With twelve employees, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base, your startup is moving in the right direction. Security matters, but nobody carries “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a prospective enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
So, where should you begin?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to download dozens of policies immediately. A handful of choices defines what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove, and that is where to start.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is the one required category. The other categories are added when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone can work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. A needlessly 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 often discover two reporting options. Type 1 looks at the design of controls at a specified date. Type 2 goes further, evaluating design and operating effectiveness over a defined period. If an enterprise customer needs evidence in a hurry, Type 1 may be a useful first step, provided 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 1 is not a mandatory prerequisite for Type 2. Confirm your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Close the Day-to-Day Security Gaps Before Anything Else
If security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. For instance, enforce multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establish a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Engineering teams should keep evidence of production changes and approvals. Document risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Policies must match what employees actually do. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that nobody follows.
Collect Evidence as You Go
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is central to SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor may well ask when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Reconstructing these records months later is far harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist helps small teams manage this work through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
No direct integrations with company systems are required. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Know What the Independent Audit Involves
Technically, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that performs the examination. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which helps prepare and organize evidence.
A monthly promotional subscription of US$225 that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is advertised by CertAssist. Independent audits are a separate expense. Ask for an auditor’s quote that reflects your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period before budgeting.
What Happens After the First SOC 2 Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security activities. Things keep changing: people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers appear. Your controls need to stay relevant.
Make sure each responsibility has a clear owner, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed regularly against reality. This discipline makes future examinations easier as a startup grows, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.