Security in Cloud-Native VANs: SOC 2, Encryption, and Partner Access Controls Explained

Selecting a cloud-native Value-Added Network (VAN) is about more than just lowering EDI costs or consolidating services. For finance and IT leaders, the bigger questions center on data security, compliance, and risk. With EDI streams often carrying contracts, supply chain data, and sometimes sensitive information, switching providers can feel risky. We understand this because we’ve designed Nexus VAN to be a secure, transparent platform tailored for professionals who demand both operational efficiency and peace of mind.

Why Security Is Central in Cloud-Native VANs

Modern EDI is critical to business operations. Documents flowing across a VAN include order and invoice data, logistics information, and confidential trading details. Finance and technology executives have to balance cost pressures against the need for regulatory compliance and security. Moving away from a legacy EDI VAN is a significant decision that has to be justified on both operational efficiency and how it secures your business data.

• Trading partners and auditors require formal security certifications and controls.
• Your exposure now includes the full cloud security posture of your VAN provider.
• Poorly managed access controls or misconfigured mailboxes can create real data breaches.

Cloud-native architecture only matters if it makes everyday operations safer and easier, not riskier or more complex. That’s why every part of Nexus VAN’s infrastructure and support is built around robust, independently validated controls.

SOC 2 for VANs: What’s Covered and Why It Counts

Many RFPs and service contracts now specify SOC 2 as a requirement. But what does that actually provide?

• Security: Prevents unauthorized access to systems and data.
• Availability: Ensures the service is reliable and disruptions are minimized.
• Confidentiality & Privacy: Safeguards data, especially for regions and industries with specific mandates.
• Processing Integrity: Guarantees that transactions are complete and accurate.

At Nexus VAN, we operate under SOC 2-compliant frameworks with documented controls for access, change management, monitoring, and data encryption. This not only satisfies due diligence but creates a simple paper trail for your compliance teams. Our 99.998% uptime and well-governed migration process allow organizations to switch providers without compliance gaps or unplanned downtime.

Key SOC 2 Controls at Work:

• Role-based access, multi-factor authentication, and regular access reviews for all users and internal staff
• Documented and approved changes to the infrastructure managed through secure pipelines
• Full logging and monitoring, with rapid incident response backed by strict SLAs
• Encryption at rest and in transit, with strong key management policies
• Controls for managing external connections and trading partner interconnects

Encryption: Securing Data In Transit and At Rest

Encryption is the heart of cloud-native security. We ensure:

• All EDI transmissions use secure protocols, such as AS2 (with signed and encrypted messages), SFTP (key-based authentication), and REST APIs over HTTPS
• Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2 or higher) is standard for all web and API access
• Data at rest in databases and storage volumes is protected with strong encryption, with separate keys and regular key rotation

These technical controls are not just compliance checkboxes, but foundational for trust. They also make audits and incident reviews straightforward, which is something every auditor and risk officer values.

Identity and Partner Access Controls: Practical Security in Action

Access control in legacy EDI VANs is often blunt, making it hard to limit exposure or track who changed what. Nexus VAN uses a granular, cloud-native approach so our customers can assign precise permissions to every user and partner mailbox:

• You can create unlimited user IDs and mailboxes at no extra charge, which encourages role separation and avoids risky credential sharing
• Role-based access ensures staff can only access what’s needed for their job
• Admin and finance users are protected by strong authentication requirements, including multi-factor authentication
• Every action in the portal is logged for auditability

This level of control reduces both the risk of accidental error and intentional misuse. It also allows security teams to document their compliance posture without chasing down undocumented accounts or lost passwords.

Network Segmentation and Zero Trust: Preventing Unwanted Access

One of the realities of cloud-native platforms is that everything is interconnected. Rather than accepting this as a risk, we use network segmentation and zero trust principles throughout Nexus VAN. That means:

• Virtual private networks and strict firewall policies isolate sensitive components
• Internal communications and service calls are authenticated and authorized, never assumed to be safe by default
• Customer-facing APIs and portals are protected by application-layer firewalls

Even if an attacker breaches a minor component, they cannot move laterally across our systems. These are the same precautions that global enterprises require from their most trusted partners.

