How Startups Can Get SOC 2 Compliance Without a Security Team

From Chaos to Compliance: How SaaS Startups Can Start Their SOC 2 Journey Without Internal Security Teams

SOC 2 compliance may seem like a distant goal if you're a scrappy SaaS startup with no security team and a million priorities. But with investor pressure, enterprise sales prospects, or upcoming due diligence, it’s often not optional; it’s urgent. The good news? You don’t need an internal CISO or compliance officer to begin your SOC 2 journey. In fact, with the right strategy and tools, startups can lay the groundwork and achieve compliance faster than expected.

This guide walks you through a startup-friendly, step-by-step path to SOC 2 readiness, even if you're operating with a lean team.

Step 1: Understand What SOC 2 Actually Requires

SOC 2 isn’t a plug-and-play solution. It’s a framework built around five Trust Services Criteria:

• Security (Required)
• Availability
• Confidentiality
• Processing Integrity
• Privacy

Most early-stage startups focus on Type I (snapshot at a point in time) before pursuing Type II (evidence over a period).

It’s about demonstrating that you have reliable and repeatable systems in place to protect user data.

Step 2: Define the Scope Early

Don’t boil the ocean. Define the systems, teams, and processes that fall within the audit’s scope. For most SaaS companies, this includes:

• Cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP)
• CI/CD pipelines
• Application codebase
• Internal admin tools
• Customer data storage & handling

Step 3: Get a Compliance Automation Tool

Manual tracking is a recipe for chaos. Several tools like Humadroid.io exist to help startups streamline the SOC 2 process:

It helps you with continuous monitoring, automated evidence collection, pre-mapped controls, and policy templates.

Try For Free ### Step 4: Create (and Automate) Key Policies

You’ll need documentation for everything from onboarding to incident response. Use templates provided by your automation tool and customize as needed.

Core policies include:

• Acceptable Use Policy
• Access Control Policy
• Information Security Policy
• Risk Assessment Policy
• Incident Response Plan

Step 5: Implement Basic Security Hygiene

You don’t need enterprise-level security. But you do need to show maturity in key areas:

• MFA on all accounts (especially admin)
• Regular software updates & patching
• Least-privilege access principles
• Offboarding processes
• Endpoint protection

Most automation tools will flag these gaps for you.

Step 6: Run a Readiness Assessment

Before inviting an auditor, simulate the audit. Your compliance platform likely includes a readiness checklist.

Checklist includes:

• Are your policies documented and acknowledged?
• Is access control consistently enforced?
• Are logs being collected and reviewed?
• Can you demonstrate how incidents would be handled?

This step uncovers gaps before you pay for a formal audit.

Step 7: Choose an Auditor Familiar with Startups

Not all audit firms are created equal. Look for:

• Experience with SaaS
• Familiarity with compliance automation tools
• Reasonable timelines
• Clear deliverables

Step 8: Maintain and Monitor

SOC 2 Type II requires evidence over time. Even after completing your audit report, you’ll need:

• Continuous monitoring
• Quarterly policy reviews
• Employee security training
• Regular access audits

Final Thoughts

Achieving SOC 2 compliance without a full-time security team isn’t just possible—it’s increasingly common. With the right tools, clear scope, and disciplined processes, you can build trust with customers and partners without hiring a security department from day one.

Start lean. Stay secure. Scale with confidence.

SOC 2 Checklist