Your startup employs twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. Nobody at the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, although security is important. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do first?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, don’t download dozens of policies right away. What matters is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First Audit
SOC 2 measures controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. These cover Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is required. Add the other categories only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup with a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, so long as that scope meets customer expectations.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be identified before collecting evidence. An overly broad scope adds extra work without necessarily increasing 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. As of a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Over a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both their design and operating effectiveness. When an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 can 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, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t require a Type 1 report first. Check your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Begin With Everyday Security Basics
Linking security controls to ordinary business activities makes SOC 2 preparation more manageable. Think of 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 retained by developers. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. Write policies that reflect what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure provides limited value.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
In practice, SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. 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 far harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist assists small teams structure this work with built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There is no need for direct integrations with company systems. Evidence is uploaded by the team, and auditors can be given read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
The outcome of SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are not included. Ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Your security efforts shouldn’t end when the SOC 2 examination is done. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls have to remain relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier for a growing startup, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.