Menu
Get Ready
SOC 2 Readiness Assessmentsoc2.zip Prep PackageCompare service firms
SOC 2 Readiness FirmsPenetration Testing FirmsvCISO FirmsISO 27001 ConsultantsCompliance ConsultantsAll Service FirmsISO 27001 is the international information-security certification enterprise buyers outside North America expect, and the right consultant is what gets you to a clean Stage 2 audit. These 33 firms build and prepare your ISMS, then hand off to an accredited certification body for the audit. Below you will find use-case picks, the certification cost and timeline, how to screen out body-shops, and how to run ISO 27001 and SOC 2 as one program.
Five picks for the engagements buyers actually run: UK certification at volume, ISO with CREST pentesting from one provider, SOC 2 plus ISO as one dual-framework project, boutique internal audit and GRC tooling, and enterprise multi-framework scale. Each names one firm with the qualifier that earned the pick.
URM Consulting is the pick for UK organisations pursuing ISO 27001 certification, having helped over 400 organisations achieve it, as an NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor and CREST-accredited consultancy that also covers SOC 2 readiness, GDPR, and pentesting.
Precursor Security is the pick for UK organisations that want ISO 27001 consultancy and triple-CREST-accredited penetration testing from one provider, with offensive findings tied back to the controls auditors check and fed into its own 24/7 UK SOC.
Control and Function is the pick for US SaaS companies that want SOC 2 and ISO 27001 run as a single fixed-scope, fixed-price dual-framework engagement, platform-neutral and handed off cleanly to independent auditors.
Illumen is the pick for smaller organizations and startups that need ISO 27001 internal audit, GRC-platform implementation, and vCISO support from a boutique consultancy founded by Pacific Northwest security leaders with 45+ years of combined experience.
Tevora is the pick for organizations that need ISO 27001 handled alongside SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITRUST, and CMMC at enterprise scale, with 1,000+ clients served and executive CISO-level support.
These firms build and prepare your ISMS. An accredited certification body (not these firms) runs the audit and issues the certificate. Listed verified-first; placement never reorders by who pays.
Best for · Healthcare, finance, and government organizations across MENA and GCC seeking ISO 27001, SOC 2, HITRUST, or data privacy certifications with regional regulatory expertise.
Differentiator · One of the few firms with dual US+UAE presence and deep MENA/GCC regulatory knowledge (UAE PDPL, regional health data frameworks), with transparent FTE-based monthly pricing published on-site.
Best for · Growing businesses seeking fast, fixed-fee compliance readiness across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR with hands-on implementation support and compliance platform management.
Differentiator · Claims 100% certification success rate and 6-week average time to audit readiness through a structured Achievement Plan with end-to-end ownership model.
Best for · SMBs in the Microsoft ecosystem needing fully managed compliance (SOC 2, CMMC, ISO 27001) alongside IT support and security under one roof.
Differentiator · Microsoft Partner of the Year winner that manages the entire compliance process including GRC platform setup (Drata/Vanta), auditor coordination, and 72-hour SLA remediation - not just advisory.
Best for · SaaS companies of roughly 50 to 300 employees that want fixed-scope, fixed-price SOC 2 readiness driven end to end, with a clean hand-off to an independent auditor.
Differentiator · Platform-neutral and operationally led, built on running a SOC 2 Type II program end to end with no MSP or compliance platform, and it never performs the audit itself by design.
Best for · Globally-distributed organizations needing broad multi-framework compliance consulting - SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, HITRUST - with offices across 5 countries.
Differentiator · 18+ year consultancy with 500+ implementations and offices in USA, Canada, Germany, India, and Mauritius, covering the widest range of frameworks including newer ones like ISO 42001, DORA, TISAX, and DPDP.
Best for · Australian businesses and government-adjacent organizations needing CREST-certified penetration testing combined with SOC 2 or ISO 27001 readiness.
Differentiator · Australian-owned CREST-certified firm with NV2/Baseline government security clearances, offering fast-track SOC 2 readiness in 6-8 weeks and coordinating with a licensed US CPA firm for attestation.
Best for · High-growth UK businesses that need fractional CISO leadership plus hands-on certification support for ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance.
Differentiator · Partner-led firm (no junior account executives) offering end-to-end ISO 27001 and SOC 2 readiness for UK scale-ups, with direct leadership access within 30-60 minutes.
Best for · Growing companies that need a US-based team to build and run a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 program end-to-end, from gap assessment through audit, rather than just buy compliance tooling.
