SOC 2 checklist for startups — the 6-week pass plan

Everything you need to pass SOC 2 Type 1 as a solo founder or small startup in six weeks. Policies, controls, evidence, auditor handoff.

For: Startups preparing for their first enterprise deal

Week 1 — Scope + tooling

  • Commit to Security-only trust criterion (not all 5)
  • Pick compliance platform: Vanta / Drata / Secureframe
  • Pick auditor: boutique ($5-10K) vs Big-4 (overkill)
  • Set audit date 5-6 weeks out

Weeks 2-3 — Policies

  • Information Security Policy
  • Access Control Policy
  • Change Management Policy
  • Incident Response Policy
  • Data Retention + Classification Policy
  • Vendor Management Policy
  • Business Continuity + DR Policy
  • Cryptography Policy

Week 4 — Technical controls

  • MFA enforced on every SaaS accountcritical
  • Encryption at rest for all customer data
  • HTTPS everywhere; HSTS enabled
  • Vulnerability management tool (Securie / equivalent)
  • Secure SDLC documented + evidenced in PR practice
  • Background checks on employees (yes, even solo founders)

Week 5 — Evidence collection

  • Access review: exported from every SaaS
  • Incident log (even if no incidents — document as such)
  • Vendor list with signed DPAs
  • Onboarding / offboarding checklists completed
  • Risk assessment documented

Week 6 — Audit

  • Auditor given access to compliance platform
  • Founder interview scheduled (1-2 hrs)
  • Any gaps flagged in the auditor review closed
  • Type 1 report received — hand to sales team