With twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters, but nobody has “compliance manager” in their job title. A potential enterprise customer next asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you start?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to download dozens of policies straight away. Start by making a few decisions that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Settle the Scope of Your First Audit
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. These address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Every report must include Security. Add the remaining areas only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. If a startup is offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, list the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. More scope means additional work, but not always a more useful report.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. Type 1 evaluates the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a practical starting point, if the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification starts with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and ends with an independent examination. You don’t have to get Type 1 before Type 2. Make sure you know what your customer requires before committing to either examination.
Tackle the Everyday Security Gaps First
Linking security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Consider requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Developers should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. Write policies that reflect what employees actually do. If nobody follows it, even a well-written procedure has limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You could be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
It’s much easier to gather these records as activities occur than to rebuild them months later. With 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 add evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
Strictly speaking, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, which helps prepare and organize evidence.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is offered by CertAssist. Independent audit fees are billed separately. An auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth getting before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is done. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls have to remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. This discipline helps make future examinations easier for a growing startup, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.