Your startup counts twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. Security matters, but no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. Soon, a potential enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
Downloading dozens of policies immediately is not the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Instead, start by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Begin by Defining What Your First Audit Will Cover
SOC 2 measures controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. The criteria are organized into five areas: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report includes Security. The other categories are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
List the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. Keeping the scope overly broad creates extra work, and it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s usefulness.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Decide
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. Type 1 looks at the design of controls at a specified date. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both their design and operating effectiveness. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, 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 2 does not depend on a Type 1 report first. Make sure you know what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Start With Day-to-Day Security Basics
If security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Consider enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals inside the development team. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. Draft policies that reflect what employees actually do. There is limited value in a polished procedure that nobody follows.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart of SOC 2 for saas companies. Expect an auditor to ask about when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
It’s easier to gather these records as activities occur than to rebuild them months later. CertAssist supports small teams manage this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Teams upload evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help 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. Fees for the independent audit are charged separately. Ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
Keep the Process Sustainable After the First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security activities. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Controls must remain relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. As your startup grows, keeping this up will make future examinations easier and helps meet the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.