With twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters, but not one person has “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer is not to download dozens of policies straight away. A handful of choices defines what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove, and that is where to start.
Begin by Defining 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 categories they cover. Security is the one required category. Add the remaining areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, as long as that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. Keeping the scope unnecessarily broad creates additional work, and it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s value.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
Anybody wondering how to get SOC 2 certified will soon meet two reporting options. Type 1 examines the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 examines their design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, 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. Type 1 is not a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Start With Day-to-Day Security Basics
When security controls are tied to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Think of requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Developers should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. Actual employee practice needs to be reflected in the policies. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure offers limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You could be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Collecting these records as activities occur is much easier than reconstructing them months later. CertAssist supports small teams organize this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
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 covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are billed separately. Request an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is done. Your operations keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. As your startup grows, keeping this up makes future examinations easier and helps meet the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.