Imagine a startup with twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base. No one on the team holds “compliance manager” in their job title, but security matters. A prospective enterprise customer next requests a SOC 2 report.
So where should you begin?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to download dozens of policies right away. What matters is to make a few decisions that decide what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Begin by Deciding What Your First Audit Will Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Among them, only Security is required. Include the other areas only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be identified before anyone starts collecting evidence. A needlessly broad scope creates extra work without necessarily improving the report’s value.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, provided the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification begins with an observation period, typically three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You do not have to get Type 1 before Type 2. Make sure you know what your customer requires before committing to either examination.
Close the Day-to-Day Security Gaps First
SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable when security controls are linked to ordinary business activities. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be retained by engineering teams. Company leadership should document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Policies must describe what employees actually do. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure offers limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
SOC 2 for saas companies comes down to demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor could request records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is harder than gathering them as activities occur. Small teams that need help can manage this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
The outcome of SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that performs the examination. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that includes SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. The independent audit is a separate cost. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Finishing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. This discipline helps make future examinations easier as a startup grows, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
