With twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is moving in the right direction. Security matters, but no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
So, where do you begin?
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 define 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 areas: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report must include Security. The remaining areas are added when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. More scope means 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 searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. Type 1 examines the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 goes further, evaluating design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, assuming the customer accepts it.
Businesses exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not require completing Type 1 first. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Tackle the Day-to-Day Security Gaps First
If security controls are connected to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. For instance, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, create a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by leadership. Actual employee practice must be described in your policies. A well-written procedure has limited value if nobody follows it.
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 much 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.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Teams upload 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. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which can help prepare and organize evidence.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are separate. An auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
Make 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. Controls must stay relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline helps make future examinations easier as a startup grows, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
