BARR is 1 of only A Handful of Firms in the U.S. Eligible to Perform Audits Against ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HITRUST, and CMMC

BARR Advisory is proud to say we are one of only a handful of firms in the U.S. eligible to perform audits against some of the industry’s most highly regarded frameworks, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HITRUST, and CMMC. As an accredited certification body, licensed CPA firm, Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) firm, HITRUST External Assessor, and Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO), BARR helps organizations streamline compliance across multiple frameworks while strengthening their overall security posture.

BARR was also among the first 10 U.S. firms accredited by ANAB for the “ISO Trifecta”—ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 42001—demonstrating our leadership in information security, privacy, and AI management system certifications. 

But what does that mean exactly? And how can organizations use BARR to leverage existing frameworks to boost their security posture?

In this post, we’ll explore how to:

• Streamline compliance across ISO 27001, SOC 2, HITRUST, PCI DSS, and CMMC with a coordinated audit approach.
• Leverage existing certifications to reduce duplicate work and accelerate future assessments.
• Strengthen security and save time with an “audit once, report many” strategy.

First, let’s look at how each framework differs and where they overlap.

ISO, SOC, HITRUST, PCI DSS, and CMMC—What’s the Difference?

These frameworks all help organizations improve their security posture, but each serves a different purpose and results in different deliverables.

ISO 27001 is a globally accepted standard that defines the requirements of an Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISO 27001 certification from an accredited certification body such as BARR demonstrates that an organization has successfully implemented and maintains an ISMS that meets the standard’s requirements.

SOC 2 examinations report on one or more of the AICPA‘s trust services criteria (TSC), including security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. A SOC 2 report demonstrates an organization’s commitment to customer requirements and cybersecurity best practices.

HITRUST CSF was developed in collaboration with healthcare and information security professionals to provide a prescriptive framework that simplifies complex security and regulatory requirements. It remains the most widely adopted security framework in the U.S. healthcare industry.

PCI DSS applies to all entities that store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data. If your organization accepts or processes payment cards, compliance with PCI DSS is essential. Depending on your organization’s needs, BARR’s PCI DSS compliance solutions include Reports on Compliance (RoCs), Attestations of Compliance (AoCs), and QSA-assisted Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs).

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the Department of War’s cybersecurity framework for organizations within the Defense Industrial Base that handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). As a C3PAO, BARR is authorized to conduct CMMC Level 2 certification assessments, helping defense contractors demonstrate compliance with Department of War cybersecurity requirements and maintain eligibility for defense contracts.

Leveraging HITRUST for ISO 27001

As a HITRUST External Assessor and accredited ISO 27001 certification body, BARR can complete all the necessary tasks and data collection processes for both HITRUST and ISO 27001 audits. At the same time, if an organization has already achieved HITRUST certification, it’s easy to map the controls already in place to ISO 27001 requirements, especially when assessment data already exists and is readily available in the MyCSF portal.

Since ISO 27001 auditors cannot provide guidance on how to fix issues or mitigate gaps during a certification audit, HITRUST can serve as an effective readiness assessment for ISO 27001. If your organization already has HITRUST in place, your external assessor can provide expert guidance and feedback on closing identified gaps ahead of your ISO 27001 audit, helping reduce the likelihood of nonconformities.

In addition to ISO 27001, HITRUST certification can help satisfy the requirements of other assessments like SOC 2. The AICPA’s trust services criteria align with the HITRUST CSF, allowing BARR to deliver SOC 2 and HITRUST engagements through a coordinated reporting model.

SOC 2 and ISO 27001—The Perfect Combination

While the two frameworks cover many similar topics, one key difference is that ISO 27001 results in a  certification, while SOC 2 engagements result in an independent attestation report.

As an internationally recognized standard, ISO 27001 is particularly valuable for organizations serving global markets. SOC 2 uses the AICPA’s TSC to provide customers and stakeholders with detailed assurance about the design and operating effectiveness of an organization’s controls.

BARR can leverage your SOC 2 report to support ISO 27001 certification efforts and vice versa. This allows organizations pursuing both to work with a single audit team, reducing duplication while improving efficiency. Achieving both demonstrates a strong commitment to security, strengthens customer confidence, and enhances your organization’s reputation.

Achieve PCI DSS Compliance Seamlessly

As your partner and a Qualified Security Assessor firm, BARR will guide you through every step of the PCI DSS compliance process. Through our proven four-phase methodology—planning, assessment, reporting, and issuance—we help organizations efficiently prepare for and achieve compliance.

This structured approach demonstrates your organization’s commitment to protecting payment card data while supporting ongoing compliance with the global standard.

CMMC and Existing Compliance Investments

Many organizations pursuing CMMC certification have already invested in frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, or NIST-based security programs. While CMMC has unique requirements specific to Department of War contractors, many of the underlying security controls overlap with existing compliance efforts.

As a C3PAO, BARR helps organizations identify where existing controls satisfy CMMC requirements and where additional work is needed. This coordinated approach reduces duplicate effort, simplifies evidence collection, and enables organizations to maximize the value of prior compliance investments while preparing for a successful CMMC assessment.

Benefits of BARR’s Coordinated Audit Approach

Organizations that leverage one framework to support another realize significant efficiencies. Beyond demonstrating a strong commitment to security and compliance, this coordinated approach enables an “audit once, report many” strategy that reduces duplicated effort, minimizes business disruption, and maximizes the return on your compliance investment.

Whether your organization is pursuing ISO 27001, SOC 2, HITRUST, PCI DSS, CMMC, or multiple frameworks simultaneously, BARR’s multidisciplinary team can help you identify overlapping requirements, streamline evidence collection, and coordinate assessments for a more efficient compliance journey.

To get started, determine which certifications, attestations, or assessments your stakeholders and contractual obligations require. Contact us to learn how our coordinated audit approach can help you strengthen your security posture while simplifying compliance.

*ISO 27001 certifications are issued by BARR Certifications, the certification body of BARR Advisory. 

**To preserve auditor independence, BARR does not perform both advisory and auditing for the same organization looking to achieve ISO certification.