What does SOP stand for?
SOP stands for Standard Operating Procedure. Standard operating procedure: step-by-step instructions for performing a routine task consistently and safely.
An SOP is a written, step-by-step instruction for carrying out a routine task the same way every time, whoever does it: creating a user account, patching a server, handling a lost laptop. Policies say what must be achieved, standards set the required measures, and procedures say exactly how. SOPs reduce mistakes, make work auditable and let a new team member do a task correctly on the first day.
SOP in practice: an example
A help desk's SOP for password resets says: verify the caller with two approved identifiers, reset the password in the admin console, force a change at next sign-in and log the ticket number. An auditor can later check any reset against those four steps.
What SOP is confused with
SOP vs policy: what is the difference?
A policy states intent and rules at a high level, for example that every caller must be verified before a reset. The SOP is the detailed sequence of steps that puts the policy into practice.
SOP vs same-origin policy: what is the difference?
In web security SOP can also mean same-origin policy, the browser rule that stops a script from one site reading data from another. On the Security+ and A+ acronym lists, SOP is the procedure document.
Which exams cover SOP?
SOP is on the official CompTIA acronym list for two of the four exams covered here.
- Security+ SY0-801: 1.2 (General Security Concepts); 5.1 (Security Program Management and Oversight).
- A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202: 220-1202 4.0 (Operational Procedures).
Each number is a CompTIA exam objective and the name in brackets is its domain. The exam puts the term in a scenario; it does not ask you to recite the expansion.
Check yourself: two practice questions
Written by CertSprint for this page. They are not taken from any exam.
1. An outage was caused by a technician skipping the backup before a firmware update. What would best prevent a repeat?
- A documented standard operating procedure for firmware updates
- A faster internet connection
- A new company logo
- A longer password policy
Show the answer
A. A documented standard operating procedure for firmware updates. A written procedure that includes the backup step makes the task repeatable and checkable. The other options have nothing to do with how the update is performed.
2. Which document tells an administrator the exact steps to disable a departing employee's accounts?
- The acceptable use policy
- The offboarding standard operating procedure
- The service-level agreement
- The business continuity policy
Show the answer
B. The offboarding standard operating procedure. Step-by-step instructions for a recurring task are a procedure. Policies and agreements state rules and commitments, not the actions to perform.
Sources: NIST glossary: standard operating procedures; NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Security and Privacy Controls (policy and procedures controls). The acronym and its expansion come from CompTIA's official acronym lists, linked from each exam glossary above. The explanation, example and questions are CertSprint's own, checked against these sources on 11 November 2026.