What term describes an independent audit by a separate organization to validate compliance with requirements?

• A. Internal Audit
• B. Certification
• C. Third-party Attestation of Compliance
• D. Verification

Answer: (C)

An independent audit by a separate organization to validate compliance with requirements is described as a third-party attestation of compliance. This means an external, objective auditor evaluates the organization’s controls against the required standards and issues a formal statement or report confirming whether compliance is met. The external nature of the assessment provides credible validation that the organization itself cannot claim, which is essential for buyers, regulators, or partners who rely on that confirmation.

Internal audits are conducted by the organization itself to improve processes, not to provide external validation. Certification refers to a formal recognition by an authorized third party that a system or process meets a standard, which is related but the framing here emphasizes the explicit external attestation aspect. Verification is a broader term for checking accuracy and can be done internally or externally but does not inherently imply a formal, independent attestation of compliance.