Your startup counts twelve team members, a live SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. People take security seriously, yet no one holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
So, where do you start?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the first step isn’t to collect dozens of policies straight away. Instead, begin by making a few decisions that determine what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Define the Scope of Your First Audit
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 evaluates controls against. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the areas they address. Every report includes Security. The other areas are added when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. A startup offering a straightforward business application may start with Security alone, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved prior to collecting evidence. A broader scope brings additional work, though not necessarily a more useful report.
Type 1 or Type 2? Let the Deadline Decide
There are two reporting options for anyone researching how to get SOC 2 certified. Type 1 examines the design of controls as of a specified date. Type 2 goes further, examining both design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, as long as the customer accepts it.
The process for how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification begins with an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. You don’t have to finish Type 1 before Type 2. Before paying for either examination, check your customer’s requirements.
Close the Everyday Security Gaps First
If security controls are tied to everyday business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. For example, enforce multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establish a documented employee offboarding process, and review access permissions regularly.
Retain evidence of production changes and approvals inside the engineering team. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the management level. Draft policies so they describe what employees actually do. There is limited value in a polished 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 about 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 later. Small teams that need help can manage this work with CertAssist’s built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform does not require direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be given read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why SOC 2 Requires an Independent Auditor
Technically, 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, though it helps prepare and organize evidence.
For the software, CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are charged separately. An auditor’s quote reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
What Comes After the First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination isn’t the end of your security activities. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. Your controls need to remain relevant.
Make sure responsibilities are clearly assigned, evidence is retained throughout the year, and documented procedures are reviewed periodically against reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier as a startup grows, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.