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Cyber Security
Compliance Readiness Services That Get Enterprise Deals Unstuck
A prospect asked for your SOC 2 report, a HIPAA attestation, an ISO certificate or a 200-question security questionnaire, and the deal paused. Maven's compliance readiness services close the gap between "we take security seriously" and "here is the evidence," then hand you to an independent auditor ready to pass.
SOC 1 · SOC 2HIPAAISO 27001 · 42001PCI DSS v4.0.1NIST CSF 2.0CMMC on request
What Is a Compliance Readiness Assessment?
A compliance readiness assessment is a pre-audit review that compares your current controls, policies and evidence against a framework such as SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001 or PCI DSS, then produces a prioritized plan to close every gap before an independent auditor looks. Readiness is preparation; the audit itself is performed separately by a licensed CPA firm, certification body or QSA.
Who needs it
—SaaS and service companies whose enterprise prospects require a SOC 2 report or ISO certificate
—Healthcare vendors and business associates asked for HIPAA evidence; firms handling client, card or AI-processed data
—Manufacturers and suppliers being asked about NIST CSF or CMMC by a prime contractor
Why readiness
Why Enterprise Deals Stall at Security Review, and What Readiness Fixes
The trigger is a customer, not a regulator. Procurement asks for a SOC 2 report, a HIPAA risk analysis, an ISO 27001 certificate or a completed questionnaire, and without it the vendor is excluded from the RFP. The security team on the other side isn't evaluating your intentions; it's evaluating your evidence.
Readiness turns a scramble into a program. You learn exactly which controls the framework expects, which ones you already have, which ones are missing, and the shortest sequence to close them before the audit clock starts. Done right, the first audit is a formality and the second one is cheaper.
Most delays happen in readiness, not in the audit. Control implementation is the longest step; policy approval and engineering bandwidth are the usual bottlenecks, which is why Maven implements the technical fixes itself wherever it already runs your website, hosting or integrations.
What's included
What Our Compliance Readiness Services Include
Seven steps, scoped to the framework your customer named and sequenced to your deal timeline. Every step produces a document your auditor will ask for.
01
Scoping and Framework Selection
Which framework the customer actually asked for, which Trust Services Criteria, HIPAA safeguards or Annex A controls apply, and which systems, people and vendors are in scope.
02
Compliance Gap Assessment
Current controls versus required controls, scored and documented in a gap report with an owner and an effort estimate for every finding.
03
Remediation Roadmap
A prioritized, effort-sized plan sequenced to the deal: what unblocks the customer first, what the auditor needs next, what can wait for year two.
04
Policy and Procedure Writing
Information security, risk assessment, vendor management, incident response, access control and change management policies written for your stack, not downloaded from a template library.
05
Control Implementation Support
MFA, access reviews, logging, endpoint management, backups and training. Maven implements directly on systems it manages under website maintenance and coordinates with your IT provider on the rest.
06
Evidence Collection and Mock Audit
A control-to-evidence map, dry-run sample requests and population exports, so failures are fixed before they become findings.
07
Auditor Selection and Handoff
We help you choose an independent CPA firm (SOC), accredited certification body (ISO) or QSA (PCI) and support you through fieldwork. Maven does not issue the report; see attestation and audit support.
Frameworks
Frameworks We Prepare You For
Each one has a different audience, deliverable and clock. Not sure which your customer means? Start with the questionnaire and we'll map it.
SOC 1 and SOC 2 Readiness (Type I and Type II)
SOC 1 covers controls relevant to your customers' financial reporting (payroll, billing, loan servicing, fintech). SOC 2 covers the AICPA Trust Services Criteria: Security is required; Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality and Privacy are optional. Type I confirms design at a point in time; Type II tests operation over a 3-to-12-month period. Auditors expect a recent penetration test inside the window.Deliverable: SOC report issued by a licensed CPA firm · Readiness window: typically 6–14 weeks to Type I-ready · Who asks: North American enterprise buyers
HIPAA Compliance Readiness
The HIPAA Security Rule requires administrative, physical and technical safeguards for electronic protected health information, starting with a documented risk analysis. It applies to covered entities and to every business associate that touches their data: practice-management software, billing services, marketing agencies, hosting providers. There is no official HIPAA certification, so the evidence is the program itself: risk analysis, policies, training records, access controls and business associate agreements.Deliverable: Risk analysis, policy set and readiness report (self-attested; no government certificate exists) · Readiness window: 4–10 weeks · Who asks: Healthcare customers, covered entities, cyber insurers
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Readiness
The certifiable standard for an information security management system: clauses 4–10 plus 93 Annex A controls in four themes. Certification comes from an accredited body after Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, on a three-year cycle with annual surveillance. The 2013 edition is fully retired, so every new program is built to 2022.Deliverable: ISO 27001 certificate from an accredited certification body · Readiness window: roughly 3–6 months to Stage 1 · Who asks: European, APAC and global enterprise buyers
ISO/IEC 42001 Readiness (AI Management Systems)
Published in December 2023, ISO 42001 is the certifiable standard for governing AI systems you build, embed or operate: 38 Annex A controls across nine objectives, harmonized with ISO 27001 so both can share one evidence set. The same Maven team that delivers AI strategy and roadmapping writes the governance documentation. ISO 27017, 27018 and 27701 on request.Deliverable: ISO 42001 certificate · Readiness window: 3–6 months, less when combined with 27001 · Who asks: Customers of any company shipping AI features
PCI DSS v4.0.1 Readiness
v4.0.1 is the only active version; its future-dated requirements became mandatory March 31, 2025. Most merchants self-assess with an SAQ, while Level 1 merchants (more than 6M transactions a year) and Level 1 service providers need a QSA-led Report on Compliance. We scope your cardholder data environment, reduce it where possible, and pair readiness with segmentation and penetration testing.Deliverable: SAQ and AOC, or ROC and AOC via a QSA · Validation: annual · Who asks: Acquirers, processors and card-accepting customers
NIST CSF 2.0 Assessment
Released February 2024 with six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. It isn't a certification; the deliverable is a current-versus-target profile and tier that many buyers accept as proof of a managed program. The right first step when a customer's requirement is vague.Deliverable: CSF profile, tier rating and roadmap · Readiness window: 4–8 weeks · Who asks: Manufacturers, suppliers, insurers, boards
CMMC Readiness Ask Us
For defense contractors handling FCI (Level 1, 17 practices, annual self-assessment) or CUI (Level 2, the 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls). Phase 1 self-assessments have applied to new DoD contracts since November 10, 2025; the move to third-party C3PAO assessments was suspended in July 2026 pending a DoD review, while DFARS 7012 and SPRS scoring still apply.Status last reviewed: October 2026 · Talk to us before planning a Level 2 program
Not Sure Which Framework Your Customer Means?
