With twelve people, a working SaaS product, and a growing customer base, your startup is well on its way. Security matters, but not one person holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a would-be enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
So, where should you begin?
Grabbing dozens of policies immediately isn’t the first step for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. A handful of choices defines what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.
Define the Scope of Your First SOC 2 Audit
Controls are assessed using the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 audit. These include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is mandatory. The remaining areas are included when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. As long as that scope meets customer expectations, a startup offering a straightforward business application may begin with Security alone.
The applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved should be listed before collecting evidence. Keeping the scope overly broad creates extra work, and it doesn’t necessarily improve the report’s value.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. Type 1 examines the design of controls at a specified date. Over a defined period, Type 2 examines both their design and operating effectiveness. Type 1 may be a useful starting point when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, assuming 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, and ends with an independent examination. You don’t have to finish Type 1 before Type 2. Find out what your customer requires before you pay for either examination.
Start With Day-to-Day Security Gaps
SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable when security controls are tied to ordinary business activities. A sensible place to start is requiring multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Keep evidence of production changes and approvals inside the engineering team. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. Policies must match what employees actually do. A polished procedure has limited value if nobody follows it.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before the Auditor Asks
At its core, SOC 2 for saas companies means demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You may be asked for records showing when a former employee’s access was removed or whether a production deployment received appropriate approval.
Rebuilding these records months later is harder than collecting them as activities occur. Through built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage, CertAssist supports small teams manage this work.
Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
What SOC 2 produces is technically an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination. Compliance software helps prepare and organize evidence, but it cannot replace the independent auditor.
On the software side, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Audit fees are charged separately. Before budgeting, ask for an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.
Make the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Security work shouldn’t stop once the SOC 2 examination is finished. Your operations keep changing: employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers arrive. It matters that your controls remain relevant.
Set clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review whether your documented procedures match reality. As your startup grows, keeping this up will make future examinations easier and helps meet the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.