Think of a startup that has twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Security matters, but no one has “compliance manager” in their job title. A prospective enterprise customer next requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
Grabbing dozens of policies immediately isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. A handful of decisions determines what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
Controls are evaluated against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the categories they cover. Among them, only Security is required. Add the other areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup running a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. Making the scope overly broad adds extra work, but it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
Anyone wondering how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. As of 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 first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, as long as 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. You do not have to get Type 1 before Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before paying for either examination.
Begin With Day-to-Day Security Gaps
SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable when security controls are connected to existing business activities. Think of requiring 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 retained by developers. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. What employees actually do must be reflected in the policies. A polished procedure offers limited value if nobody follows it.
Collect Evidence as You Go
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. Expect an auditor to ask about when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is much easier than reconstructing them months afterward. CertAssist supports small teams manage this work with built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Evidence is uploaded by the team, and auditors can be given read-only access.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
Strictly speaking, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. A licensed CPA firm conducts the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. The independent audit is a separate cost. Get an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security efforts. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls have to stay relevant.
Three habits keep things on track: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing 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.
