SOC 3 differs from SOC 2 in that it is:

SOC 3 differs from SOC 2 in that it is:

• A. Available for public use
• B. Intended only for internal auditors
• C. Restricted to regulators
• D. More detailed than SOC 2

Answer: (A)

Public availability is the key difference between SOC 3 and SOC 2. SOC 3 is a general-use report designed for broad public distribution, serving as a lightweight seal of assurance about a service organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The report is high-level and intended for a wide audience, so anyone can access it. SOC 2, on the other hand, is typically shared with a restricted audience—customers, business partners, and regulators who have a legitimate need to know the detailed controls and the testing performed. It contains more detailed information about the control criteria, the tests conducted, and the results, which is why it isn’t usually released publicly. The other options don’t fit: SOC 3 isn’t restricted to internal auditors, nor is it limited to regulators, and it isn’t more detailed than SOC 2—it's the opposite in terms of level of detail.

Public availability is the key difference between SOC 3 and SOC 2. SOC 3 is a general-use report designed for broad public distribution, serving as a lightweight seal of assurance about a service organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The report is high-level and intended for a wide audience, so anyone can access it.

SOC 2, on the other hand, is typically shared with a restricted audience—customers, business partners, and regulators who have a legitimate need to know the detailed controls and the testing performed. It contains more detailed information about the control criteria, the tests conducted, and the results, which is why it isn’t usually released publicly.

The other options don’t fit: SOC 3 isn’t restricted to internal auditors, nor is it limited to regulators, and it isn’t more detailed than SOC 2—it's the opposite in terms of level of detail.