Your startup has twelve team members, a functioning SaaS product, and a steadily growing customer base. Security matters, but not one person holds “compliance manager” in their job title. Then a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.
Where do you begin?
If you’re a founder researching how to get SOC 2 certification, resist the urge to grab dozens of policies right away. The real first step is to make a few decisions that define what your company needs to document, put in place, and prove.
Decide What Your First SOC 2 Audit Should Cover
The AICPA Trust Services Criteria are what SOC 2 assesses controls against. The criteria address Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Among them, only Security is required. Inclusion of the other categories depends on whether they’re relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone can work, provided that scope meets customer expectations.
Before collecting evidence, map out the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. A needlessly broad scope adds additional work without necessarily increasing the report’s usefulness.
Choose the Report That Matches Your Deadline
People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified usually discover two reporting options. The design of controls as of a specified date is what Type 1 evaluates. Over a defined period, Type 2 evaluates both the controls’ design and operating effectiveness. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence fast, Type 1 can be a practical place to start, if the customer accepts it.
For businesses investigating how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification, the process includes an observation period, typically three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t require a Type 1 report first. Before paying for either examination, verify your customer’s requirements.
Begin With Everyday Security Basics
SOC 2 preparation becomes more manageable when security controls are tied to existing business activities. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, setting up a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.
Developers should retain evidence of production changes and approvals. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by leadership. What employees actually do must be described in the policies. A beautifully written procedure provides limited value if nobody follows it.
Get Your Evidence Organized Before Problems Start
SOC 2 for saas companies involves demonstrating that relevant controls exist and, for Type 2, operate consistently. You could be asked 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 much easier than reconstructing them months afterward. CertAssist helps small teams organize this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.
The platform doesn’t require direct integrations with company systems. Teams add evidence themselves and can give auditors read-only access.
Understand the Independent Audit Requirement
What SOC 2 produces is technically an attestation, not a certification. A licensed CPA firm conducts the examination and issues the SOC 2 report. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it cannot replace the independent auditor.
A US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks is offered by CertAssist. Fees for the independent audit are charged separately. A quote from an auditor reflecting your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period should come first.
Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report
Completing a SOC 2 examination shouldn’t be the end of your security work. Over time, employees join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers join your operations. Your controls have to stay relevant.
Define clear responsibilities, retain evidence throughout the year, and regularly review 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.