Your startup has twelve people, a working SaaS product, and an expanding customer base. No one at the company holds “compliance manager” in their job title, although security matters. Then a prospective enterprise customer requests a SOC 2 report.

Where do you start?

For founders researching how to get SOC 2 certification, the answer isn’t to grab dozens of policies right away. A handful of choices decides what your company needs to document, implement, and prove, and that is where to start.

Start by Deciding What Your First Audit Will Cover

Your controls are evaluated against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria in a SOC 2 examination. There are five categories: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Security is mandatory. Add the other areas only when they are relevant to the organization’s services and commitments. For a startup offering a straightforward business application, starting with Security alone may be enough, provided that scope meets customer expectations.

Before you collect any evidence, identify the applications, infrastructure, employees, and service providers involved. An unnecessarily broad scope brings extra work without necessarily improving the report’s value.

Pick the Report Type That Fits Your Timeline

People searching for how to get SOC 2 certified often discover two reporting options. As of a specified date, Type 1 examines the design of controls. Type 2 goes further, evaluating both design and operating effectiveness throughout a defined period. Where an enterprise customer needs evidence quickly, Type 1 may be a useful starting point, if the customer accepts it.

Anyone exploring how to get SOC 2 type 2 certification should expect an observation period, commonly three to twelve months, followed by an independent examination. Type 2 doesn’t require a Type 1 report first. Make sure you know what your customer requires before committing to either examination.

Start With Day-to-Day Security Gaps

Linking security controls to ordinary business activities helps make SOC 2 preparation easier to manage. Good first steps include enforcing multi-factor authentication for important accounts, creating a documented employee offboarding process, and reviewing access permissions on a regular basis.

Engineering teams should keep evidence of production changes and approvals. Risk assessments and relevant supplier reviews should be documented by management. What employees actually do needs to be reflected in the policies. There is limited value in a well-written procedure that no one follows.

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.

Collecting these records as activities occur is far easier than reconstructing them months afterward. CertAssist helps small teams structure this work using built-in controls, editable policy templates, evidence checklists, and document storage.

Direct integrations with company systems aren’t required. Teams add evidence themselves and can provide auditors with read-only access.

Understand the Independent Audit Requirement

SOC 2 is in fact an attestation, not a certification. The SOC 2 report is issued by a licensed CPA firm that conducts the examination. Software can help prepare and organize evidence, yet it can’t replace the independent auditor.

On the software side, CertAssist offers a US$225 monthly promotional subscription covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, and its other supported frameworks. Independent audits are a separate expense. Before budgeting, get an auditor’s quote based on your business size, selected criteria, and intended reporting period.

Keep the Process Manageable After Your First Report

Security work shouldn’t stop when the SOC 2 examination is done. People join and leave, applications change, and new suppliers become part of your operations. It matters that your controls remain relevant.

Three habits keep things on track: setting clear responsibilities, retaining evidence throughout the year, and periodically reviewing whether your documented procedures match reality. For a growing startup, that discipline will make future examinations easier and helps meet the security expectations of customers who depend on your software.