Your startup has twelve team members, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. Security matters to everyone, though no one holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you start?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to grab dozens of policies immediately. What matters is to make a few decisions that define what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
SOC 2 evaluates controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. There are five areas: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Only Security is mandatory. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, so long as that scope meets customer expectations.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be identified before anyone starts collecting evidence. An unnecessarily broad scope brings additional work without necessarily improving the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
There are two reporting options for people researching how to get SOC 2 certified. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Over a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both their design and operating effectiveness. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, 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. Check your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Start With Everyday Security Basics
SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable when security controls are linked to everyday business activities. For instance, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establish a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions on a regular basis.
Evidence of production changes and approvals should be retained by developers. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Actual employee practice must be described in the policies. When nobody follows it, even a well-written procedure provides limited value.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is what lies at the core of SOC 2 for saas companies. You may be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is far easier than reconstructing them months afterward. CertAssist supports small teams manage this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Know What the Independent Audit Involves
Strictly speaking, SOC 2 is an attestation rather than a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, though it helps prepare and organize evidence.
On the software side, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audits are a separate cost. An auditor’s quote reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
A completed SOC 2 examination shouldn’t mark the end of your security work. Team members join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls must stay relevant.
Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly 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.