Employment Screening Resources(R) (ESR), a leading global background check firm, has announced that independent auditors conducting a SOC 2(R) Type 2 examination of ESR’s operations for the six month testing period of November 2016 through April 2017 have issued a SOC 2 Type 2 report that states ESR management maintained effective controls over the privacy, security, and confidentiality of its employee background screening system.
This annual comprehensive and independent examination ensures that ESR meets the current high standards set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to protect customer and third-party information. NDB Accountants & Consultants LLP (NDB), a nationally recognized Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm specializing in regulatory compliance and consulting services, performed the examination and issued the SOC 2 report.
The SOC 2 Type 2 audit was conducted using stringent criteria established by the AICPA. These internationally recognized standards address technological advances and associated risks including cloud services not covered in the now retired SAS 70 standards. The principles and criteria used in ESR’s SOC 2 audit were developed by the AICPA and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) for use by practitioners in trust services engagements:
* Security: The system is protected against unauthorized access (both physical and logical).
* Confidentiality: Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed.
* Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and destroyed in conformity with the commitments in the entity’s privacy notice and with criteria set forth in Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP) issued by the AICPA and CICA.
“We are pleased that our annual SOC 2 Type 2 report once again shows ESR has appropriate controls in place to secure and protect our systems and databases,” said Brad Landin, ESR’s president. “ESR undergoes SOC 2 Type 2 audits to demonstrate our competency in protecting the personally identifiable information of our clients and their employees from unauthorized access and use. ESR is committed to protecting all information used in our background checks.”
The SOC 2 Type 2 report is becoming increasingly important to ESR’s existing and potential customers seeking assurance about the effectiveness of controls related to the privacy, security, and confidentiality of consumer information used to process background checks. Financial institutions require it, and publicly traded larger private companies are frequently asking for a SOC 2 report before selecting an outsourced service organization like ESR.
Employment Screening Resources(R) (ESR) is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) and completes annual SOC 2 audits, a distinction held by a small percentage of screening firms. Current and prospective customers wanting more information about ESR’s SOC 2 Type 2 report may email [email protected]. Additional information about SOC 2 is available at www.esrcheck.com/SOC-2/.