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.
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.
