SOC2 with Confluence
Capable Approvals for Confluence helps teams build secure, auditable, and controlled approval workflows that support your organization's SOC 2 compliance journey. This article outlines how Capable Approvals supports key trust service criteria and maps specific features to SOC 2 controls.
✉️ What Is SOC 2?
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a framework developed by the AICPA for managing customer data based on five "Trust Service Criteria":
Security – the system is protected against unauthorized access
Availability – the system is available for operation and use
Processing Integrity – system processing is complete, valid, and authorized
Confidentiality – information is protected as agreed
Privacy – personal information is collected, used, retained, and disclosed appropriately
SOC 2 compliance is especially important for SaaS providers and organizations that store or process sensitive customer data.
✅ Capable Approvals SOC 2 Alignment Checklist
The table below maps specific SOC 2 controls to capabilities provided by Capable Approvals in Confluence:
SOC 2 Control Area | Requirement | How Capable Approvals Helps |
|---|---|---|
Logical Access Controls (CC6.1, CC6.2) | Restrict system access to authorized users | Capable Approvals respects Confluence permissions, ensuring only approved users can view, initiate, or complete approval workflows. |
System Operations (CC7.2) | Monitor system changes and generate audit evidence | Each approval action is logged with timestamps, user identity, status, and comments, creating a reliable and immutable audit trail. |
Change Management (CC8.1) | Authorize and document system changes | Capable Approvals allows for formal sign-off processes embedded into documentation pages such as infrastructure changes, SOPs, and policy updates. |
Risk Mitigation (CC3.2, CC3.3) | Document and review risk-related decisions | Teams can use approvals to sign off on risk assessments and treatment plans, capturing full decision context and approver accountability. |
Data Integrity and Accuracy (PI1.1) | Ensure accuracy and completeness of records | Approvals are stored with page content and tracked through version history. Comments and statuses ensure decisions are complete and contextual. |
Retention and Availability (A1.2) | Maintain availability and retrieval of records | Records are embedded directly in Confluence, versioned, and exportable for review or evidence. |
Confidentiality (C1.1) | Protect confidential information from unauthorized access | Access controls and group permissions within Confluence safeguard approval content and visibility. |
Audit Logging and Accountability (CC7.2, CC7.3) | Log actions and ensure traceability | Capable provides immutable audit logs, ensuring every action is traceable to a specific user. |
📖 Examples of SOC 2-Relevant Use Cases
✏️ Policy Reviews: Require approvals from security or legal stakeholders before publishing policies.
⚙️ Change Requests: Use Capable to manage approvals for infrastructure or software changes.
📊 Risk Assessments: Ensure sign-off from compliance leads before finalizing risk decisions.
🔢 Access Reviews: Add approvals for documenting access rights changes or user offboarding.
📆 Scheduled Recertification: Use recurring approvals and Confluence Calendar to drive review cadences.
💡 Best Practices for Using Capable Approvals in a SOC 2 Program
Configure approval macros in all key documents that require traceability and accountability.
Train staff to use Capable and Confluence consistently.
Use Confluence's built-in version history to support document lifecycle management.
Set Confluence permissions appropriately to restrict access to approval workflows.
Establish an internal SOP for recurring approvals and documentation reviews.
🌐 Summary
Capable Approvals provides a flexible and powerful approval engine inside Confluence, designed to support audit-readiness and operational consistency. While SOC 2 does not require certification of a specific tool, using Capable as part of your documentation and compliance workflows ensures:
Complete and traceable decision records
Restricted access and change tracking
Strong support for risk and change management
When used within a well-governed Confluence instance, Capable Approvals strengthens your SOC 2 control environment.