With twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters, but not one person carries “compliance manager” in their job title. One day, a potential 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. Start by making a few decisions that determine what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what 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. The other categories are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup with a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. A broader scope brings extra work, though not necessarily a more valuable report.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
There are two reporting options for anyone researching how to get SOC 2 certified. The design of controls as of a specified date is what Type 1 examines. Type 2 goes further, evaluating design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, assuming the customer accepts it.
For businesses researching how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not require a Type 1 report first. Confirm your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Start With Day-to-Day Security Basics
When security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Development teams should keep evidence of production changes and approvals. Company leadership should document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Draft policies so they describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that nobody follows.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You may be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is harder than collecting them as activities occur. CertAssist helps 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 add evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
The outcome of SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm carries out the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, though it can help prepare and organize evidence.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that includes SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are not included. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
Make Compliance Manageable After the First Report
Your security efforts shouldn’t end once the SOC 2 examination is finished. Things keep changing: employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Three habits help: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing 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.