Your startup employs twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Nobody at the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, even though security is important. Then a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
So, where should you start?
Downloading dozens of policies right away isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Begin by making a few decisions that decide what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Begin by Defining Your Audit Scope
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria serve as the standard that SOC 2 evaluates controls against. These address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report must include Security. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone can work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before collecting evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. More scope means additional work, but not always a more useful report.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
There are two reporting options for anyone researching how to get SOC 2 certified. Type 1 examines the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 evaluates their design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful place to start, so 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 don’t have to complete Type 1 ahead of Type 2. Verify your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
When security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. A sensible place to start is requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by engineering teams. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by management. Draft policies that reflect what employees actually do. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that no one follows.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor may ask for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is far easier than reconstructing them months later. CertAssist assists small teams organize this work with built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it can’t replace the independent auditor.
A monthly promotional subscription of US$225 covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Fees for the independent audit are charged separately. An auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth requesting before you budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is completed. Over time, people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. Controls have to remain relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly 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.
