Picture a startup that has twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, yet no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. A prospective enterprise customer then asks for a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do first?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to collect dozens of policies immediately. The real first step is to make a few choices that decide what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Begin by Defining What Your First Audit Will Cover
Your controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they address. Security is required. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup offering 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. Keeping the scope unnecessarily broad creates additional work, but it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified frequently learn about two reporting options. Type 1 looks at the design of controls at a specified date. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 can be a useful starting point, so long as the customer accepts it.
Businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, typically three to twelve months, and then an independent examination. Type 1 is not a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Tackle the Day-to-Day Security Gaps First
When security controls are linked to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. For instance, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, set up a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals inside the development team. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. Policies must reflect what employees actually do. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that no one follows.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
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.
Reconstructing these records months later is much harder than collecting them as activities occur. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Teams add evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand Exactly What the Independent Audit Requires
The outcome of SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it cannot replace the independent auditor.
On the software side, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. The independent audit is a separate expense. A quote from an auditor reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
What Happens After Your First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security activities. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls stay relevant.
Make sure each responsibility has a clear owner, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed regularly against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
