Your startup has twelve people, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Security matters to everyone, though no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
What exactly should you do first?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to download dozens of policies immediately. Begin by making a few decisions that decide what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First Audit
SOC 2 measures controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the categories they cover. Every SOC 2 report includes Security. The other categories are added when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
List the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. An unnecessarily broad scope creates additional work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report Type Your Deadline Allows
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. The design of controls as of a specified date is what Type 1 covers. Type 2 goes further, examining design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful place to start, if the customer accepts it.
Businesses exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and then an independent examination. Type 2 does not depend on completing Type 1 first. Before paying for either examination, check your customer’s requirements.
Begin With Day-to-Day Security Gaps
Linking security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Think of enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Developers should keep evidence of production changes and approvals. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. What employees actually do must be described in the policies. When nobody follows it, even a polished procedure offers limited value.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
SOC 2 for saas companies comes down to demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You may be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist supports 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. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that performs the examination. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that includes SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are separate. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
Keep the Process Sustainable After the First Report
Your security work shouldn’t end once the SOC 2 examination is completed. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. As your startup grows, keeping this up will make future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
