Even Experts Need Experts: How Tag1 Fast-Tracked SOC 2 & GDPR Compliance with BD Emerson

Overview
Tag1, a global consulting leader in Drupal, AI, and mission critical web solutions, provides enterprise-grade security services to fortune 500 companies. No stranger to SOC 2 compliance requirements, Tag1 already had a mature engineering organization with embedded security best practices. But formalizing that excellence into audit-ready controls and documentation, while continuing to serve clients, required a trusted partner.

Challenge: Strong Security Foundations, but Informal Processes
Undertaking the process of SOC 2 certification while scaling, not only the company’s business goals but those of their clients, proved to be time consuming in the extreme. With a deep understanding of the attention to detail and accuracy required by SOC 2, Tag1 turned to BD Emerson for assistance, so that their team could stay focused on core business concerns like delivering client success and steering clear of costly distractions. Relying on BD Emerson empowered Tag1 to fast-track SOC 2 certification while fulfilling client expectations.
Key priorities included:
- Collecting trackable evidence of SOC 2-aligned technical and administrative controls
- Documenting identity, access, and cloud security infrastructure
- Preserving company culture while bolstering governance and accountability
- Solidifying privacy and data protection mechanisms according to GDPR obligations
Providing legal and compliance leadership, including external Data Protection Officer (DPO) services

Solution: Strategic Security, Without Losing Agility
BD Emerson embedded themselves across Tag1’s leadership, engineering, and operations teams. Instead of prescribing off-the-shelf templates, they tailored compliance controls to Tag1’s workflows using Vanta as the backbone for automation and monitoring.
Tag1’s leaders co-developed the strategy with BD Emerson, aligning it to their product and DevOps workflows for seamless adoption across teams.
“BD Emerson immediately stepped in, not just as consultants, but as strategic partners, helping us translate our already-strong security practices into formal, trackable processes by implementing Vanta.”
Why BD Emerson was the right partner for Tag1:
- Security, Technology, and Legal—All in One: BD Emerson brought an integrated approach, combining engineering know-how, compliance expertise, and legal privacy advisory to meet every facet of Tag1’s risk landscape.
- Long-Term Strategic Support: As ongoing security advisors and the organization’s official DPO, BD Emerson continues to support Tag1’s privacy compliance, vendor reviews, and customer assurance needs.
- Cultural Sensitivity and Partnership: Every control was cross-checked against the company’s workflows and values. This reinforced adoption, sustainability, and internal alignment.
BD Emerson didn’t just check the boxes, but helped build a compliance program Tag1 could own, sustain, and grow with.

Outcomes: Business Uninterrupted, Security Elevated
Tag1’s success is a testament to what happens when experts trust other experts. Tag1’s deep knowledge of infrastructure and client delivery met BD Emerson’s structured, scalable approach to compliance, resulting in faster SOC 2 certification, stronger privacy posture, and zero trade-offs in agility.
Key results include:
- SOC 2 Compliance Achieved on a Condensed Timeline
With BD Emerson’s assistance, Tag1 formalized the necessary controls and evidence programs to earn a clean SOC 2 report, achieving Type 1 in 3 months and Type 2 in 6 months. - Sustained Culture of Innovation
A rigorous compliance process was integrated into existing workflows rather than layered on top, which allowed Tag1 to remain fast-moving and innovation-focused. - Enhanced GDPR Posture
BD Emerson’s legal and privacy teams helped Tag1 implement meaningful privacy practices, conduct DPIAs, and meet cross-border requirements. - Ongoing Strategic Support
As Tag1’s external Data Protection Officer and security advisor, BD Emerson remains a core part of the company’s leadership fabric.

“Working with BD Emerson feels like having co-founders who just happened to specialize in security and compliance. The care they show, the energy they bring, it’s personal. It’s like they have an ownership stake in our company. They’re not just consultants. They’re in the fight with us, every step of the way.”
— Jeremy Andrews, CEO @ Tag1
Need a Partner That Shows Up Like an Owner?
At BD Emerson, we embed in your business. We don’t just meet the standard–we raise the bar. Whether your future hinges on a compliance milestone or you’re planning the next stage of growth, we treat your goals like our own.
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