Your startup employs twelve employees, a live SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Security matters to everyone, yet no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. A potential enterprise customer then requests a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do first?
Downloading dozens of policies immediately is not the answer for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. The better move is to make a few decisions that decide what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Decide What Your First Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria serve as the standard that SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria are organized into five categories: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. Add the other categories only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be listed before collecting evidence. More scope means additional work, but not necessarily a more valuable report.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified frequently discover two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 covers. Over a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, as long as 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 do not have to get Type 1 before Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Begin With Everyday Security Gaps
Connecting security controls to ordinary business activities makes SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. A sensible place to start is enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Development teams should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Management should keep records of risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Draft policies that reflect what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure provides limited value.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart of SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor could ask 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 reconstruct them months afterward. Small teams can manage 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 provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Know Exactly What the Independent Audit Requires
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, which helps prepare and organize evidence.
On the software side, CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Fees for the independent audit are charged separately. Before budgeting, request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
Keep Compliance Manageable 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 appear. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. As your startup grows, that discipline will make future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
