SOC 2 Readiness and Compliance Support

Type I assesses whether controls are designed correctly at a point in time. Type II assesses whether they operated correctly over a period, typically three to twelve months. When a customer asks for "SOC 2" without qualifying it, they usually mean Type II. Type I is commonly used as an interim answer while the Type II window runs.

They can do the readiness half — implementing controls, centralising identity, collecting evidence — and many of the providers listed here do exactly that. They cannot audit their own work, so the report still comes from an independent CPA firm.

It is not required, but it removes a great deal of manual evidence gathering and most providers now work with one. It does not decide what your controls should be.

Readiness commonly runs two to four months, then the Type II observation window on top. If a deal is blocked now, ask about Type I plus a written remediation plan — that combination satisfies many buyers in the interim.