A-LIGN Releases Fifth Annual Compliance Benchmark Report

Tampa, Fla. – Jan. 28, 2025 – A-LIGN, the leading provider in cybersecurity compliance, launched its fifth annual Compliance Benchmark Report. This year’s report features insights from more than 1,000 global respondents across diverse industries, making it one of the most robust perspectives on compliance priorities, challenges, and best practices available.

“A-LIGN’s 2025 Compliance Benchmark Report uncovers crucial insights into the evolving priorities and challenges facing compliance teams today, from AI compliance to growing audit complexities,” said Scott Price, CEO of A-LIGN. “The findings align with our mission to deliver high-quality audits that not only meet regulatory and market needs, but also build trust with customers and mitigate risk. This year’s report demonstrates the importance of A-LIGN’s unique ability to help our customers seamlessly manage their audit cycles with a single provider.”

Findings from the 2025 Compliance Benchmark Report highlight four key themes among respondents:

Audit quality reigns supreme

Companies continue to prioritize a high-quality audit above all. According to this year’s report, 70% of respondents say audit report quality is extremely important, with technical rigor driving this choice.

The most important factors for a high-quality audit include the number of controls tested (36%) and length of report (26%).

Artificial intelligence compliance is surging

A staggering 90% of respondents have an AI compliance policy or are working on one. Plus, many companies are taking things a step further with 76% of respondents planning to pursue an AI audit or certification in the next two years.

SOC 2 is not enough

According to our survey, SOC 2 has shifted from a competitive differentiator to a baseline expectation. Most organizations now recognize that they need additional frameworks and certifications to satisfy client and regulatory expectations. 92% of organizations conduct two or more audits and 58% conduct four or more.

Audit complexity is growing

This year’s report found that enterprise organizations are more than twice as likely (35% vs. 15%) as their smaller counterparts to conduct six or more audits per year.

As businesses grow, so does the complexity of their compliance needs. Growing companies are looking for solutions to manage the demands of modern compliance, driving demand for services like audit consolidation and harmonization

To download the full report and for more information about A-LIGN, visit www.a-lign.com.

About A-LIGN

A-LIGN is the leading provider of high-quality, efficient cybersecurity compliance programs. Combining experienced auditors and audit management technology, A-LIGN provides the widest breadth and depth of services including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, FedRAMP, CMMC and penetration testing. A-LIGN is the number one issuer of SOC 2 and a leading HITRUST and FedRAMP assessor. To learn more, visit a-lign.com.