Picture a startup with twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Nobody on the team has “compliance manager” in their job title, but security is important. A prospective enterprise customer suddenly asks for a SOC 2 report.
What should you do next?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to grab dozens of policies immediately. A handful of choices decides what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Begin by Defining Your Audit Scope
SOC 2 evaluates controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. These address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. Include the other categories only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup running a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone can work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. An overly broad scope creates additional work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
There are two reporting options for people searching for how to get SOC 2 certified. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 covers. Type 2 evaluates those controls’ design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, assuming 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. You do not have to finish Type 1 ahead of Type 2. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Begin With Everyday Security Gaps
If security controls are tied to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Consider requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Management should keep records of risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Policies must reflect what employees actually do. A beautifully written procedure has limited value if nobody follows it.
Gather Evidence While Things Are Happening
In practice, 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.
Gathering these records as activities occur is far easier than reconstructing them months afterward. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams manage this work.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
Technically, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
A monthly promotional subscription of US$225 covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Audit fees are separate. Request an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security activities. Over time, people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. This discipline helps make future examinations easier for a growing startup, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.