Unlocking Enterprise Deals Through Rapid AWS Compliance Implementation
In today’s competitive SaaS landscape, achieving SOC 2 compliance isn’t just a regulatory checkbox—it’s a gateway to enterprise deals and new market opportunities. This case study explores how we helped a rapidly growing fintech SaaS company, achieve SOC 2 compliance for their AWS infrastructure ahead of schedule, enabling them to unlock significant enterprise partnerships.
The information provided in this article doesn't provide details about the client for privacy purpose, but it could be you! Let us make your AWS infrastructure compliant so you can get your own case study.
The Challenge
The company, a Series B fintech startup based in the USA, was on the cusp of securing a couple of enterprise clients. However, they faced a significant hurdle: meeting the stringent SOC 2 compliance requirements within a tight deadline.
Due to the nature of the information they were processing for their clients, they were requested to provide a SOC 2 report in order for the deal to move forward. All that before the financial year end of the prospect.
Their internal team was stretched thin, focusing on product development and bug fix, leaving little bandwidth to navigate the complexities of the AWS infrastructure compliancy.
Key Pain Points:
Resource Constraints: Lack of in-house expertise to implement SOC 2 controls in AWS swiftly. They were few software engineers with full stack capabilities from UI, backend & infrastructure development. General enough, but not specialists enough.
Time Pressure: Urgent need to comply within 5 months.
Complex Infrastructure: A microservices architecture with over 27 applications requiring meticulous compliance checks. Different technology stacks were used.
Risk of Losing Clients: Potential loss of business opportunities without timely compliance.
Our Solution
We stepped in to provide a comprehensive, white-glove service to overhaul the infrastructure, ensuring full compliance with SOC 2 standards ahead of their audit schedule, in 3 months! The audit followed suit the next month and they were able to get the certification in time.
Strategic Steps Taken:
1. Assessment and Planning:
Conducted a thorough audit of their existing AWS setup.
Identified gaps in compliance related to encryption, access controls, and disaster recovery. The later was the biggest hurdle.
2. Some Implementing Compliance Controls:
Encryption: Implemented encryption at rest and in transit across all services, safeguarding sensitive financial data. The microservices were running in Kubenetes. With the addition of a service mesh, we were able to add encryption without any code change!
Access Management: Established robust IAM policies with role-based access control and multi-factor authentication. We had to adjust the way the devs were accessing and modifying (change management) the infrastructure.
Firewall Configuration: Deployed application firewall rules to prevent unauthorized external access to servers, network and load balancer level.
Backup and Recovery: Set up a multi-cloud backup solution to ensure business continuity for a more permissive RPO/RTO with option to later improve for a more restrictive scenario.
3. Automation and Monitoring:
Integrated Datadog for application logs & monitoring. Also implemented a multi AWS account with an Audit account aggregating activity & network logs to detect and rectify compliance drifts in real-time.
Provided continuous compliance reporting dashboards for transparency.
4. Collaboration and Training:
Worked closely with the engineering team to transfer knowledge.
Developed documentation and conducted training sessions for future self-sufficiency.
Results Delivered
Ahead of Schedule: Achieved full SOC 2 compliance one month before the planned audit date.
Resource Optimization: Allowed the team to focus on core product development without diverting resources.
Enterprise Deals Secured: Enabled the company to finalize contracts with two major enterprise clients with yearly deals worth in the six figures!
Robust Security Posture: Strengthened overall security, reducing the risk of data breaches and downtime.
Why Choose Us
AWS Expertise: Certified AWS professionals with a track record of successful compliance projects.
Guaranteed Timelines: We commit to your schedule—compliance achieved when you need it, or you get a full refund. This implies it's a DFY project (if we are set to augment the current team, the guarantee is nulled).
Customized Solutions: Tailored strategies that align with your specific industry needs, whether fintech, healthtech, or cybersecurity.
Transparent Communication: Proactive updates and collaboration every step of the way.
Holistic Approach: Beyond compliance, we enhance your overall security posture, including encryption, firewalls, and disaster recovery.
Achieving SOC 2 compliance doesn’t have to be a daunting, resource-draining process. With the right expertise and a committed partner, you can meet your compliance deadlines, unlock new business opportunities, and strengthen your infrastructure—all without pulling your team away from delivering value.
Are you ready to get your own enterprise deals?
Contact us today to find out how we can tailor our services to meet your unique needs.
3 months is a fantastic delivery under that pressure. Great work