Your startup employs twelve people, a live SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Everyone cares about security, but no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. A potential enterprise customer then asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. Instead, start by making a few decisions that decide 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 are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria are organized into 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 with a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be listed before collecting evidence. A broader scope brings extra work, though not necessarily a more valuable report.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
Anybody asking how to get SOC 2 certified will soon meet two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Type 2 covers those controls’ design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
Businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, typically three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not require completing Type 1 first. Make sure you know what your customer requires before paying for either examination.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps First
Linking security controls to everyday business activities makes SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by development teams. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. Policies must match what employees actually do. A beautifully written procedure offers limited value if nobody follows it.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
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 much harder than collecting them as activities occur. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There’s no need for direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Know What the Independent Audit Requires
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
For the software, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are charged separately. Before budgeting, get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Comes After the First SOC 2 Report
Your security work shouldn’t end when the SOC 2 examination is done. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. It matters that your controls remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
