When Do You Need SOC 2? (2026)

When SOC 2 becomes required

• Enterprise deals with security questionnaires and data protection addendums
• Handling sensitive customer data (PII, financial, health)
• Working with regulated partners (banks, healthcare, payment processors)
• Vendor risk reviews that block onboarding until SOC 2 evidence is provided
• Investor diligence expecting documented controls and evidence

When it’s too early

• No enterprise pipeline or regulated data flows yet
• Policies and controls not defined or owned
• Logging and access controls not in place
• No capacity to maintain evidence during development sprints
• Unclear system boundaries and data flows

If you delay, what breaks

• Enterprise deals stall when security reviews start
• Higher cost and rework when controls are rushed
• Data flow and ownership confusion during audits
• Evidence gaps that extend timelines or fail readiness

Quick self-check

• Do you have named owners for access control, change management, and incident response?
• Are MFA, logging, and monitoring enforced on critical systems?
• Do you maintain onboarding/offboarding with timely access removal?
• Can you produce change approvals and testing evidence?
• Are vendor risks reviewed and data flows documented?
• Do you have an incident response playbook and escalation path?
• Is evidence stored consistently, not scattered across tools?
• Do you know whether Type I or Type II fits your stage?

Related guides