As the CEO of a SaaS company in Australia, how do we get SOC 2 certified?
Technically, your company does not become SOC 2 certified. A licensed CPA firm examines your controls and issues a Type I or Type II attestation report. Your practical path is to confirm the buyer's deadline, choose the Trust Services Criteria, close the control gaps, operate the controls with evidence, and then enter CPA fieldwork.
1. Confirm the buyer ask
Ask whether Type I is acceptable now or whether the contract requires Type II, and record the deadline.
2. Scope commercially
Security is mandatory. Add Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity or Privacy only where buyers and commitments require them.
3. Close readiness gaps
Design the controls, policies, ownership and system description around the service your customers actually buy.
4. Run and evidence controls
Collect complete, dated evidence from day one; a Type II report tests operation across the observation window.
5. Use an independent CPA firm
The CPA firm examines and attests. Your readiness provider prepares the organisation but cannot issue the report.
What is SOC 2?
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an attestation framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It is used by service organisations (most commonly SaaS companies and managed service providers) to demonstrate that they have suitably designed and operating controls relevant to the AICPA Trust Services Criteria.
The Trust Services Criteria are organised into five categories:
- Security (always included) — protection of information and systems against unauthorised access.
- Availability — system uptime and recoverability as committed to customers.
- Confidentiality — protection of information designated as confidential (e.g. customer business data).
- Processing Integrity — completeness, accuracy, and validity of processing.
- Privacy — collection, use, retention, disclosure, and disposal of personal information.
A service organisation picks which Trust Services Criteria are in scope. Security is mandatory; the other four are optional but driven by customer expectations.
Important: SOC 2 is an attestation, not a certification
ISO 27001 is a certifiable management system standard — accredited certification bodies issue certificates. SOC 2 is different. There is no certificate. A CPA firm issues an opinion on whether your controls were designed (Type I) or were designed and operated effectively over a period (Type II). The deliverable is a written report — the SOC 2 Type I or Type II report — which buyers review under NDA. People say “SOC 2 certified” in conversation, but no certificate exists.
Who needs SOC 2 in Australia?
Any service organisation may encounter a customer request for a SOC 2 report. Confirm the actual contract, questionnaire or tender: the service, legal entity, report type, Trust Services Criteria, observation period, exceptions policy and submission deadline. If an alternative assurance format may be accepted, obtain written buyer confirmation.
Industries that need SOC 2 in Australia
Software, managed services, financial technology and health technology buyers can have different assurance requirements. Industry or country does not create a universal SOC 2 obligation. Scope the service and applicable customer terms first; privacy, financial-services, healthcare and government requirements need their own assessment.
How SOC 2 sits alongside Australian regulation
SOC 2 is a US AICPA attestation framework — it is not Australian regulation. But because it overlaps heavily with Australian information-security and privacy expectations, the control investment goes a long way. The table summarises how SOC 2 relates to the Australian regulations Aegentra is most often asked about.
| Australian framework | What it requires | Relationship to SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001 | International standard for an information-security management system — clauses 4-10 plus 93 Annex A controls. | Map relevant controls and evidence to each scope. The amount of reusable work depends on the selected criteria and evidence period. |
| ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy) | ISO/IEC 27701:2025 is a standalone privacy information management system standard that can also be integrated with an ISMS. | Privacy-management evidence may be reusable, but ISO 27701 does not automatically substitute for a buyer’s SOC 2 Privacy criteria requirement. |
| Privacy Act 1988 (APPs) | Australian Privacy Principles covering collection, use, disclosure, retention, integrity, access. | SOC 2 does not cover the APPs. Australian SaaS companies serving Australian customers need to satisfy the Privacy Act separately, typically via ISO 27701 or an OAIC-aligned privacy programme. |
| APRA CPS 234 | Information-security requirements for APRA-regulated entities; supplier responsibilities depend on the applicable contractual arrangements. | SOC 2 Security TSC partially supports CPS 234 evidence, particularly for SaaS suppliers to APRA entities. ISO 27001 is the more direct fit. |
| Consumer Data Right (CDR) | Accreditation and privacy obligations on CDR data recipients. | SOC 2 does not establish compliance with CDR obligations. Determine applicable safeguards and assurance requirements separately. |
| PSPF / DISP (government supplier) | Information-security expectations for Commonwealth government suppliers and defence-industry firms. | Read the specific procurement and security requirements. Neither SOC 2 nor ISO 27001 automatically substitutes for required government or defence assurance. |
| Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme | Australian breach notification to the OAIC and affected individuals. | SOC 2 incident-handling controls partly support the NDB scheme but Australia-specific assessment and notification obligations are not the focus. |
A SOC 2 report does not establish compliance with Australian law. Identify applicable legal and contractual obligations separately, map reusable evidence where relevant, and have the appropriate advisers confirm any unresolved requirement.
