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Your SOC 2 Game Plan:
Your Team, Tools & Auditor
Most founders consider SOC 2s a go-to-market checkbox. Although it is, the process to get this report is quite daunting.
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To shed some light on this process,
we put together 3 tables break down:
- Total costs of completion
- Stakeholders & Vendors involved
- Typical timelines
- SOC 2 report types
End to end SOC 2 readiness and audit process
Readiness 2-4 Weeks | Remediation 4-12 Weeks | Audit 6-12 Weeks | Report 1-2 Weeks | Renewal Every Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Startup Total avg cost ~ 6-10K | Internal assessment, document current controls. | Fix gaps, implement missing controls, collect evidence. | Respond to evidence requests, participate in walkthroughs | Review draft findings, address exceptions | Maintain controls, prepare for annual audit. |
GRC Platform Total avg cost/ 10k | Run automated gap analysis, flag missing controls | Monitor control implementation, track progress | Generate evidence packages, automate screenshots | Continuous monitoring, evidence collection | Provide audit trail documentation |
Audit Firm Total avg cost/ 6-10K (**) | Not yet Engaged | Optional pre-audit consultation | Test controls, review evidence, conduct fieldwork | Issue formal SOC 2 report with opinion | Annual re-audit, test continuous operation |
(*) Often with consulting firm assistance
(**) Early stage startup baseline
SOC 2 reports by type
Category | SOC 2 Type I Point | SOC 2 Type II Period of |
|---|---|---|
What it tests | Control design at a single point in time Auditor asks: "Are your controls appropriately designed to meet the criteria?" | Control design AND operating effectiveness over time Auditor asks: "Did your controls actually work consistently over 3-12 months?" |
Time Period | One specific date (point-in-time) Example: "As of December 15, 2024" | Observation period: typically 3, 6, or 12 months Example: "July 1, 2024 through Deс. 31, 2024" |
Audit Costs | 3-4 months | $10,000-$25,000 Faster readiness phase, shorter audit fieldwork, lower cost | 6-12 months | $15,000-$50,000 Must wait for observation period to complete, more extensive testing |
Evidence & testing | Design review and walkthrough with point-in-time evidence Policies, procedures, screenshots from audit date | Design review + operational testing with 25+ samples per control Continuous evidence: logs, tickets, reviews across entire period |
Market Acceptance | Accepted by some customers, especially for first audit Good for "getting started" or smaller deals | Industry standard; required by most enterprise buyers Preferred or required by Fortune 500 and securityconscious buyers |
How buyers read SOC 2 reports
Report Section | What It Means in | Why Buyers Care | What Founders |
|---|---|---|---|
Auditor's Opinion | The pass/fail summary of your controls | It's a quick trust signal | Emphasize that you achieved an "unqualified" (clean) opinion |
Scope & Boundaries | Defines which systems are covered | Buyers check that their data is included | Show how your environment covers all client-facing systems |
Control Matrix | List of controls tested | Buyers scan for familiar items like access management or incident response | Align your answers in questionnaires to these control names |
Exceptions/Deviations | Where issues were found | Buyers look for patterns, not perfection | Add management responses that show quick remediation |
System Description | Your own narrative about infrastructure, apps, and vendors | It helps them understand how you operate | Write this clearly - it's the most human part of the report |
Appendices / | Extra evidence or continuity docs | Keeps deals moving even between audits | Proactively include it when sharing reports |
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