With twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is off to a good start. Security matters to everyone, though no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. A potential enterprise customer next requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you start?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. Instead, begin by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Start by Defining What Your First Audit Will Cover
Controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. The criteria include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every SOC 2 report must include Security. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, so long as that scope meets customer expectations.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be identified before anyone starts collecting evidence. Making the scope unnecessarily broad creates extra work, and it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s usefulness.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
Anyone wondering how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 examines. Type 2 evaluates those controls’ design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, as long as the customer accepts it.
For businesses researching how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, typically three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t require completing Type 1 first. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Tying security controls to everyday business activities makes SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. A sensible place to start is requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, creating a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by management. Policies must describe what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a well-written procedure provides limited value.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
In practice, SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor might ask for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is far easier than reconstructing them months later. 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. Evidence is uploaded by the team, and auditors can be provided with read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
Strictly speaking, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which helps prepare and organize evidence.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that includes SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audits are a separate cost. Before budgeting, ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security work. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier for a growing startup, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.