With twelve people, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is well on its way. Nobody in the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, even though security matters. Then a would-be enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, don’t download dozens of policies immediately. The real first step is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Start by Deciding Your Audit Scope
Controls are assessed against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they cover. Every SOC 2 report includes Security. Inclusion of the other categories depends on whether 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.
Before you collect any evidence, identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. Making the scope overly broad adds additional work, and it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s usefulness.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified frequently 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 over a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, provided 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 complete Type 1 before Type 2. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps First
Connecting security controls to everyday business activities makes 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.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be retained by development teams. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. What employees actually do needs to be reflected in the policies. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that nobody follows.
Collect Evidence as You Go
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is central to SOC 2 for saas companies. 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. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams organize this work.
There is no need for direct integrations with company systems. Teams upload evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
Technically, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than 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.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. The independent audit is a separate expense. Before budgeting, request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Happens After Your First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. Things keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline will make future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.