Differentiator · Pairs each client with a two-person team (a virtual CISO plus a cybersecurity analyst) and reports that none of its clients have failed a security audit.
Best for · Organizations of any size that want a fully managed compliance program with an advisory CISO model starting at ~$18K/year.
Differentiator · Fixed-fee advisory CISO model with CISSP-holding practitioners; guarantees to pay for a new audit if the compliance program fails; serves clients from 5 to 1,000+ employees.
Best for · Smaller organizations and startups that need GRC and vCISO support to stand up or mature a compliance program across SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, or CMMC.
Differentiator · A boutique GRC consultancy founded by Pacific Northwest security leaders with 45+ years combined experience; offers framework scoping tools and GRC-platform implementation.
Best for · Indian SaaS, FinTech, and cloud companies targeting enterprise deals in US, UK, UAE, or Australia that need end-to-end SOC 2 readiness from a CERT-In empanelled partner.
Differentiator · Claims 250+ SOC 2 engagements and 100% audit success rate; CERT-In empanelled; offers a free gap snapshot and CPA auditor coordination as part of readiness service.
Best for · Growing companies that need end-to-end audit readiness across ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, and HITRUST without hiring a full-time internal compliance team.
Differentiator · Runs a managed-GRC model that builds, documents, and tests the program through internal audits, then hands off cleanly to a C3PAO, CPA firm, or certifying body; it never issues the certificate itself.
Best for · UK organisations that want CREST-accredited penetration testing and ISO 27001 consultancy from one provider, with findings tied back to the controls auditors check.
Differentiator · Holds triple CREST accreditation (pen testing, vulnerability assessment, and SOC) and runs a 24/7 UK-based SOC, so offensive findings feed its own detection and compliance work.
Best for · Startups and growth-stage SaaS companies seeking a one-stop cybersecurity partner covering vCISO, compliance readiness, penetration testing, and ISO 27001 internal audits.
Differentiator · Founded 2015 in NYC as a pen testing firm; serves 1,000+ companies including Duolingo; Global InfoSec Award winner 2023; full-stack compliance and testing from SOC 2 to FedRAMP to AI/LLM pen testing; also offers PCI ASV scanning.
Best for · UK organisations - especially public sector, healthcare, and finance - needing boutique SOC 2 and ISO 27001 consultancy with a 100% certification success guarantee from a CISA/CISM-certified sole practitioner.
Differentiator · G Cloud 14 approved UK Government supplier; founder holds CISM, CISA, NCSC CCP IA Auditor Senior Practitioner, and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor credentials; partners with a PCAOB-registered CPA for independent SOC 2 attestations; 20+ years experience.
Best for · Organizations seeking a global cybersecurity partner covering SOC 2 readiness, ISO 27001 consulting, penetration testing, and managed SOC services across the US and India.
Differentiator · Dual US/India presence with CREST accreditation and a broad compliance menu spanning SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, GDPR, and DPDP (India), served from Pittsburgh headquarters and a GIFT City office.
Best for · Mid-market companies (roughly 25 to 1,000 employees) facing a SOC 2 requirement, an unanswerable security questionnaire, or a departed CISO who need a named security executive within two weeks.
Differentiator · Staffed entirely by former CISOs (its founder co-authored the Wiley NIST CSF book); publicly traded (OTCQB: SDCH) and runs engagements on its RealCISO platform.
Best for · US-based mid-market and emerging companies that need a full cybersecurity program: SOC 2 readiness, penetration testing, vCISO, and multi-framework compliance under one roof.
Differentiator · Expertise-Driven Cybersecurity® brand; proprietary Risk to Revenue Methodology™ for B2B tech; published Cyber Rants podcast and book; locations in Phoenix/Scottsdale and Boise.
Best for · SaaS and tech companies scaling toward enterprise sales requiring SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR compliance without prior compliance experience
Differentiator · Pragmatic, no-template approach: 'No templates, no guesswork. Just a clear path forward, with people who've walked it hundreds of times.' Multi-framework coverage with end-to-end guidance from gap assessment through implementation.
Best for · Organizations - especially federal, state/local, and defense contractors - needing independent IT testing, compliance readiness, and verification and validation across a broad stack of US government and commercial frameworks.
Differentiator · Strong federal government focus with established government contract vehicles; combines IT testing and software quality assurance with compliance advisory, covering accessibility (Section 508/WCAG) alongside security frameworks.
