Picture a startup with twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, though no one has “compliance manager” as a job title. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you start?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to download dozens of policies right away. The better move is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First Audit
Your controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. The criteria cover Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every SOC 2 report must include Security. Add the other categories only when they are 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.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be mapped out before anyone starts collecting evidence. A needlessly broad scope brings additional work without necessarily improving the report’s value.
Choose the SOC 2 Report Your Deadline Allows
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. Type 1 evaluates the design of controls as of a specified date. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful first step, provided 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. Type 1 isn’t a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Start With Everyday Security Gaps
If security controls are tied to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. A sensible place to start is enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be retained by development teams. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. What employees actually do must be described in the policies. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that nobody 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 well ask when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is harder than collecting them as activities occur. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams organize this work.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm carries out the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist promotes a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are charged separately. Get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
What Happens After Your First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. As time passes, people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. It’s important that your controls remain relevant.
Three habits help: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline helps make future examinations easier for a growing startup, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.