Type I vs Type II — what to expect
SOC 2 Type I tests the design of controls at a specific point in time. The CPA firm reviews your control documentation and confirms the controls, if operating as designed, would meet the Trust Services Criteria. Output: a Type I report, usually 4–8 weeks to produce after readiness.
SOC 2 Type II tests the operating effectiveness of controls over a period — typically 6 months for a first audit, 12 months thereafter. The CPA firm samples evidence across the entire audit window. The first Type II therefore takes 6–9 months from end of readiness to issued report (the audit window itself plus the audit fieldwork and reporting).
The standard Australian pattern: 8–12 weeks readiness → Type I report → 6-month Type II audit window → first Type II report. Total elapsed time from kickoff to first Type II report is roughly 10–12 months. Subsequent Type II audits run on a 12-month rolling basis.
How much does SOC 2 cost in Australia?
PECB Lead SOC 2 Manager training (Aegentra Academy)
- PECB Lead SOC 2 Manager — Self-Study: A$849 + GST (A$933.90 including Australian GST). Practitioner credential for service organisations preparing for SOC 2 engagements. Check the course page for examination inclusion, retake conditions and credential requirements.
Readiness, examination and ongoing costs
| Component | Pricing basis | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness consulting (Aegentra or similar) | Current scoped Aegentra service offer or written consultant quote | Once |
| SOC 2 Type I audit (CPA firm) | Separate CPA-firm quote | Once (optional) |
| SOC 2 Type II audit (CPA firm) | Separate CPA-firm quote for the agreed period | Annual |
| Continuous compliance tooling (Vanta, Drata, etc.) | Vendor quote; optional platform scope and terms | Annual |
The CPA firm sets its own fees and currency. Aegentra’s readiness fee is separate, with current starting assumptions on the service page. No universal market range or referral arrangement is implied.
The SOC 2 process, step-by-step
- 01Scope and TSC selection
Decide which Trust Services Criteria are in scope (Security is mandatory; Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy optional). Define the system description — the boundaries of what the report covers.
- 02Gap assessment
Review current controls against the chosen Trust Services Criteria. Output: prioritised list of gaps with effort estimates.
- 03Control design
Document the controls — who, what, when, how often. Write the system description, the policies, and the evidence-collection runbook.
- 04Implementation
Operate the controls inside your engineering and business processes. This is the part most teams underestimate — controls have to actually run and leave evidence.
- 05Readiness assessment
Internal walkthrough of every control. Often combined with a Type I audit, which becomes a customer-facing artefact.
- 06Audit period begins (Type II)
Controls operate over the audit window (typically 6 months for first audit, 12 months thereafter). Evidence must be collected continuously throughout — no retroactive backfilling.
- 07CPA fieldwork
The CPA firm tests controls by sampling evidence across the audit period. Includes interviews, observation, and re-performance.
- 08Report issued
The CPA firm issues the SOC 2 Type II report — typically 60–90 pages — including the auditor opinion, system description, controls, tests, and results.
- 09Distribute under NDA
The report is shared with prospects and customers under NDA. Update the report annually by repeating the audit on a rolling 12-month window.
Steps 02 to 05 are where most Australian teams stall — the work sits with you, not the CPA firm. Our SOC 2 readiness service covers that stretch, from gap assessment through to the readiness walkthrough, before fieldwork begins.
The PECB Lead SOC 2 Manager course
The PECB Lead SOC 2 Manager course prepares service-organisation professionals for SOC 2 readiness work. The course page explains the examination and credential-application pathway; completing training alone does not award the professional credential.