Best for · Organizations requiring expert compliance and cybersecurity services across multiple frameworks with executive CISO-level support
Differentiator · 1000+ clients served, 1000+ audits performed; specialized expertise in compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO, PCI, HIPAA, HITRUST, CMMC) with emphasis on client experience and outcomes
Best for · Startups, scale-ups, and defense industrial base companies that want managed compliance and security programs with expert practitioners, backed by a 100% certification success rate and G2 High Performer recognition.
Differentiator · 100% SOC 2 certification success rate (self-reported); 4.9/5 rating on G2 across IT Compliance Services and Cybersecurity Consulting; structured tiered service from startups through DIB with CMMC and AI risk as explicit verticals.
Best for · SMBs and government contractors that need one dedicated virtual CISO to get audit-ready for SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC, or FedRAMP without hiring a full-time security team.
Differentiator · A veteran- and woman-owned firm (VOSB/WOSB) led directly by a 30-year industry veteran and author, reporting a 100% first-attempt audit pass rate.
Best for · Companies needing a full-service cybersecurity partner for SOC 2 readiness, PCI DSS QSA assessment, penetration testing, and vCISO - with expertise in managing the full audit lifecycle.
Differentiator · Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for PCI DSS Level 1, enabling formal PCI assessments in addition to SOC 2 and ISO 27001 readiness; dedicated vendor risk management and security program operation services.
Best for · UK organisations that want ISO 27001 certification support plus SOC 2 readiness, GDPR, and penetration testing from a single accredited consultancy.
Differentiator · Has helped over 400 organisations achieve ISO 27001 certification; an NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor and CREST-accredited firm spanning ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI, and pen testing.
Best for · SMBs and growth-stage startups that want embedded, month-to-month security leadership with SOC 2 readiness and a penetration test bundled into one engagement.
Differentiator · A practitioner-led firm (CISSP, OSCP, CREST) that runs compliance and offensive testing inside a single engagement and includes a pentest at no extra cost; month-to-month, no annual lock-in.
Best for · Latin American organizations seeking a Spanish-language cybersecurity partner with 25+ years of experience across compliance certification and ethical hacking.
Differentiator · One of the few Latin American firms offering virtual CISO plus hands-on certification support across ISO 27001, PCI DSS v4, SOC 2, HIPAA, and HITRUST in Spanish.
Best for · B2B SaaS companies and startups needing rapid SOC 2 compliance for enterprise sales
Differentiator · Europe's first ISO 42001-certified AI-native consultancy using AI-enhanced compliance methods with premium partnerships
Best for · Organizations across Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and global markets needing multi-framework compliance consulting (SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR) with a technology-assisted approach.
Differentiator · Global multi-office presence (USA/UK/Philippines/India/UAE/Singapore) with an AI-powered GRC automation platform and claims 100% certification success rate across frameworks.
Best for · Indian and Middle East-based technology companies seeking VAPT, SOC 2 readiness, and ISO 27001 consulting from a cybersecurity specialist.
Differentiator · Covers both compliance readiness (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA) and offensive security (pentest, red team, VAPT) with regional presence across India, Middle East, and South-East Asia.
Best for · Organizations needing a broad range of GRC consulting, penetration testing, and training across SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and regulatory frameworks in the US, UK, and EU.
Differentiator · Global GRC firm (rebranded as GRC Solutions) with CHECK and CREST-accredited penetration testing, covering US, UK, EU and Ireland; also offers toolkits, training, and books via an e-commerce shop.
Best for · Enterprises needing a full-spectrum, CREST-accredited cybersecurity partner covering testing, vCISO, managed SOC, and compliance readiness across EMEA and globally.
Differentiator · Holds 10 CREST accreditations - claimed to be one of only a few organisations worldwide with the full suite; global presence in 150+ countries under LRQA Group; handles SOC 2 readiness, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS compliance alongside pen testing and 24/7 managed SOC.
Best for · Seed-to-Series B startups needing SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance consulting, penetration testing, and virtual CISO support with transparent published pricing.
Differentiator · Founder led security at Aircall, Citibank, and Talkdesk; launched 2024 with explicit published pricing (SOC 2 consulting $8K-$12K, pentest from $4K, vCISO from $2K/mo); 100% audit pass rate claimed; US and EU presence from Portugal base.
