Definition

SOC 3

SOC 3 is a short, general-use report that shares the auditor's SOC 2 conclusion without the detailed control descriptions and test results. Because it holds no sensitive specifics, a company can post it publicly on a website or hand it to a prospect without an NDA. The same CPA examination supports both reports, so a SOC 3 usually rides along with a SOC 2 Type II. Think of it as a trust badge for a broad audience: it confirms an unqualified opinion on the Trust Services Criteria while pointing serious evaluators toward the fuller SOC 2.