What SOC 2 actually is
SOC 2 is an independent audit against the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria. It is not a badge you earn once and keep forever — it is a report an external CPA firm writes about how well your controls match what you claim.
Type I looks at whether your controls are designed correctly on a single date. Type II watches them actually operate over a window, usually three to twelve months. Business buyers, especially in finance, healthcare, and enterprise IT, increasingly won't sign until they've seen a Type II report.
- Five Trust Services Criteria: Security (required), plus Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy — you scope in what fits your product
- Type I = controls designed correctly on a given date; Type II = controls operating effectively over a period
- The auditor writes the opinion — a compliance platform like Vanta, Drata, or Secureframe can help you get ready but cannot issue the report
- Scope covers your production systems, the people with access, and the vendors (subprocessors) you rely on
The controls you'll actually have to build
Most of SOC 2 is proving you do the security basics consistently and can show evidence. That means real access controls, logging, change management, and written policies people actually follow — not a binder nobody reads.
- Access control: SSO, MFA, least-privilege roles, and a documented onboarding and offboarding process
- Change management: code review, CI checks, and a record of who deployed what and when
- Monitoring and logging: centralized logs, alerting, and an incident response plan you've actually tested
- Vendor management: a list of subprocessors and evidence you review their security posture
- Written policies for security, access, incident response, and business continuity, with proof they're reviewed
- Continuous evidence collection so the Type II window doesn't become a last-minute scramble
How we help you get audit-ready
We focus on the engineering side — wiring your product and infrastructure so the controls live in the code and cloud config, not just on paper. We work alongside your auditor and compliance platform rather than replacing them.
- Map your current architecture against the criteria and flag the real gaps
- Implement technical controls: SSO/MFA, role-based access, audit logging, encrypted backups, infrastructure-as-code
- Wire a compliance-automation platform to your cloud so evidence collects itself
- Prepare you for the auditor's questions and the Type I to Type II path
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get SOC 2?
It depends on where you're starting. If your access controls and logging are already solid, a Type I can come together in a couple of months, and Type II follows after your observation window — commonly three to six months of the controls running. If you're starting from scratch, remediation comes first. We'll give you an honest timeline after reviewing your setup in a free consultation.
Do we actually need SOC 2 to sell our SaaS?
Not always. Early on, a good security questionnaire and solid practices may be enough. But once you're selling to mid-market or enterprise, or handling sensitive data, SOC 2 Type II is often a hard requirement in procurement. If deals are stalling on security review, that's the signal it's time.
Can you guarantee we'll pass the audit?
No one honestly can — the opinion belongs to an independent auditor, not to us. What we can do is build the controls correctly, collect evidence continuously, and prepare you so there are no surprises. The goal is a clean report with no meaningful exceptions.