SOC 2 readiness for growing companies
What is SOC 2?
SOC 2 is an auditing framework that evaluates how your company protects customer data. It's based on five Trust Service Criteria defined by the AICPA, and it's the report enterprise buyers ask for before signing a contract.
Security
Protection against unauthorized access. Required for every SOC 2 report.
Availability
Systems are operational and accessible as committed.
Processing integrity
System processing is complete, accurate, and authorized.
Confidentiality
Information designated as confidential is protected.
Privacy
Personal information is collected, used, and retained appropriately.
Who needs SOC 2, and when?
In the deals we sit in on, enterprise buyers ask for a SOC 2 report from vendors of every size, 10-person companies included. If you're selling to mid-market or enterprise accounts, SOC 2 becomes a question of when.
- You're losing deals because buyers ask for a SOC 2 report you don't have
- Your security questionnaire responses are inconsistent or incomplete
- You handle customer data in cloud infrastructure
- Your sales cycle stalls at vendor security reviews
Resource
Do I need SOC 2?
A practical guide to deciding if SOC 2 is worth the investment right now, or if you should start with something lighter.
Read the guideOur approach
Weeks, start to finish. Here's how we get you from zero to audit-ready.
Gap assessment
We review your current environment against SOC 2 requirements and give you a clear, prioritized roadmap.
Controls implementation
We build the technical controls, configure monitoring, write policies, and connect everything to your real infrastructure.
Evidence automation
Automated evidence collection tied to the controls we built. No screenshots of screenshots. No spreadsheet named final_v7.
Audit preparation
We manage the auditor relationship, prepare evidence packages, and handle questions so your team stays focused on product.
Ongoing monitoring
Continuous control monitoring catches drift before your next audit cycle. No annual scramble.
The real cost of SOC 2
Full-time CISO
$321K/year
Median annual pay for the role, plus the months it takes to hire one. Most growing companies need that budget in product.
Compliance platform only
$10K+/year
Automates evidence collection. Still requires someone to build and maintain the controls it measures.
Cloud Sentry
Fraction of either
One partner builds the controls and operates the automation that proves they work.
The CISO figure is a median annual pay of $321,000 for the role, as reported by Cybersecurity Ventures citing Glassdoor. Auditor fees follow Drata's published SOC 2 cost guidance. Compliance platform vendors quote per company, so the $10K figure is our own market observation and stands unverified. All three vary with company size and scope.
Type 1 vs. Type 2
SOC 2 Type 1
A point-in-time assessment. Confirms your controls are designed correctly as of a specific date. Faster to achieve. A good starting point for companies that need a report now.
SOC 2 Type 2
Evaluates whether your controls operated effectively over a period (typically 6-12 months). This is what enterprise buyers ultimately expect. Cloud Sentry builds you for Type 2 from day one.
Frequently asked questions
How long does SOC 2 take?
With Cloud Sentry, most companies are audit-ready in 6-8 weeks for Type 1. Type 2 requires an observation period of 6-12 months after controls are in place, but we build for Type 2 from day one so there's no rework.
What's the difference between Type 1 and Type 2?
Type 1 confirms your controls are designed correctly at a point in time. Type 2 proves they operated effectively over a period (6-12 months). Enterprise buyers ultimately want Type 2.
How much does SOC 2 cost?
Auditor fees for a Type 2 run about $12,000 to $20,000 for small and midsize companies, and higher for large or multi-framework scopes, per Drata's published SOC 2 cost guidance. Cloud Sentry's program management, controls implementation, and ongoing monitoring cost a fraction of a full-time CISO hire, a role with a median annual pay of $321,000 (Cybersecurity Ventures, citing Glassdoor). We scope engagements to your size and complexity.
Can we use a compliance automation platform instead?
You can, and we integrate with the major ones. But compliance automation software automates evidence collection against controls that already exist. Someone still needs to build and maintain those controls. That's what we do.
What if we fail the audit?
You walk into the audit prepared. Our gap assessment identifies every issue before the auditor arrives, and we remediate findings in real time. Every client we have prepared has passed.
Do small companies need SOC 2?
If you're selling to enterprise buyers, yes. We've helped 10-person companies achieve SOC 2 readiness. Your customers' requirements decide it, at any company size.
Proof on demand
Hand your auditor proof on the first ask.
The evidence that proves your SOC 2 controls is collected from your real environment as we run it, and it lives in the platform. When an auditor or a buyer asks, you share a scoped, time-bounded view through the Evidence Vault. No screenshots, no spreadsheets, no last-minute fire drill.
Ready to get SOC 2 certified?
We'll assess where you stand, build the roadmap, and get you audit-ready. Fast.