List or upgrade your firm on this page →
An ISO 27001 consultant builds and prepares your Information Security Management System (ISMS): the scope, the risk assessment and treatment plan, the Statement of Applicability, the Annex A controls, the policy set, and the mandatory internal audit. They get you audit-ready; an accredited certification body then runs the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits and issues the certificate.
The distinction that matters is between documentation and operation. ISO 27001 certifies a management system that is genuinely running, not a binder of policies. A strong consultant implements controls alongside your engineers, structures evidence the way an auditor expects to see it, and stays through certification and the annual surveillance audits. The ISMS has to demonstrate continual improvement, so the work does not end the day the certificate prints. Be wary of any firm that hands over a template pack and disappears before Stage 2, because at Stage 2 the certification body looks for records that the controls have been operating, not just written down.
Compare on deliverable and independence, not just headline price. The proposals worth shortlisting name the ISMS scope, the controls in and out, who writes the policies, who implements the technical controls, how internal audit is covered, and a clean hand-off to a separate certification body. The firm that builds your ISMS should never also be the body that certifies it.
A few questions reliably expose a body-shop, the kind of firm that resells a generic toolkit and bills for hours without moving your controls forward. Ask who does the work: a named practitioner with ISO 27001 lead-implementer or lead-auditor experience, or junior staff working off a checklist. Ask to see a sample Statement of Applicability and a gap report, redacted, so you can judge whether the firm thinks in risks and controls or in copied-and-pasted policy text. Ask whether implementation is hands-on or advisory-only, because advisory-only firms leave the hardest work, building and evidencing the controls, with your team. Ask how they handle the internal audit and management review, both of which ISO 27001 mandates and both of which a weak consultant skips. Finally, ask whether they support the surveillance audits in years two and three, or whether they price only the first certificate and move on. UK and EU buyers should also confirm whether the firm holds independent credentials such as CREST accreditation or NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor status, which signal vetted competence rather than a self-declared specialism.
A consultant and a compliance platform solve different halves of the same project, and most teams run both. A platform like Vanta or Drata collects and monitors evidence on a schedule. It does not decide your ISMS scope, run the risk assessment, justify each Annex A control in the Statement of Applicability, or perform the mandatory internal audit. That judgment work is what an ISO 27001 consultant delivers.
The failure mode is treating the platform as the whole answer. Automation gathers the artefacts a certification body samples, but ISO 27001 certifies a management system that is genuinely running and continually improving, not a dashboard of green checks. A consultant designs that system, maps a single control set to the framework, coaches you through the internal audit and management review, and prepares you for a clean Stage 2. The efficient stack for most teams is a consultant for the design and preparation and a platform for the evidence collection underneath it. Any firm that positions its tool as a replacement for the ISMS work is selling you evidence plumbing, not certification readiness.
If you are a SaaS company or startup, the fastest path is usually a fixed-scope, fixed-price gap-and-build with a firm that works with teams your size. Scope is typically a single cloud product, which keeps the ISMS boundary tight and the engagement focused, and several firms on this page specialize in exactly this profile.
Two things move a SaaS engagement. First, sequencing against your pipeline: if your nearest deals are North American, many teams certify SOC 2 first and fold ISO 27001 in afterward, reusing the controls they already built, because ISO 27001 and SOC 2 share most of their underlying controls. If you sell into the UK, EU, or APAC, enterprise buyers usually expect ISO 27001 directly. Second, the level of hands-on help you need: a startup with engineers who can implement controls may want a coaching-led engagement, while a team with no security owner wants a consultant who builds the controls alongside them. Ask each firm whether it works with companies your size, whether it runs dual-framework programs, and whether implementation is hands-on or advisory-only, so you are not left doing the hardest work with a checklist.
ISO 27001 certification rests on the independence of the certification body. A body that audits a system its own colleagues built cannot be impartial about it, so accreditation rules keep consulting and certification apart. When one firm offers to both implement and certify, treat it as a red flag rather than a convenience.
In practice this means your engagement has two contracts and two invoices. The consultant prepares the ISMS and coaches you through the internal audit. The accredited certification body, an organisation accredited by a national body such as UKAS in the United Kingdom or an ANAB-recognised body in the United States, then runs Stage 1 and Stage 2 and decides whether to issue the certificate. A certificate from a non-accredited body carries far less weight with enterprise procurement, so confirm the body your consultant recommends is accredited before you commit. The upside of the split is real: an independent auditor finds the gaps your consultant missed, and the certificate you earn means something to the buyer reviewing your security questionnaire.
