Think of a startup that has twelve employees, a functioning SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Nobody in the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, even though security is important. Then, a potential enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
What exactly do you do next?
Grabbing dozens of policies immediately is not the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Instead, start by making a few decisions that define what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Begin by Defining What Your First Audit Will Cover
SOC 2 measures controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they address. Among them, only Security is required. Inclusion of the other categories 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 begin with Security alone.
Before you collect any evidence, list the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. An overly broad scope adds extra work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Choose
Anybody wondering how to get SOC 2 certified quickly finds two reporting options. Type 1 evaluates the design of controls at a specified date. Throughout a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both the controls’ design and operating effectiveness. If an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, as long as the customer accepts it.
Anyone investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, and then an independent examination. Type 2 does not depend on completing Type 1 first. Find out what your customer requires before committing to either examination.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
If security controls are tied to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Good first steps include requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals within the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. Policies must describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that no one follows.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. An auditor may well ask when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Gathering these records as activities occur is much easier than reconstructing them months later. Small teams can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There is no need for direct integrations with company systems. Evidence gets uploaded by the team, and auditors can be provided with read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. The independent auditor cannot be replaced by compliance software, though it can help 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 expense. Before budgeting, get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
What Happens After the First SOC 2 Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is completed. Team members join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls stay relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. This discipline makes future examinations easier as a startup grows, while also supporting the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.
