Your startup has twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. People take security seriously, though nobody holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. A handful of choices determines what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Decide What Your First Audit Should Cover
Controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. The criteria address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Of these, only Security is required. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup with a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. An unnecessarily broad scope creates additional work without necessarily improving the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often learn about two reporting options. Type 1 examines the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 examines their design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, assuming the customer accepts it.
For businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You don’t have to finish Type 1 before Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before paying for either examination.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps First
SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable when security controls are tied to ordinary business activities. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Developers should hold on to evidence of production changes and approvals. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Policies must match what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a polished procedure has limited value.
Gather Evidence as You Go
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You could be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is easier than reconstructing them months later. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
Technically, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that performs the examination. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which helps prepare and organize evidence.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are billed separately. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
Make the Process Sustainable After Your First Report
Finishing a SOC 2 examination isn’t the end of your security efforts. Your operations keep changing: employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Controls have to stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
