Klavis AI is proud to announce that we have successfully completed our System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II audit, a rigorous, independent validation of our commitment to enterprise-grade security. This milestone is a testament to our unwavering dedication to protecting our customers' data, ensuring that developers building on our platform do so on a foundation of verified trust and operational excellence.
For the AI application developers who rely on our open-source infrastructure to connect AI agents with external tools, this certification is more than just a badge. It is a formal assurance that our internal controls, policies, and procedures are designed and operate effectively to safeguard your most sensitive information against unauthorized access and emerging threats.
Deconstructing SOC 2: The Gold Standard for Security and Trust
In the world of cloud services and AI infrastructure, trust is not given; it is earned through transparent, verifiable processes. The SOC 2 framework, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), provides a rigorous and globally recognized standard for evaluating how a service organization manages and protects customer data. It has become the gold standard for security in the SaaS and PaaS landscape.
The framework is built upon five Trust Services Criteria (TSC), which serve as the pillars of a comprehensive security program.
1. Security (The Common Criteria): This is the mandatory, foundational criterion for every SOC 2 audit. It evaluates the protection of systems and data against unauthorized access, unauthorized disclosure of information, and any damage that could compromise the availability, integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of that data. Controls in this domain include everything from network firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability scanning to employee security training and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
2. Availability: This criterion focuses on ensuring that systems are available for operation and use as committed or agreed upon. It's not just about preventing downtime; it's about resilience. The audit assesses controls related to performance monitoring, robust disaster recovery plans, and systematic incident response protocols to ensure the infrastructure you rely on is dependable.
3. Processing Integrity: For platforms that handle critical operations, this criterion is paramount. It ensures that system processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized. It validates that your data is processed correctly and that the platform performs its functions without errors or unauthorized manipulation from input to output.
4. Confidentiality: This criterion addresses the protection of sensitive information that is designated as "confidential" from its point of collection to its final disposal. Key controls include robust data encryption for information both in transit (using protocols like TLS 1.3) and at rest (using algorithms like AES-256), as well as strict access controls and data handling policies.
5. Privacy: While related to confidentiality, the privacy criterion is distinct. It specifically addresses the collection, use, retention, disclosure, and disposal of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). It ensures that the handling of personal data aligns with the organization's privacy notice and the AICPA's generally accepted privacy principles (GAPP), giving end-users control and transparency over their data.
The Critical Distinction: Why a Type II Report Matters More
A SOC 2 audit results in one of two report types, and the difference between them is fundamental to the level of assurance they provide.
| Report Type | Scope of Audit | Assurance Level Provided | Analogy |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type I | Audits the design of a company's security controls at a single point in time. | Confirms that the security processes and controls are suitably designed "on paper." | It's like an architect's blueprint—it shows a solid plan, but doesn't prove the building can withstand a storm. |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audits the operational effectiveness of those controls over an extended period (typically 6-12 months). | Provides a higher level of assurance by proving the controls are not just well-designed but are consistently and effectively followed day-to-day. | It's like having engineers monitor the building through every season, confirming it stands strong against wind, rain, and snow. |
Klavis AI made the deliberate choice to undergo the more demanding Type II audit. We believe that true security is not a snapshot in time but a continuous, operational commitment. This report demonstrates that our security practices are not just theoretical policies but are deeply embedded in our daily operations, our culture, and our code. It is this sustained, proven effectiveness that builds lasting trust with our developer community.
A Developer's Guide to Inheriting Trust: The Tangible Benefits of Our Compliance
When you build with Klavis AI's infrastructure—from our hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to our flagship Strata product—you are creating a bridge between powerful AI models and a universe of external tools. This bridge inevitably carries sensitive data, including API keys, OAuth tokens, proprietary business logic, and user information. Our SOC 2 Type II compliance provides concrete, verifiable assurances about how we secure this critical connection.
1. Enterprise-Grade Data Protection, Out of the Box The audit rigorously validated our multi-layered defense strategy. This includes strong encryption for all data in transit and at rest, segmented network architectures, and strict logical and physical access controls. For you, this means the credentials, prompts, and data flowing through our MCP servers are shielded by a proven security framework, protecting you and your users from unauthorized access.
2. Validated and Hardened Internal Controls An independent, third-party auditor has inspected and stress-tested our internal processes. This encompasses everything from mandatory background checks and continuous security training for our engineers to our formal incident response plan and stringent vendor security management program. This confirms that we have the governance and operational maturity to manage risks effectively, reducing the likelihood of a breach caused by human error or procedural gaps.
