With twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is moving in the right direction. Security matters, but not one person carries “compliance manager” in their job title. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do first?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, don’t grab dozens of policies immediately. Start by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First Audit
SOC 2 assesses controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. The criteria address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is mandatory. Add the other areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup with a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
List the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. More scope means additional work, but not always a more useful report.
Pick the Report Type That Fits Your Timeline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. Type 1 evaluates the design of controls at a specified date. Over a defined period, Type 2 examines both the controls’ design and operating effectiveness. If an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful first step, assuming the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification begins with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not require a Type 1 report first. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Tying security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Engineering teams should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Company leadership should record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Policies must reflect what employees actually do. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that nobody follows.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
Demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart of SOC 2 for saas companies. You could be asked 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 much easier than reconstructing them months later. CertAssist helps small teams organize 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.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it can’t replace the independent auditor.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Fees for the independent audit are separate. A quote from an auditor reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth getting before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security work. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. It’s important that your controls remain relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.