With twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is moving in the right direction. Security matters, but nobody carries “compliance manager” in their job title. One day, a prospective enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. The better move is to make a few choices that determine what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First Audit
Controls are assessed against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. The criteria include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Of these, only Security is mandatory. The remaining areas are added when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup running a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. A broader scope brings additional work, but not necessarily a more valuable report.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
Anyone wondering how to get SOC 2 certified quickly finds two reporting options. At a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, examining design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 can be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification starts with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You don’t have to complete Type 1 before Type 2. Make sure you know what your customer requires before committing to either examination.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps First
Connecting security controls to everyday business activities makes SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. For example, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establish a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be retained by development teams. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. Write policies that describe what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a polished procedure has limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
Demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart of SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor might ask for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is far harder than collecting them as activities occur. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams manage this work.
There’s no need for direct integrations with company systems. Teams add evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.
Understand Exactly What the Independent Audit Involves
Technically, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it can’t replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are charged separately. Get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
Your security activities shouldn’t end once the SOC 2 examination is finished. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls remain relevant.
Three habits help: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier as a startup grows, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.