With twelve people, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is off to a good start. No one in the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, but security is important. One day, a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.

Where do you start?

For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. What matters is to make a few choices that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.

Decide What Your First Audit Should Cover

Your controls are evaluated using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. The criteria are organized into five areas: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report must include Security. Add the remaining areas only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, so long as that scope meets customer expectations.

Map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. More scope means extra work, but not always a more valuable report.

Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline

People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified usually find two reporting options. As of a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both their design and operating effectiveness. If an enterprise customer needs evidence in a hurry, Type 1 may be a useful first step, provided the customer accepts it.

For businesses exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, usually three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t require completing Type 1 first. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.

Fix Everyday Security Gaps First

Linking security controls to ordinary business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Good first steps include requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.

Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the development team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. Actual employee practice must be reflected in the policies. A beautifully written procedure offers limited value if nobody follows it.

Gather Evidence as You Go

At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You may be asked for records showing 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 reconstruct them months afterward. With built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist helps small teams manage this work.

No direct integrations with company systems are required. Evidence gets uploaded by the team, and auditors can be provided with read-only access.

Understand Exactly What the Independent Audit Requires

SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.

A US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are not included. A quote from an auditor based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.

What Comes After Your First SOC 2 Report

Finishing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. Your operations keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Your controls need to stay relevant.

Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly 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.