & Readiness
– Perform a self-audit or external readiness assessment.
– Test controls in practice, review documentation, and remediate any gaps found.
Best practice: Use Smart Checklist templates to structure self-audits and assign ownership by function.
## 15. External Audit & SOC?2 Report
– Engage an AICPA?certified auditor.
– (Optional) For Type?II, ensure controls are operating effectively over the review period.
– Assemble evidence, complete the audit, and review the final SOC 2 report.
Pro tip: Create a shared audit folder and link it to Jira issues. Grant temporary access for auditors and keep notes in the comments section.
## 16. Support the compliance, prepare for recertification.
SOC 2 is ongoing. Use templates to track quarterly reviews, policy refreshes, and access audits.
Railsware recommendation: Use recurring Jira tasks and checklists for internal reviews, e.g.,
Q1: Access control audit
Q2: Vendor reassessment
Annual: Policy update workflow
Let’s go through steps on how to create this template in Jira and adjust it to your organization’s needs.
Step 1: Design the Compliance Template Structure
The Railsware security and compliance team recommends designing your SOC 2 template based on how your company already manages projects in Jira. Each compliance phase becomes an issue or epic. Tasks and sub-steps are tracked using Smart Checklists inside each issue, not separate subtasks.
Example:
- “Perform Gap Analysis” ? checklist of selected Trust Service Criteria with control mappings, gaps, and remediation links
- “Develop Policies” ? checklist of each required policy, assigned to a team owner
This creates a shared workspace your auditors and internal teams can follow end-to-end.
Step 2: Use Variables for Reusability
Preparing SOC 2 for multiple products, teams, or audit cycles? Add Smart Variables like:
- {{project}} – target application or domain
- {{year}} – audit year
- {{team}} – responsible department (IT, HR, Legal)
- {{TSC}} – Trust Service Criteria selected for scope
Variables let you reuse and customize your SOC 2 template with minimal effort.
Step 3: Add Smart Checklists to Break Down Tasks
Smart Checklists break large compliance steps into trackable tasks inside each Jira issue. Instead of dozens of subtasks, you manage checklists within context.
Example:
Access Control Checklist
- Ensure RBAC for critical systems
- Confirm MFA across cloud tools
- Review offboarding SOP
- Schedule Q2 access review
You can also create template checklists for recurring controls like:
- Vendor risk review
- Quarterly backup restore tests
- Annual policy refresh
- Employee security training
This turns your Jira project into a living compliance tracker and ensures nothing gets missed in your SOC 2 roadmap.
Recommendations from the Railsware Compliance Team
At Railsware, SOC 2 compliance isn’t treated as a one-off checklist, it’s embedded into daily operations and tooling. Based on their experience running internal compliance programs and supporting clients, here are key recommendations to ensure a smooth and successful SOC 2 audit:
1. Treat SOC 2 as an ongoing system, not a project.
Don’t wait for the audit to start preparing. Make sure every compliance step, from access reviews to incident response, is part of your regular operational workflow. Use Jira issues and checklists to continuously track and verify that controls are working.
2. Choose your scope strategically.
When deciding between Type I and Type II, or selecting which Trust Services Criteria to include, start with the minimal viable scope that covers your customers’ expectations. Expanding too quickly can increase audit time and resource needs without adding business value.
3. Centralize documentation and workflows.
Use tools your teams already work in, like Jira and Confluence, to avoid duplicating work across spreadsheets, emails, and siloed platforms. Creating a structured template for the SOC 2 process helps every department stay aligned and audit-ready.
4. Prioritize automation early.
Automate repetitive tasks like checklists for quarterly access reviews, incident simulations, or vendor risk updates. This reduces the chance of human error and builds an automatic record for audit evidence.
5. Focus on traceability and ownership.
Auditors care most about whether policies are applied in practice. Make sure each control has a clear owner and documented proof of execution. Use Jira assignees, deadlines, and attachments to make ownership visible.
6. Build for the auditor’s perspective.
The goal is not just internal control but proving compliance. Organize your action plan and audit trail in a way that makes it easy for an external auditor to review, trace, and validate—without needing to ask follow-up questions.
7. Start internal dry runs before your readiness assessment.
Run an internal “mini-audit” 2–3 months before the real thing. This helps uncover gaps, fix documentation issues, and train teams on the process—so there are no surprises when it counts.
These recommendations are based on real-world learnings from Railsware’s own SOC 2 Type II journey and reflect a practical approach to building scalable, audit-friendly operations inside modern product companies.
Final Thoughts: From Chaos to Clarity in SOC 2 Compliance
SOC 2 is an ongoing practice. Structuring your SOC 2 action plan in Jira Cloud helps you maintain control, visibility, and accountability across your entire audit lifecycle.
Instead of stitching together Confluence pages, emails, and spreadsheets, you can manage compliance in a central Jira project, with Smart Templates and Smart Checklists giving you the structure, automation, and repeatability your team needs to scale.
Whether you’re preparing for your first audit or improving your SOC 2 Type II workflows, TitanApps tools help reduce manual work and create a clear, auditable trail.
Need help implementing this template or customizing it to your Jira instance? Start using Smart Templates today.
FAQ: SOC 2 Compliance in Jira
Can I track SOC 2 evidence in Jira?
Yes. Using structured issue types and Smart Checklists, you can document audit evidence, policies, and remediation steps inside your Jira project — all traceable and searchable.
How does Jira help with audit logs and accountability?
Jira generates an audit log of configuration changes, user activity, and workflow edits. You can export it or send data to Splunk, AWS, or other external tools via webhooks or REST API.
What’s the difference between Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center for compliance?
Jira Cloud provides built-in security features and shorter setup time. Jira Data Center offers more control over retention periods, global permissions, and custom hosting. Your choice depends on data sensitivity, compliance scope, and IT policies.
Can I automate recurring SOC 2 tasks?
Yes, using Smart Templates + Jira Automation. You can schedule recurring tasks (e.g. access reviews, training, vendor audits) and insert dynamic content with variables like {{year}}, {{project}}, or {{assignee}}.
Can I integrate Jira compliance workflows with Bitbucket or GitHub?
Absolutely. For change management tracking, link Bitbucket, GitHub, or GitLab PRs directly to Jira issues. This helps demonstrate control over code changes and supports your audit log evidence.
What other Atlassian products support SOC 2 readiness?
- Confluence: Document policies, SOPs, and audit notes
- Jira Service Management: Handle access requests and incident response tickets
- Jira Software: Track project-level audit and remediation tasks
What if we use Microsoft 365, not Google or Slack?
Smart Checklist and Smart Templates are platform-agnostic. You can link policy folders in Microsoft OneDrive or SharePoint, trigger checklist events via email notifications, and use OAuth to authenticate.
How do I manage access controls for audit-related Jira issues?
Use project roles, custom fields, and issue security schemes to ensure only authorized users can view/edit sensitive items. For stricter tracking, configure Jira admins to monitor user management and authentication logs.
Can I export my Jira compliance data for auditors?
Yes, via CSV export, JSON, or dashboard sharing. You can also give auditors limited access to the Jira project — just ensure project permissions are scoped properly and documented.
