SOC2 as a solo founder

My customers are not yet asking for SOC2 or other certifications, but I plan to use an ISO27001 certification as a differentiator and thus have spent some time mulling over this topic as well. (context: we are offering B2B security software + have decent IT security qualifications myself)

There are a few US companies that offer a streamlined audit and certification process for tech companies (vanta.com being the best known I think) and I'd recommend you arrange a few sales calls with these companies.

I asked them the same questions: can I get certified without employees? Being fully remote? As a foreign entity, not US-based? -> All "yes" to these questions.

Pricing starts around 10k USD/year (I did my research in late 2020).

I'd suggest you survey your customers and figure out what exactly they need & then discuss with service providers. Maybe there is a middle ground that suits your case perfectly?

SOC2 is viable in that the work/effort involved is doable for 1 person but be aware of the cold hard costs:

The low-end cost estimate is around $10k for a SOC2 type1 audit covering the "Security" trust principle only, there are 4 other trust service principles that you might consider also getting audited for but "Security" is the only mandatory one (and probably "good-enough" to close sales).

After 6 or 12 months you could consider getting a SOC2 type2 for another ~$10k outlay and renew that every 6 or 12 months. Type1 is really a "snapshot in time" analysis whereas Type2 audits the preceding timeframe as a whole which necessitates you track and prove compliance over time.

Platforms like Drata, Vanta and HeyLaika you pay for separately (approx $15k annual) can help you prepare for an audit and monitor your on-going compliance. You can bundle these platforms with auditors for some cost savings. For a solo shop these might well be overkill.

You could probably expect to go from zero to certification in 1-3 months, really it just depends on how quickly you do the work to provide evidence, write policies etc.

If you want to try the route of no formal certification, here's one idea for you: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/research/cloud-controls-matrix/
You can fill in their CAIQ questionnaire and publish it to their STAR Registry, it's a self-assessment (although they'll review the submission) and free to do. Their controls are aligned with SOC and ISO27001. Now for anyone asking you for SOC2 you can point them here and spin some soothing words to make it seem like this might be just as good as a real SOC2 - That'll work on some people!

Commenting for better reach!

Everyone is talking about the cost... $10k - $15k for a tool... to show that your data is secure.

For bootstrapped startups, this is just ridiculous and unfair

@ Andrew, if you still trying to figure it out, my company Kintent, just launched a Free SOC 2 compliance tool for startups < 50 employees

http://kintent.com/pricing

We want to disrupt the market flooded with Vanta and Drata ... and serve startups just trying to break through and get in front of larger customers

Hi Andrew,
Is the Job for Full Stack Developer for Currents.dev still Open?
Unfortunately, I don't use Angeldotco
What's your Email Adress
Thanks

I think going soc2 should be a move up market only. If you are not strategically going up market, let it go. Only large organizations (like funded startups etc...) asked me for SOC2. SMBs and individual consultants often don't care about these, they care about how you are grasped of handling their data so in some sense it is even worse to let them down but cheaper money wise but not effort wise.