With twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters, but no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do next?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, don’t grab dozens of policies immediately. Instead, start by making a few decisions that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First SOC 2 Audit
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 evaluates controls against. The criteria are organized into five categories: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. Include the other areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup with a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Before collecting evidence, list the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. A needlessly broad scope adds extra work without necessarily improving the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified frequently find two reporting options. Type 1 evaluates the design of controls as of a specified date. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, 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. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Close the Day-to-Day Security Gaps First
SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable when security controls are linked to ordinary business activities. Think of requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the development team. Management should document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Draft policies so they describe what employees actually do. A polished procedure provides limited value if nobody follows it.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
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.
It’s much easier to collect these records as activities occur than to rebuild them months afterward. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Understand Exactly What the Independent Audit Involves
What SOC 2 produces is formally an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, which can help prepare and organize evidence.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are separate. Before budgeting, request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Your security activities should not end when the SOC 2 examination is completed. Team members join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Controls must stay relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed regularly against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.