Continuous Monitoring and Automated Compliance

Complacency is one of the largest risks in any IT operation. To address this, we have automated monitoring and alerting throughout our infrastructure:

• Comprehensive logging captures connection events, configuration changes, and system performance
• Automated alerts notify us (and you, when appropriate) about anomalous traffic patterns or failed EDI transmissions
• Performance monitoring underpins our 99.998% uptime guarantee

Automated checks also extend to security policies and integration workflows. This reduces human error during migration and ongoing operations while giving you an auditable log of every critical event.

Security and Pricing: How Kilo-Character Billing Drives Transparency

Often, security and pricing are treated as unrelated priorities. We believe they are closely connected because accurate usage logging is needed for both compliant billing and secure operations. Nexus VAN uses a pure kilo-character (KC) model, which means:

• You pay only for the exact EDI data you transmit, not rounded volumes or arbitrary mailbox fees
• No hidden costs: no setup, migration, partner, or overage fees
• Billing can be easily reconciled with technical logs, supporting both your audit and finance teams

This reduces not just your monthly invoices, but removes surprises that complicate the procurement and compliance process. Security teams appreciate that there is never any incentive to obscure usage, and finance leaders value the ability to predict and validate spend. For more on this topic, see our piece on predictable EDI budgeting.

Managing Migration: Security and Continuity at Every Step

Switching EDI VANs can seem daunting. Disruptions, even short ones, cause delivery delays, angry partners, or missed revenue. We handle migration as a full-service partnership:

• Maintain active interconnects to every other VAN worldwide, so you and your trading partners do not require simultaneous re-platforms
• We include all migration services and tooling with our plans; no migration, setup, or mailbox fees
• Offer an intuitive dashboard that tracks every step, from document flows per partner to error and retry statistics
• Allow a 90-day free trial where you can run both systems in parallel, validating integrity and performance before final cutover
• Apply SOC 2-aligned controls to both production and pilot environments

As a result, the risk of switching is extremely low and fully transparent at each step. With included migration, unlimited IDs, and strong controls, your IT team has full oversight and your compliance team has a simple audit trail. For organizations ready to evaluate or consolidate VANs, our post on when to switch VAN providers offers more criteria to consider.

How To Evaluate Any Cloud VAN’s Security and Compliance

If you are comparing providers, insist on the following:

1. Request updated SOC 2 reports, including scope and documented control exceptions.
2. Ask about encryption standards (for both data in transit and at rest) and key management policies.
3. Verify that multi-factor authentication, least privilege, and role-based access are enforced for all admin and partner interfaces.
4. Request details on change management and incident response playbooks, with historical uptime data.
5. Ensure billing aligns with technical usage logs and matches a fully transparent pricing model (no setup, mailbox, migration, or partner fees).

This approach ensures you end up with a provider who is as invested in your risk management as you are. For a more comprehensive framework, our article on transparent EDI VAN billing models covers additional criteria for finance and IT directors.

The Real Risk: Staying with Opaque, Expensive Legacy VANs

The biggest barrier for many organizations is not technical or process-related, but fear of disruption. We’ve helped fast-growing manufacturers to multinational enterprises realize that moving to a secure, transparent VAN is less risky than persisting with outdated, high-overhead platforms. With Nexus VAN:

• Migrations are managed and fully supported, with clear documentation at each phase
• Security and compliance frameworks are built in, not bolted on
• Pricing is predictable, accurate, and easy to audit
• Operational performance (including uptime and response time) is continually monitored

When you stop paying for overages, mailbox allocations, and hidden fees, you gain not only savings but confidence in your data flows. You can explore more on the topic of hidden charges in our article breaking down hidden EDI VAN costs.

Ready to Experience Predictable Security and Costs?

Changing VANs doesn’t need to be a leap into the unknown. With transparent security, independently verified compliance, and a pricing structure that rewards accuracy, Nexus VAN demonstrates that reliability and risk mitigation can go hand in hand with significant cost savings. If you want a straightforward conversation about your VAN security, compliance, and migration needs, reach out to our EDI specialists for a live demonstration or to start your no-risk 90-day parallel trial. Experience risk-free migration, transparent billing, and genuine operational support—all with security you can trust.