Think of a startup that has twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. People take security seriously, but no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. One day, a potential enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
Downloading dozens of policies immediately isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. A handful of decisions defines what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove, and that is where to start.
Settle the Scope of Your First Audit
Controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. The criteria are organized into five areas: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. Include the remaining categories only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. If a startup is offering a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone can work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. Keeping the scope overly broad adds additional work, and it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
There are two reporting options for people searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. At a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, evaluating both design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
Businesses exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, typically three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You do not have to complete Type 1 ahead of Type 2. Confirm your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Start With Day-to-Day Security Gaps
SOC 2 preparation is more manageable when security controls are connected to ordinary business activities. Think of requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Engineering teams should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. Actual employee practice needs to be reflected in the policies. There is limited value in a polished procedure that nobody follows.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor may well ask 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. Small teams that need help can manage this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There is no need for 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. A licensed CPA firm carries out the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
A monthly promotional subscription of US$225 covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is offered by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are separate. Ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
What Happens After Your First SOC 2 Report
Security work shouldn’t stop when the SOC 2 examination is finished. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It’s important that your controls stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
