Your startup counts twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Everyone cares about security, though nobody holds “compliance manager” in their job title. A prospective enterprise customer then requests a SOC 2 report.
So where should you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to collect dozens of policies immediately. Begin by making a few choices that define what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First Audit
SOC 2 evaluates controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. These include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is required. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. Provided that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may start with Security alone.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved before collecting evidence. An overly broad scope creates additional work without necessarily improving the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
Anybody wondering how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. Type 1 examines the design of controls as of a specified date. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, if 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, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 does not depend on a Type 1 report first. Make sure you know what your customer requires before paying for either examination.
Begin With Everyday Security Gaps
Linking security controls to ordinary business activities makes SOC 2 preparation more manageable. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, creating a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be recorded by management. Draft policies that reflect what employees actually do. A polished procedure provides limited value if nobody follows it.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
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.
Rebuilding these records months later is much harder than gathering them as activities occur. Through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams manage this work.
There’s no need for direct integrations with company systems. Teams upload evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Know What the Independent Audit Involves
SOC 2 is formally an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software can help 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 advertised by CertAssist. Audit fees are charged separately. Request an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Finishing a SOC 2 examination isn’t the end of your security efforts. Things keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. Controls have to stay relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically 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.