SOC 2 compliance has become a baseline requirement for SaaS companies and service providers handling customer data. But navigating the compliance landscape can feel overwhelming, especially for growing organizations without dedicated security teams.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about SOC 2 — from the fundamentals to advanced preparation strategies that will help you pass your audit with confidence.
What is SOC 2?
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a compliance framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It defines criteria for managing customer data based on five "trust service criteria": security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
Unlike prescriptive frameworks like PCI DSS, SOC 2 is principles-based. This means you have flexibility in how you implement controls, as long as you meet the underlying objectives.
Key Insight
The Five Trust Service Criteria
Understanding the trust service criteria is fundamental to SOC 2 compliance. While Security is required, the other four are optional depending on your services.
Security (Required)
The security criterion is the foundation of every SOC 2 audit. It covers protection of system resources against unauthorized access through:
- Access controls and authentication mechanisms
- Network and application firewalls
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Security awareness training
- Incident response procedures
Availability
If you make uptime commitments to customers (SLAs), the availability criterion applies. It ensures your systems are operational and accessible as committed.
# Example: Availability monitoring configuration
monitoring:
uptime_checks:
interval: 60s
timeout: 10s
alerts:
- type: pagerduty
severity: critical
- type: slack
channel: #ops-alertsCommon Mistake
SOC 2 Type 1 vs Type 2
There are two types of SOC 2 reports:
- Type 1: Point-in-time assessment of your control design. Faster to obtain but less valuable to customers.
- Type 2: Assessment of control effectiveness over a period (typically 6-12 months). The gold standard for enterprise sales.
Our Recommendation
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Realistic Preparation Timeline
A typical SOC 2 preparation timeline depends on your current security maturity:
- Startups (minimal controls): 4-6 months
- Growth-stage (some controls): 2-4 months
- Enterprise (mature program): 4-8 weeks
These timelines assume dedicated resources and executive buy-in. Without both, expect delays.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
After helping hundreds of companies through SOC 2, we've seen the same mistakes repeatedly:
- Treating compliance as a checkbox exercise rather than security improvement
- Waiting until the last minute to implement controls
- Over-scoping the audit with unnecessary trust criteria
- Underestimating evidence collection requirements
- Not involving engineering teams early in the process
Compliance Note
Next Steps
Ready to start your SOC 2 journey? Here's what we recommend:
- Assess your current state: Identify gaps between your existing controls and SOC 2 requirements.
- Define your scope: Determine which systems and trust criteria apply to your services.
- Build your roadmap: Create a prioritized implementation plan based on risk and effort.
- Implement and document: Deploy controls and establish evidence collection processes.
- Engage an auditor: Select a CPA firm and schedule your assessment.
The path to SOC 2 compliance doesn't have to be painful. With the right preparation and expert guidance, you can achieve compliance while actually improving your security posture.