Your startup has twelve team members, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, but no one holds “compliance manager” as a job title. A potential enterprise customer next asks for a SOC 2 report.
So, where do you start?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to download dozens of policies right away. Instead, start by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Begin by Deciding Your Audit Scope
Controls are evaluated against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they address. Every SOC 2 report includes Security. The remaining categories are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, map out 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 usefulness.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. As of a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Type 2 evaluates those controls’ design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. When an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
For businesses exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, usually three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not depend on a Type 1 report first. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Fix the Day-to-Day Security Gaps Before Anything Else
If security controls are linked to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. A sensible place to start is enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Engineering teams should hold on to evidence of production changes and approvals. Leadership should record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Policies must describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that no one follows.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart of SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor may ask 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 easier than reconstructing them months afterward. CertAssist assists small teams structure this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
The outcome of SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that includes SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are not included. An auditor’s quote reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
Make Compliance Sustainable After the First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. Things keep changing: employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier for a growing startup, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
