With twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is well on its way. People take security seriously, though nobody holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a potential enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
What exactly should you do next?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to download dozens of policies right away. A handful of choices decides what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Start by Deciding What Your First Audit Will Cover
Your controls are evaluated against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. These include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Of these, only Security is mandatory. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. An overly broad scope brings additional work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. As of a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Type 2 evaluates those controls’ design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. When an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 can be a useful place to start, so long as the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification begins with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and ends with an independent examination. Type 1 isn’t a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Verify your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Fix the Day-to-Day Security Gaps Before Anything Else
Connecting security controls to ordinary business activities makes SOC 2 preparation more manageable. For example, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, create a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals inside the development team. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Write policies so they describe what employees actually do. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure provides limited value.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
SOC 2 for saas companies comes down to 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.
It’s easier to gather these records as activities occur than to rebuild them months afterward. Through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams organize this work.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed 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.
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 not included. Ask for an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before you set a budget.
What Happens After Your First SOC 2 Report
Your security activities shouldn’t end once the SOC 2 examination is finished. As time passes, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. It matters that your controls remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. For a growing startup, that discipline makes future examinations easier while supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.