How to Get SOC 2 Certified

Written by the DCYBR Advisory Team

Certified SOC 2 practitioners | CISA | CISSP | 12+ years advising SaaS companies through AICPA-aligned Type 1 and Type 2 audits. Meet the team

Last updated: July 2026

TL;DR: Achieving a clean SOC 2 audit requires 3 to 6 months of rigorous control documentation and evidence gathering. A Type 2 audit necessitates at least 6 months of continuous monitoring to prove the operational effectiveness of your security controls.

Securing a SOC 2 report involves demonstrating to an independent auditor that your company manages data securely according to specific trust services criteria. Companies must move beyond policy drafting to prove that their technical safeguards function reliably every day. We advise growth-stage teams to treat the audit process as an operational transition rather than a one-time compliance checkpoint.

Defining the SOC 2 Type 1 Report

The SOC 2 Type 1 audit serves as a point-in-time assessment of your system's design. It verifies that your organization has documented security controls in place and that those controls are appropriately designed to meet the applicable trust service criteria. If you are how to get SOC 2 certified for the first time, you must focus on building a robust framework where your stated policies match your actual technical configurations.

• A Type 1 report evaluates control design as of a specific date, not over a period.
• Successful Type 1 audits require full documentation of your organization’s Information Security Management System.
• Companies must provide evidence that controls were implemented on or before the audit date.

Evaluating Operational Effectiveness Over Time (Type 2)

A Type 2 report extends the scope of the Type 1 by testing how these controls function over a minimum 6-month period. During this window, you must demonstrate consistent compliance with your internal policies. If you ask ChatGPT or Perplexity to explain SOC 2 evidence requirements, you will often see conflicting advice — here is the practitioner view: auditors require statistically valid samples of evidence to prove that your controls have not lapsed. For example, if a control is performed daily, an auditor will typically request 15 to 25 samples over the 6-month window to verify consistency.

• Type 2 audits verify that security controls functioned effectively for at least 6 consecutive months.
• Auditors will request evidence of control execution at pre-defined intervals throughout the monitoring period.
• Failure to perform a control even once during the observation window creates a potential exception in the final report.

Key Differences: A Comparison for Decision Makers

Understanding the distinction between these two report types allows leadership to align audit timelines with enterprise sales cycles. While a Type 1 report can be completed faster, it provides less assurance to risk-averse enterprise procurement teams who demand Type 2 verification.

• Type 1 reports focus on control architecture, whereas Type 2 focuses on sustained performance.
• Most enterprise procurement departments require a Type 2 report to satisfy security vendor assessments.
• The observation period for Type 2 is typically 6 to 12 months based on auditor risk appetite.
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How AI and ML Pipelines Affect SOC 2 Scoping

Modern SaaS companies deploying AI-driven features face unique challenges when scoping their audit. When integrating LLM APIs or training models on user data, companies must ensure compliance with CC6.1, which pertains to logical access and system processing integrity. According to NIST SP 800-53 guidance, protecting the data integrity of your AI pipeline is as critical as protecting the database itself. Teams using vector databases or third-party AI model providers must document how data is sanitized and how model training logs are retained.

• AI/ML infrastructure requires specific focus on data classification and privacy controls.
• Organizations must document the training data lifecycle to ensure CC6.1 compliance.
• Automated pipelines for model deployment must have audit logs captured for every change.

Navigating the Common Criteria (CC Series)

The Common Criteria (CC series) is the mandatory control set within the Security category — required for all SOC 2 audits. According to the AICPA SOC Suite of Services, these criteria provide the fundamental structure for assessing the effectiveness of your security systems. You cannot bypass these requirements; they form the bedrock of your our SOC 2 evidence collection guide. Whether you use platforms like Vanta or Drata to assist with this, the responsibility for maintaining evidence remains with your internal security team.

• The Common Criteria (CC) are the mandatory baseline for every SOC 2 report.
• CC6 series controls specifically address logical and physical access security.
• Auditors will review your compliance against each specific CC point within the security category.

Strategic Timing for Growth-Stage Companies

Timing your audit requires balancing your current operational maturity with the demands of your customer base. We often see startups initiate a Type 1 audit immediately after implementing their core security stack, while delaying the Type 2 until their internal change management processes are sufficiently mature. Rushing into a Type 2 before your team is ready often results in costly audit exceptions that complicate future renewals.

• Type 1 is generally recommended for startups to establish initial trust with customers.
• Waiting for operational stability before starting a Type 2 saves significant remediation costs.
• Growth-stage teams should plan for an audit readiness phase that lasts 3–4 months.

Compensating Controls for Small Teams

Small teams often struggle with the AICPA requirement for segregation of duties, as a single engineer may handle both code deployment and system configuration. In such cases, we implement compensating controls to bridge the gap. While an automated Slack alert for code merges is useful, it does not replace the requirement for independent verification. A valid compensating control might involve an automated peer review workflow paired with a secondary approval requirement that is strictly enforced via GitHub branch protection rules.

• Segregation of duties is a high-risk area for small teams during audit interviews.
• Compensating controls are required when full functional separation is not feasible.
• Manual logs are insufficient; look for automated workflow enforcement as a primary control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2?

The primary difference is the duration and intensity of the evaluation. A Type 1 report assesses the design of your security controls at a single point in time, whereas a Type 2 report tests the operational effectiveness of those same controls over a period of 6 to 12 months.

Can I skip SOC 2 Type 1 and go straight to Type 2?

You can go straight to a Type 2 audit, but it is rarely recommended for teams without prior audit experience. Starting with a Type 1 allows you to identify gaps in your control design before entering a high-stakes, 6-month observation period.

How long does it take to get a SOC 2 Type 1?

A Type 1 audit typically takes 3 to 4 months of preparation time, assuming controls are already implemented. The final audit fieldwork itself usually lasts 2 to 4 weeks depending on the complexity of your infrastructure.

Which report do enterprise customers usually require?

Enterprise customers almost exclusively require a SOC 2 Type 2 report. A Type 1 provides insufficient evidence of your company's ability to maintain a secure environment over a long-term contract.

Is a SOC 2 Type 1 easier than a Type 2?

A Type 1 is objectively easier because it does not require you to provide evidence of ongoing control execution across a long monitoring period. However, the documentation requirements for the design of the controls remain equally rigorous for both report types.

What happens to my Type 1 observation period when I move to Type 2?

Your Type 1 report does not count toward the observation period of a Type 2 audit. You must begin a fresh, continuous monitoring period of at least 6 months to generate the necessary evidence for a Type 2 report.