Picture a startup with twelve people, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base. People take security seriously, but no one holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Then, a potential enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
What do you do first?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to grab dozens of policies immediately. The better move is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First SOC 2 Audit
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they address. Only Security is mandatory. The remaining areas are added when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup offering a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, as long as that scope meets customer expectations.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be listed before anyone starts collecting evidence. Keeping the scope overly broad adds extra work, but it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
There are two reporting options for anyone searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. At a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, evaluating design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. When an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a practical starting point, 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 1 is not a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Verify your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Close the Day-to-Day Security Gaps Before Anything Else
SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable when security controls are tied to existing business activities. A sensible place to start is enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals inside the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by management. Actual employee practice must be reflected in your policies. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure offers limited value.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
SOC 2 for saas companies involves 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 easier to collect these records as activities occur than to rebuild them months later. Small teams that need help can manage this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Evidence is uploaded by the team, and auditors can be provided with read-only access.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not 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 offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are billed separately. Before budgeting, request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination isn’t the end of your security work. Things keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Controls must remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed regularly against reality. As your startup grows, keeping this up makes future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.