Cable Bahamas Enhances its Data Security Program

Cable Bahamas Limited and Group of Companies, a leading telecommunications services provider in The Bahamas, has added Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type 1 certification to its long list of accomplishments and certifications.

SOC is a widely recognized attestation of security and privacy standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) – that provides auditors with guidance for evaluating the operating effectiveness of an organization’s security protocols, and ensures service providers securely manage data to protect the interests of organizations and the privacy of their clients. Its criteria for managing customer data is based on the principles of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy.

SOC 2 certification is issued by independent, AICPA-affiliated CPAs who assess the extent to which a vendor complies with these principles, based on the systems and processes in place.

Obtaining this gold-standard certification affirms the continuing commitment of Cable Bahamas to information security best practices. To achieve SOC 2 compliance, the company underwent a year-long effort inclusive of a readiness assessment, controls remediation that involved investment in new technologies, documentation of policies and procedures, and finally the audit exercise. The formal audit was conducted by an independent accounting firm, Assure Professional.

“It is a testament to the strong data protection and risk management practices followed by Cable Bahamas,” said Shakera Rolle, Director of Information Security, Cable Bahamas Ltd.

“One of our core values is to ensure that our customers trust they are receiving products that are stable and secure. Security certifications such as SOC 2 independently validates that our company is handling customer data securely and in a manner that protects the organization as well as the privacy of our customers.”

According to Charnette Thompson, vice president, Cable Bahamas Business Solutions, having SOC 2 certification provides customers with confidence in the security and reliability of the company’s infrastructure to facilitate their production applications, offsite backup, and business continuity strategies.

“For our customers, this certification provides assurance that Cable Bahamas has taken appropriate measures to protect sensitive information and ensure that systems are secure and reliable. It also demonstrates that Cable Bahamas is committed to maintaining high standards of information security and has established controls to protect against potential risks or threats.

“Additionally, as many Bahamian businesses require their service providers to have SOC II certification to meet their own regulatory and compliance obligations, having this certification adds tremendous value, as it helps us to help our B2B customers achieve compliance with their security and data management policies.”

Cable Bahamas is among the few local cloud solutions providers that has taken the initiative to bolster its security posture with the SOC 2 certification, to create and maintain customer confidence in the security of their data.

“The achievement of SOC 2 Type 1 compliance is a huge milestone for the organization,” said Rolle. “I am extremely proud of the team for their execution of our security mission. This is only the foundation for our continuing commitment to protecting our infrastructure and customer data, so that we can scale and remain competitive. As a SOC-certified company, we must maintain our status and continuously take our security posture to the next level.”

The next milestone for Cable Bahamas is to pursue the SOC 2 Type 2 certification, which is a more rigorous and demanding standard. This will require the company to undergo annual audits, ongoing development, and the implementation of enhancements to its enterprise-level security measures.