Your startup employs twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base. Security matters, but not one person holds “compliance manager” in their job title. One day, a potential enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, don’t download dozens of policies right away. A handful of choices decides what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove, and that is where to start.
Define the Scope of Your First SOC 2 Audit
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. Add the other areas only when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup running a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
List the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. An overly broad scope brings additional work without necessarily improving the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
Anyone asking how to get SOC 2 certified soon runs into two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 examines. Type 2 examines their design and operating effectiveness across a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, assuming 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. You don’t have to get Type 1 ahead of Type 2. Verify your customer’s requirements before paying for either examination.
Begin With Day-to-Day Security Gaps
When security controls are connected to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable. For example, require multi-factor authentication for important accounts, create a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals inside the engineering team. Leadership should record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Write policies so they describe what employees actually do. When nobody follows it, even a beautifully written procedure has limited value.
Organize Evidence Before It Becomes a Problem
Demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is what lies at the core of SOC 2 for saas companies. 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 reconstruct them months afterward. Small teams that need help can organize this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is conducted by a licensed CPA firm, which issues the SOC 2 report. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audits are a separate expense. A quote from an auditor reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth requesting before you budget.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. Over time, people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Three habits help: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. As your startup grows, that discipline makes future examinations easier and supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.