Send us the questionnaire or the contract clause. We'll tell you which framework it maps to, what you already have and what it will take, usually within two business days. Send us the questionnaire →
What you get
Compliance Readiness Deliverables
—Scoping memo and framework mapping
—Gap report with scores and owners
—Remediation roadmap sequenced to your deal
—Policy and procedure set, written for your stack
—Risk register and vendor inventory with ratings
—Control-to-evidence map
—Mock-audit findings and fixes
—Auditor shortlist, introduction and fieldwork check-ins
Timelines
How Long Compliance Readiness Takes
Existing security program, some policies — 4–8 WEEKS — then audit or SOC 2 Type I
Starting from scratch, with a GRC platform — 8–14 WEEKS — then Type I, then the Type II window
Starting from scratch, manual evidence — 16+ WEEKS — then Type I, then the Type II window
HIPAA risk analysis and policy set — 4–10 WEEKS — then annual review
SOC 2 Type II observation period — 3–12 MONTHS — report 30–60 days after period end
ISO 27001, small company — 3–6 MONTHS — to Stage 1, then Stage 2 and certificate
Ranges are typical, not promises. Timelines depend on how many controls exist, how fast policies get approved and how much engineering time is available.
Why Maven
Builders, Not Auditors. Independent by Design.
We Implement the Fix
Readiness consultants usually hand you a list. Maven's web and infrastructure team closes the technical gaps itself on sites and servers it already runs under website maintenance, and the monitoring, hosting and patching we do becomes real control evidence.
Independent by Design
Maven does the readiness; an independent firm does the audit. That separation is exactly what AICPA independence rules expect, and it means nobody is grading their own homework. We coordinate the handoff through attestation and audit support.
One Team Across Growth and Governance
SEO, websites, AI and security from one Chicago-area partner with offices in Lake Zurich and Deerfield. For AI governance, the same people who build with AI strategy and roadmapping write the ISO 42001 documentation.
Proof
Coupon Pharm: Growth in a Regulated Category
Coupon Pharm sells prescription savings into a market where every partner asks about data handling before they ask about price. Maven's growth program delivered 3.1× organic traffic and a 64% increase in savings-card activations in nine months while keeping the site, forms and integrations inside a documented, HIPAA-aware control set. Read the Coupon Pharm case study →
Engagement model
How Compliance Readiness Is Scoped and Priced
Readiness is quoted as a fixed fee per phase, driven by the framework, company size and current maturity. A standalone gap assessment is the smallest engagement; readiness with implementation support is the most common. Audit fees are set by the independent auditor and quoted separately, never bundled into Maven's price.
FAQ
Compliance Readiness Questions
What is the difference between readiness and the audit?
Readiness is preparation and remediation performed by a consultant like Maven. The audit is an independent examination by a licensed CPA firm (SOC), accredited certification body (ISO) or QSA (PCI) that produces the report or certificate.
Can the same firm do readiness and the SOC 2 audit?
Generally no for the same engagement. AICPA independence rules prevent an auditor from evaluating controls it designed or operated, so the two roles are kept separate. Maven handles readiness and helps you select an independent auditor.
How long does SOC 2 readiness take?
Companies with some practices in place are usually Type I-ready in six to fourteen weeks. A Type II then needs an observation period of three to twelve months before the report can be issued.
Is there a HIPAA certification?
No. HHS does not certify organizations as HIPAA compliant. Compliance is demonstrated through a documented risk analysis, policies, training, access controls and business associate agreements. Third-party HIPAA attestations exist and can help with customers, but they are not a government certificate.
SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
Check what your customers and contracts specify. SOC 2 is the North American default; ISO 27001 is a globally recognized certificate favored in Europe and APAC. The controls overlap heavily, so many companies pursue both from one evidence set.
How much does compliance readiness cost?
It depends on the frameworks, your size and your maturity. Market rates put a gap assessment in the low thousands and readiness with implementation support in the $8K to $25K range; the audit is priced separately by the auditor. Maven quotes a fixed fee after a readiness call.
Related services
Attestation & Audit Support
Move from readiness to a SOC 1, SOC 2 or PCI report with an independent CPA firm or QSA, coordinated by Maven under one contract.
Penetration Testing
SOC 2 auditors, HIPAA risk analyses and PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 all expect regular testing. Scope it inside your readiness program.
AI Strategy & Roadmapping
AI governance, risk and usage policies that satisfy ISO 42001 and the AI questions now appearing in SOC 2 questionnaires.
Which Framework Did Your Customer Ask For?
Book a free readiness call. We'll confirm the framework, estimate your gap and give you a fixed-fee plan to be audit-ready before the deal goes cold.
