With twelve team members, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is moving in the right direction. Nobody at the company holds “compliance manager” in their job title, even though security is important. A prospective enterprise customer then requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. Start by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Start by Defining Your Audit Scope
Controls are evaluated using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. The criteria cover Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every SOC 2 report must include Security. The other areas are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. If a startup is running a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be mapped out before anyone starts collecting evidence. Making the scope unnecessarily broad adds additional work, and it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s value.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
Anybody asking how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. The design of controls as of a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. When an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 can be a useful place to start, if 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. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Begin With Everyday Security Gaps
When security controls are connected to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Development teams should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Management should keep records of risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Actual employee practice needs to be described in your policies. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that nobody follows.
Collect Evidence as You Go
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor may well ask when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is far harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist assists small teams structure this work through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There’s 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. A licensed CPA firm carries out the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are billed separately. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
What Comes After the First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls stay relevant.
Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