3. A Foundation of High Availability and Reliability For AI applications to be mission-critical, their underlying infrastructure must be exceptionally reliable. Our compliance journey included validating our processes for proactive system monitoring, automated failover, comprehensive business continuity planning, and robust disaster recovery drills. This ensures the high uptime and resilience your applications demand, preventing disruptions to your service.
4. A Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) At Klavis AI, security is not a final checklist item; it is an integral part of our development process. Our SOC 2 audit scrutinized our entire engineering workflow, including mandatory peer code reviews, static and dynamic vulnerability scanning, dependency analysis, and meticulous change management protocols. This "shift-left" approach to security ensures that our platform is secure by design, minimizing vulnerabilities before they ever reach production.
The New Frontier of Risk: Why Security is Paramount for Connected LLMs
The true power of Large Language Models (LLMs) is unlocked when they can interact with the outside world through APIs. This is the core challenge Klavis AI solves with the Model Context Protocol (MCP). However, this connectivity creates a new and expanded attack surface that requires a sophisticated security posture.
Without a secure foundation, AI applications are vulnerable to a new class of threats:
- Credential and Token Leakage: The mishandling of API keys, OAuth tokens, or service account credentials can lead to catastrophic, widespread unauthorized access to connected services like GitHub, Slack, Salesforce, or Google Drive.
- Catastrophic Data Breaches: If the infrastructure connecting an LLM to a production database or a SaaS platform is compromised, the potential for exfiltration of sensitive customer or business data is immense. The average cost of a data breach has reached an all-time high in the U.S. at over $10 million, making prevention an economic and reputational necessity.
- Prompt Injection and Insecure Outputs: An attacker could potentially manipulate the data flowing to or from an LLM, leading to compromised outputs, flawed decision-making by the AI agent, or even the execution of malicious actions on integrated platforms.
- Erosion of Customer Trust: For developers building B2B applications, security is a primary purchasing criterion. A single security incident can permanently destroy an application's reputation and lead to irreversible customer churn. Studies reveal that around 70% of consumers would stop shopping with a brand that suffered a security incident.
To build safely in this new paradigm, developers must be aware of emerging, AI-specific threats. Authoritative frameworks like the OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications highlight critical risks such as Prompt Injection, Insecure Plugin Design, and Sensitive Information Disclosure. Adhering to comprehensive guidelines like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework provides a structured approach to building trustworthy, secure, and responsible AI systems.
By building on Klavis AI's SOC 2 compliant platform, you inherit a verified, enterprise-grade security posture. This allows you to accelerate your go-to-market strategy by satisfying the stringent security requirements of enterprise customers from day one, letting you focus on innovation instead of reinventing foundational security controls.
Our Unwavering Commitment: The Road Ahead
Security is not a destination; it is a continuous process of adaptation, improvement, and vigilance. Our SOC 2 Type II compliance marks a significant milestone, but it is not the finish line. We are deeply committed to maintaining and exceeding these standards, ensuring our platform remains a trusted foundation for the next generation of AI applications.
We invite you to build your next AI application with the confidence that comes from a secure-by-design infrastructure. Explore our open-source MCP server integrations, experience our hosted Strata server, and discover how our secure, scalable platform can accelerate your development.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. In simple terms, what is SOC 2 Type II compliance? SOC 2 Type II is a rigorous, independent audit that verifies a company's systems and controls are not only designed correctly but also operate effectively over a sustained period (typically 6-12 months) to protect customer data. It is widely considered a gold standard for security assurance in the cloud computing and SaaS industries, providing a much higher level of trust than a Type I report.
2. How does Klavis AI's SOC 2 compliance directly benefit me as a developer? It provides independent, third-party validation that Klavis AI has implemented and maintains enterprise-grade security controls to protect your data, API keys, and user credentials. This de-risks your application, saves you from the immense effort of building and auditing these foundational controls yourself, and significantly shortens the sales cycle by helping you meet the stringent security requirements of your own customers, particularly in the enterprise market.
3. Does using Klavis AI make my application SOC 2 compliant? While using Klavis AI does not automatically make your entire application SOC 2 compliant, it provides a compliant foundation for a critical part of your infrastructure. It allows you to inherit our security controls related to AI tool connectivity and data handling, significantly simplifying your own compliance journey. You can leverage our SOC 2 report to demonstrate to your auditors and customers that this part of your service is secure.