Your startup employs twelve people, a functioning SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. Security matters to everyone, but nobody holds “compliance manager” as a job title. Soon, a prospective enterprise customer wants to see a SOC 2 report.
What exactly should you do first?
Grabbing dozens of policies immediately isn’t the answer for founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification. Instead, begin 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 evaluates controls against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria. These include Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Only Security is required. Whether the other categories are included depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, beginning with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before you collect any evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. More scope means extra work, though not always a more useful report.
Type 1 vs. Type 2? Let the Deadline Decide
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often find two reporting options. The design of controls at a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Type 2 covers those controls’ design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Type 1 may be a useful first step when an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, provided 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. Type 2 does not depend on a Type 1 report first. Before paying for either examination, confirm your customer’s requirements.
Begin With Everyday Security Basics
If security controls are linked to ordinary business activities, SOC 2 preparation gets more manageable. Think of enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, establishing a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions regularly.
Developers should keep evidence of production changes and approvals. Company leadership should keep records of risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews. Write policies that describe what employees actually do. A well-written procedure has limited value if nobody follows it.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
Showing that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently is the heart 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.
Reconstructing these records months later is much harder than gathering them as activities occur. CertAssist helps small teams organize this work with built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
There is no need for direct integrations with company systems. Auditors can be provided with read-only access, while teams upload evidence themselves.
Why You Still Need an Independent Auditor
Strictly speaking, 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 can help prepare and organize evidence.
For the software, CertAssist advertises a US$225 monthly promotional subscription that covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audit fees are billed separately. A quote from an auditor reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period is worth getting before budgeting.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Your security efforts shouldn’t end when the SOC 2 examination is done. Over time, people join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. It’s important that your controls stay relevant.
Assign clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and periodically review whether your documented procedures match reality. That discipline makes future examinations easier for a growing startup, and it supports the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.