With twelve people, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is well on its way. Everyone cares about security, though nobody has “compliance manager” in their job title. A prospective enterprise customer next asks for a SOC 2 report.
What do you do next?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer is not to collect dozens of policies immediately. Instead, start by making a few choices 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 evaluates controls against. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they cover. Every report includes Security. Add the other categories only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup with a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, so long as that scope meets customer expectations.
Map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. Making the scope unnecessarily broad adds extra work, but it doesn’t necessarily increase 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 as of a specified date. Type 2 goes further, evaluating both design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. When an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 can be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification begins with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and ends with an independent examination. Type 2 does not depend on a Type 1 report first. Make sure you know what your customer requires before paying for either examination.
Fix the Everyday Security Gaps Before Anything Else
Linking security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation more manageable. For instance, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, set up a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions on a regular basis.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals inside the development team. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. What employees actually do needs to be reflected in the policies. If nobody follows it, even a polished procedure offers limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor might request records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is far harder than collecting them as activities occur. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Evidence is uploaded by the team, and auditors can be given read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
The outcome of SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm conducts the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, though it helps prepare and organize evidence.
CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. The independent audit is a separate expense. Get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls remain relevant.
Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review 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.