Budget for two separate costs. Consultant fees to build and prepare the ISMS run from the low five figures for a focused gap-and-build engagement to roughly $40,000 to $90,000 for a hands-on program at a mid-size company. The accredited certification body then charges its own Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit fees, plus annual surveillance audits across the three-year cycle.
The spread is wide because scope and starting maturity drive it. A small SaaS company with a single product, a tidy cloud footprint, and some controls already in place sits at the low end. A larger or multi-site organisation with legacy systems, broader scope, and little existing documentation sits at the high end, where the consultant is effectively standing up the security program from scratch. The certification-body fee scales with headcount and the number of sites in scope, and it recurs every year as surveillance, so the three-year total is meaningfully higher than the first-year sticker. The practical move when comparing firms is to ask each one to quote consultant fees separately from certification-body fees, so you are comparing like for like rather than one bundled number against another.
If you need both certifications, build the control set once. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 share most of their underlying controls, so a combined program that maps a single set of controls to both frameworks is usually cheaper and faster than running them in sequence.
The overlap is substantial: access management, encryption, change management, vulnerability management, logging, and incident response all satisfy requirements on both sides. What differs is the wrapper. ISO 27001 asks for the management-system scaffolding, the risk assessment, the Statement of Applicability, the internal audit and management review, while SOC 2 asks for evidence mapped to the Trust Services Criteria and a CPA to attest to it. A consultant who runs dual-framework engagements builds the common controls once, then produces the ISO-specific artefacts and the SOC 2 evidence in parallel, and hands off to an accredited certification body for ISO and a licensed CPA for SOC 2. Several firms on this page run exactly this model, which is the efficient path when your buyers in North America expect SOC 2 and your buyers in the UK, EU, or APAC expect ISO 27001. The sequence question still matters: if your nearest deals are North American, many teams certify SOC 2 first and fold ISO 27001 in afterward, reusing the controls they already built.
Let your buyers decide the order. If your pipeline is mostly North American, SOC 2 is usually the faster path to unblocking deals. If you sell into the UK, EU, Middle East, or APAC, enterprise buyers typically expect ISO 27001 and often will not accept SOC 2 as a substitute.
Because the two frameworks share most of their controls, the framework you start with becomes the foundation for the second. Starting with SOC 2 gives you a control set and evidence base that an ISO 27001 consultant can wrap in the management-system requirements later. Starting with ISO 27001 gives you a documented ISMS that already covers most of the Trust Services Criteria. Either way, the firms on this page that run dual-framework engagements avoid duplicating the policy and evidence work, so the second certification costs far less than the first did.
The two prove security to different audiences and arrive through different paths. The control work overlaps; the deliverable, the issuer, and the buyer do not.
| Factor | ISO 27001 | SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| What you receive | Certificate of a working ISMS (3-year cycle) | Attestation report on controls (annual) |
| Who issues it | Accredited certification body | Licensed CPA firm |
| Who expects it | UK, EU, Middle East, APAC buyers | North American buyers |
| What the consultant builds | Scope, risk assessment, Statement of Applicability, Annex A controls | Trust Services Criteria controls and evidence |
| How costs split | Consultant fees plus a separate certification-body audit | Readiness plus a separate CPA attestation |
An ISO 27001:2022 engagement runs from scoping through Stage 2, then into the surveillance cycle. The consultant builds and prepares the ISMS at every stage; the certification body audits it and issues the certificate. Keep those two roles in different hands.
Define the boundary of the Information Security Management System, then assess the current state against ISO 27001:2022 and its Annex A controls. The output is a prioritized remediation plan and a defensible scope statement.
Run the risk assessment and treatment plan, produce the Statement of Applicability that justifies each Annex A control, and implement policies and technical controls. This is the heaviest phase and where a hands-on practitioner earns the fee.
ISO 27001 requires an internal audit and a documented management review before certification. The consultant runs or coaches these, surfaces nonconformities, and closes them so nothing new appears at Stage 2.
The accredited certification body reviews your documentation at Stage 1, audits the ISMS in operation at Stage 2, then issues the certificate and returns for annual surveillance audits across the three-year cycle. A good consultant supports you through all of it, not just the first certificate.
The framework, cost, independence, and consultant-versus-tooling questions to settle before you sign with an ISO 27001 consultant.
Send your scope, target markets, and timeline. We route it to firms that fit, and they reply with a ballpark and an approach. Anonymous until you pick.
Free and anonymous. At least 3 quotes in 48 hours. One call, not five.