Picture a startup with twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Security matters to everyone, but no one holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Then, a potential enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
So, where should you start?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to download dozens of policies immediately. Instead, begin by making a few choices that decide what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First Audit
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria are organized into five categories: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Among them, only Security is required. The remaining areas are included when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
List the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. An unnecessarily broad scope creates extra work without necessarily increasing the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified frequently discover two reporting options. At a specified date, Type 1 evaluates the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, examining design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, 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 2 does not require a Type 1 report first. Verify your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Linking security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Think of requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Developers should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Write policies that describe what employees actually do. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure has limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You might be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is much harder than collecting them as activities occur. Through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist helps small teams organize this work.
There’s no need for direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which can help prepare and organize evidence.
For the software, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are not included. Before budgeting, ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Comes After the First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. Your operations keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. It’s important that your controls remain relevant.
Three habits help: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline helps make future examinations easier for a growing startup, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.