Your startup employs twelve employees, a live SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, yet nobody holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Soon, a potential enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
What should you do next?
Downloading dozens of policies immediately is not the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Start by making a few choices that decide what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First SOC 2 Audit
Controls are evaluated using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. These cover Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Among them, only Security is required. Add the other categories only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup with a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be identified before collecting evidence. An unnecessarily broad scope brings extra work without necessarily increasing the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
There are two reporting options for people searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. Type 1 looks at the design of controls as of a specified date. Type 2 evaluates their design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, as 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. You don’t have to get Type 1 before Type 2. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Start With Everyday Security Gaps
Linking security controls to ordinary business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation more manageable. Consider requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the development team. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Draft policies that reflect what employees actually do. There is limited value in a polished procedure that nobody follows.
Collect Evidence While Things Are Happening
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies means 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 much harder than gathering them as activities occur. Small teams can manage this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
What SOC 2 produces is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are separate. Ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
Your security work should not end when the SOC 2 examination is finished. Team members join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Controls have 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. As your startup grows, that discipline makes future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.