With twelve people, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is well on its way. People take security seriously, yet nobody holds “compliance manager” as a job title. A potential enterprise customer suddenly asks for a SOC 2 report.
What exactly should you do first?
Grabbing dozens of policies right away is not the answer for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Begin by making a few choices that determine what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria serve as the standard that SOC 2 evaluates controls against. There are five categories: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report includes Security. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Before you collect any evidence, list the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. More scope means extra work, but not always a more valuable report.
Choose the SOC 2 Report That Fits Your Timeline
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 examines those controls’ design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, provided the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification starts with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and ends with an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t depend on completing Type 1 first. Check your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps Before Anything Else
If security controls are connected to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Good first steps include requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, creating a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by development teams. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. What employees actually do must be described in your policies. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure offers limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is what lies at the core of SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor may ask 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 harder than collecting them as activities occur. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams manage this work.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Understand Exactly What the Independent Audit Involves
The outcome of SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm conducts the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, but 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. Fees for the independent audit are separate. An auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth requesting before you budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination isn’t the end of your security work. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Make sure each responsibility has a clear owner, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline will make future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.