Your startup has twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. Security matters, but nobody holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then, a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
So, where do you start?
Grabbing dozens of policies right away isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. What matters is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
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. Every report includes Security. The remaining areas are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Before collecting evidence, identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. An overly broad scope creates additional work without necessarily improving the report’s value.
Pick the Report Type Your Deadline Allows
There are two reporting options for anyone searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. As of a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, evaluating both design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, provided 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 do not have to complete Type 1 before Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Connecting security controls to ordinary business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. For example, enforce multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establish a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by engineering teams. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Policies must reflect what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure offers limited value.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
Demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is what lies at the core of SOC 2 for saas companies. Expect an auditor to ask about when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
It’s much easier to gather these records as activities occur than to reconstruct them months later. CertAssist assists small teams organize this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it can’t replace the independent auditor.
On the software side, CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are not included. A quote from an auditor based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth requesting before you budget.
What Happens After the First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. Team members join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls have 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. As your startup grows, that discipline will make future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.