With twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters to everyone, but no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. Then a potential enterprise customer wants to see 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 decisions determines what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Decide What Your First Audit Should Cover
SOC 2 evaluates controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. These address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. Inclusion of the other categories 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, as long as that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. A needlessly broad scope brings extra work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Pick the SOC 2 Report Your Deadline Allows
Anybody asking how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. As of a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Over a defined period, Type 2 examines both the controls’ design and operating effectiveness. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful place to start, so long as the customer accepts it.
For businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, usually three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You don’t have to complete Type 1 before Type 2. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Linking security controls to ordinary business activities makes SOC 2 preparation more manageable. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by development teams. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. Draft policies so they describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that no one follows.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
In practice, SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor might request records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is far harder than collecting them as activities occur. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams organize this work.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Teams add evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
The outcome of SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, which can help prepare and organize evidence.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. The independent audit is a separate expense. Before budgeting, request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
Make the Process Sustainable After Your First Report
Your security efforts shouldn’t end when the SOC 2 examination is finished. Over time, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It’s important that your controls remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.