SOC 2 Guides
How to Choose a SOC 2 Auditor
Scope fit, evidence expectations, and pricing signals to avoid rework and delays.
Scope fit
- •Similar size and stack (cloud-first, SaaS, API), not just any SOC 2 logo.
- •Experience with your industry data types (PII/financial/health).
- •Understands your control boundary (product vs corporate IT).
Evidence expectations
- •Ask for sample requests by control area; check reasonableness vs your evidence vault.
- •Confirm how they handle redactions and de-identification.
- •Clarify observation window for Type II and acceptable sample sizes.
Process and tooling
- •Portal quality and response times.
- •Frequency of check-ins; escalation path for blockers.
- •Retest policy for exceptions and remediation evidence.
Pricing and terms
- •Fixed vs time-and-material; what changes price (scope, readiness, timeline).
- •Rescheduling and delay fees; retest fees.
- •Multi-year incentives vs lock-in risk.
Questions to ask before you sign
- •“Show me sample evidence requests for access, change, logging, IR.”
- •“What triggers scope change and price changes?”
- •“How do you handle exceptions, retests, and remediation evidence?”
- •“Who will be on my engagement? How many Type II SaaS audits have they led?”
Red flags
- •No sample requests; “we’ll see during fieldwork.”
- •Unclear on Type I vs Type II effort or observation window.
- •Heavy change fees for minor scope adjustments.
Good signals
- •Clear evidence checklist and timelines up front.
- •Experience with your stack (cloud infra, CI/CD, SaaS) and data types.
- •Practical guidance on sampling and retests to avoid rework.
Pick an auditor who matches your scope, shows evidence expectations up front, and keeps retests predictable.
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