Your startup has twelve team members, a live SaaS product, and a growing customer base. No one at the company has “compliance manager” in their job title, even though security matters. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer asks for a SOC 2 report.
So, where do you start?
For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to collect dozens of policies straight away. Instead, start by making a few choices that determine what your company needs to document, implement, and prove.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
Your controls are assessed against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy are the categories they cover. Only Security is mandatory. The remaining categories are included when they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup running a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone may work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. Keeping the scope unnecessarily broad adds additional work, but it doesn’t necessarily increase the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often learn about two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 examines. Over a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, if 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 do not have to complete Type 1 ahead of Type 2. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Fix Everyday Security Gaps First
Tying security controls to everyday business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation more manageable. A sensible place to start is enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Development teams should hold on to evidence of production changes and approvals. Record risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews at the leadership level. Actual employee practice must be reflected in your policies. A beautifully written procedure offers limited value if nobody follows it.
Keep Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is central to SOC 2 for saas companies. An auditor might ask 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 easier than reconstructing them months later. Small teams that need help can organize 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. Teams add evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
SOC 2 is technically an attestation, not a certification. The examination is performed by a licensed CPA firm, which then issues the SOC 2 report. Nothing replaces the independent auditor, not even compliance software, which can help prepare and organize evidence.
A monthly promotional subscription of US$225 that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is offered 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 Comes After the First SOC 2 Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security activities. Employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It’s important that your controls stay relevant.
Three habits help: assigning clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and regularly reviewing 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.