Your startup counts twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Security matters to everyone, though no one holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a potential enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
Grabbing dozens of policies immediately is not the answer for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Instead, begin by making a few choices that decide what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Begin by Defining What Your First Audit Will Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria serve as the standard that SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria are organized into five categories: 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. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup running a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. Keeping the scope unnecessarily broad creates extra work, and it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s usefulness.
Pick the SOC 2 Report That Fits Your Timeline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. At a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, provided the customer accepts it.
For businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, usually three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You don’t have to complete Type 1 before Type 2. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Tackle the Day-to-Day Security Gaps Before Anything Else
If security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. For example, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, set up a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by management. Policies must describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a beautifully written procedure that no one follows.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. Expect an auditor to ask when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is much harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist assists small teams manage this work with built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is offered by CertAssist. Audit fees are charged separately. A quote from an auditor based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth requesting before you budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Security work shouldn’t stop when the SOC 2 examination is done. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls stay relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier for a growing startup, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.