Your startup counts twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, though nobody holds “compliance manager” in their job title. One day, a potential enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
So where do you begin?
Grabbing dozens of policies right away isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. A handful of choices defines what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove, and that is where to start.
Decide What Your First Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria serve as the standard that SOC 2 assesses controls against. These cover Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Among them, only Security is mandatory. Add the remaining areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup running a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
Before collecting evidence, identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. A broader scope brings additional work, though not always a more valuable report.
Choose the SOC 2 Report Your Deadline Allows
Anybody wondering how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. The design of controls as of a specified date is what Type 1 examines. Type 2 evaluates their design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a practical place to start, if 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. Make sure you know what your customer requires before committing to either examination.
Start With Everyday Security Basics
When security controls are tied to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be kept by developers. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by management. What employees actually do must be reflected in your policies. When nobody follows it, even a polished procedure offers limited value.
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 could be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
It’s much easier to gather these records as activities occur than to reconstruct them months later. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There’s no need for direct integrations with company systems. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand What the Independent Audit Involves
SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, though it helps prepare and organize evidence.
On the software side, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are billed separately. Request an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
Make the Process Sustainable After the First Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is completed. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Controls must stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. This discipline makes future examinations easier as a startup grows, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.