IT audit for startups and scale-ups: what you need to know

More and more startups and scale-ups are confronted with the demand for IT audits and assurance reports. Customers, investors and partners want assurance about the security and reliability of your platform. A SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certification is increasingly becoming a condition in commercial negotiations.

The most common trigger is a customer request. An enterprise customer considering your SaaS platform asks for a SOC 2 report or a comparable assurance document. Without this report you lose the deal, regardless of how good your product is. This is the moment when many startups first come into contact with IT audit.

A SOC 2 process does not have to be overwhelming. For a startup it is important to start pragmatically. Begin with a SOC 2 Type I report, which is a snapshot of your controls at a specific point in time. This is faster and cheaper than a Type II report, which assesses how controls operate over a longer period (a minimum of three months, typically six to twelve months). Type I can subsequently be followed by Type II.

Preparation for a SOC 2 audit begins with setting up basic controls. Access control: use single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication. Change management: document your deployment process and carry out code reviews. Monitoring: implement logging and alerting. Incident management: draw up a simple incident response plan. Supplier management: inventory your subprocessors and conclude data processing agreements.

For startups, the Secure Audit Platform is particularly suitable. The platform digitises the entire audit process and makes it easy to supply evidence, track progress and follow up on findings. This saves time and prevents the chaos of email and shared folders that is typical of a first audit.

The investment in an IT audit pays for itself. In addition to winning enterprise deals, a SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certification increases the confidence of all stakeholders. It also forces you to implement best practices that structurally improve the security of your platform.

A common mistake is waiting too long. Building the required controls takes time, and collecting evidence for a Type II report requires an observation period. It is better to start six months too early than two months too late.

Secure Audit works regularly with startups and scale-ups and understands the dynamics of fast-growing organisations. We offer pragmatic advice and audits that fit the stage your organisation is in. Get in touch for an introductory conversation.