What the course covers:
- The AICPA Trust Services Criteria in depth.
- How to scope, design, and document controls for SOC 2.
- Evidence collection and continuous monitoring.
- Managing the relationship with the external CPA auditor.
- Differences between Type I, Type II, and bridge letters.
The course does not authorise you to issue SOC 2 reports — that is exclusively the domain of licensed CPA firms. An individual credential is separate from a company’s attestation report and does not replace competence, experience or role-specific authorisation.
SOC 2 vs ISO 27001
The most useful comparison for an Australian SaaS company weighing both options:
| Dimension | SOC 2 | ISO 27001 |
|---|---|---|
| Type of output | Attestation report (CPA opinion) | Certificate (accredited body) |
| Preferred by | Buyers requiring the specified SOC 2 report | Buyers requiring the specified ISO certificate |
| Audit cadence | Annual (rolling 12-month) | 3-year certificate; annual surveillance |
| Auditor | Licensed CPA firm | Accredited certification body |
| Public statement | Report under NDA | Public certificate |
| Control overlap | Scope-specific mapping; no universal percentage | |
Select and sequence the work from the buyer’s actual requirements, existing evidence and deadlines. Obtain a scoped estimate of shared work and remaining gaps; neither geography nor a promised percentage saving determines the right programme.
FAQs
As the CEO of a SaaS company in Australia, how do we get SOC 2 certified?
Technically, your company does not become SOC 2 certified — a licensed CPA firm issues a Type I or Type II attestation report. Start by confirming what the buyer needs and when, select the Trust Services Criteria, run a readiness assessment, close the control gaps, and collect evidence while the controls operate. Aegentra can run that readiness programme and prepare the evidence; the independent CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report.
Is SOC 2 a certification?
No — SOC 2 is an attestation. It is not a certificate. A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) firm issues an opinion (the SOC 2 report) on whether the service organisation met the AICPA Trust Services Criteria during the audit period. The report is the deliverable, not a certificate. People often colloquially say "SOC 2 certified" but the technically correct term is "SOC 2 Type II report".
Type I or Type II — which do I need?
Type I addresses control design at a specified date; Type II also addresses operating effectiveness over a specified period. Confirm the buyer’s required report type, criteria and period before planning the work. A Type I report should not be assumed to satisfy a Type II request.
Why is SOC 2 popular even though it is American?
A buyer may request a SOC 2 report to evaluate a service organisation’s controls. Confirm the actual contractual requirement, system scope, criteria, report type and period rather than infer acceptance from the buyer’s location.
Can I do both SOC 2 and ISO 27001?
Yes. Map each framework’s requirements to the controls and evidence in scope, then identify remaining gaps and different evidence periods. Some work can be reused, but there is no universal overlap percentage, cost premium or guaranteed saving.
Which Trust Services Criteria should I include?
Security is mandatory in every SOC 2 report. The other four (Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy) are optional. Most SaaS companies add Availability and Confidentiality from the start. Processing Integrity is required if you make claims about transaction completeness (fintech, payments). Privacy is required if you make privacy claims to data subjects (and adds significant scope — most SaaS companies cover privacy via ISO 27701 instead).
Who can issue a SOC 2 report?
An appropriately qualified independent CPA firm performs the SOC 2 examination and issues the report. Confirm the proposed firm’s eligibility, competence and acceptance with the buyer. Aegentra provides readiness support, not the SOC 2 attestation.
What does the PECB Lead SOC 2 Manager course teach?
The PECB course prepares learners to plan, design, implement and manage readiness for SOC 2 engagements. Credential award requires the applicable PECB examination and application requirements to be met. It covers the AICPA Trust Services Criteria, control design, evidence collection, the difference between Type I and Type II, and how to manage the relationship with the external CPA auditor. It does not authorise you to issue SOC 2 reports — that requires being a CPA.
How long is a SOC 2 report valid?
A SOC 2 Type II report covers a specific audit period (typically 6 or 12 months). It does not expire formally, but buyers typically reject reports older than 12 months. Most service organisations run a rolling annual SOC 2 — the next audit window starts on the day the previous one ends.