SOC 2 Compliance for DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean provides a simplified cloud experience. For SOC 2, you must focus on securing your Droplets, configuring VPCs, and managing team access robustly.
Core DigitalOcean Controls
Team Management & MFA
Use DigitalOcean Teams to manage collaborator access. Enforce MFA for all team members and use SSH keys (not passwords) for Droplet access.
Network Security (VPC & Firewalls)
Use VPCs to isolate resources and Cloud Firewalls to restrict traffic to necessary ports and sources only, following the principle of least privilege.
Managed Databases & Backups
Use DigitalOcean Managed Databases with encryption at rest and automated backups to ensure data availability, integrity, and compliance.
Activity Logs
Monitor and export DigitalOcean Activity Logs to track administrative actions across your account for security auditing and incident response.
Auditor-Vetted Best Practices
Never use root passwords; always use SSH keys for Droplet access and keep them updated.
Enable automated backups for all critical Droplets and test restoration procedures regularly.
Use DigitalOcean's App Platform where possible to reduce the surface area of infrastructure you manage.
Implement infrastructure-as-code using the DigitalOcean Terraform provider for auditable configuration changes.
Infrastructure-as-Code is Key
The fastest way to achieve SOC 2 on DigitalOcean is to define your entire environment in code. This provides an immutable audit trail that auditors love.
View IaC ChecklistKevin A
Principal Security & GRC Engineer
Kevin is a security engineer turned GRC specialist. He focuses on mapping cloud-native infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP) to modern compliance frameworks, ensuring that security controls are both robust and auditor-ready without slowing down development cycles.
SOC 2 and DigitalOcean FAQs
How does DigitalOcean support SOC 2 compliance?
DigitalOcean provides native security controls (IAM, logging, encryption) that map to SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria. Proper configuration and evidence collection from DigitalOcean can satisfy a significant portion of technical control requirements.
What SOC 2 controls map to DigitalOcean?
Common mappings include: access control (IAM/users and roles), change management (audit logs and deployment pipelines), logical access (MFA and least privilege), and monitoring (logging and alerting). See our implementation guide above for platform-specific control mapping.
How do we collect evidence from DigitalOcean for our audit?
Evidence from DigitalOcean typically includes: configuration exports, access review reports, audit/activity logs, and encryption settings. Compliance automation tools can pull evidence continuously; otherwise, export and store evidence per your auditor's requirements.
Does DigitalOcean integrate with compliance automation (Vanta, Drata)?
Most major cloud and SaaS platforms, including DigitalOcean, offer integrations or APIs used by compliance automation tools. Check your automation provider's integration list and enable the DigitalOcean connector for continuous evidence collection.
About RiscLens
Our mission is to provide transparency and clarity to early-stage technology companies navigating the complexities of SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) compliance.
Who we serve
Built specifically for early-stage and growing technology companies—SaaS, fintech, and healthcare tech—preparing for their first SOC 2 audit or responding to enterprise customer requirements.
What we provide
Clarity before commitment. We help teams understand realistic cost ranges, timeline expectations, and common gaps before they engage auditors or expensive compliance vendors.
Our Boundaries
We do not provide legal advice, audit services, or certifications. Our assessments support internal planning—they are not a substitute for professional compliance guidance.
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a voluntary compliance standard for service organizations, developed by the AICPA, which specifies how organizations should manage customer data based on the Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
Get your personalized SOC 2 cost estimate
Free • No sales calls • Instant results