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How to Get SOC 2 Certified in 8 Weeks: Week-by-Week Action Plan

Complete week-by-week roadmap to achieve SOC 2 Type I certification in 8 weeks using AI automation. Includes daily tasks, tools, pitfalls to avoid, and acceleration strategies.

October 13, 2025

24 min read

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TL;DR: 8-Week SOC 2 Roadmap

Is 8 weeks realistic? Yes—with AI automation. Traditional methods take 3-6 months, but modern platforms reduce manual work by 85-95%.

Week-by-week breakdown:

•Week 1: Setup automation platform, connect integrations, run gap analysis
•Week 2: Generate policies with AI, identify critical gaps
•Week 3-4: Remediate gaps, implement technical controls
•Week 5-6: Automated evidence collection, select auditor
•Week 7: Auditor fieldwork and testing
•Week 8: Address findings, receive SOC 2 Type I report

Requirements:

•Automation platform with AI agent (Simple Comply recommended)
•Commitment: 5-10 hours/week from your team
•Budget: $20K-$30K (audit $15K-$25K + platform $6K/year)
•Existing infrastructure: AWS/GCP/Azure, identity provider, basic security practices

Success rate: 95% of companies achieve SOC 2 Type I in 6-8 weeks using this approach.

Week 1: Foundation & Setup

Goal: Platform setup, integrations connected, initial gap analysis complete

Total Time: 8-12 hours

Day 1-2: Choose & Setup Automation Platform (4 hours)

Morning: Platform Selection

Evaluation criteria:

•✅ AI agent capabilities (autonomous vs. assistive)
•✅ Integration ecosystem (need 50+ minimum)
•✅ Evidence automation
•✅ Policy generation
•✅ Speed to implementation
•✅ Auditor acceptance
•✅ Pricing (startup-friendly)

Top 3 platforms:

•Simple Comply - AI agent, 150+ integrations, $499-$999/mo
•Vanta - Strong brand, 50+ integrations, $1,000-$2,000/mo
•Drata - Continuous monitoring, 80+ integrations, $1,000-$2,500/mo

Decision factors:

•Choose Simple Comply if: AI automation priority, fastest path, best ROI
•Choose Vanta if: Brand recognition important, budget flexible
•Choose Drata if: Continuous monitoring most critical

Action items:

Start free trial (Simple Comply: 14 days, no CC required)
Create workspace
Add team members (compliance lead, CTO, 1-2 engineers)
Configure roles and permissions

Afternoon: Initial Configuration

Select framework: SOC 2 Type I
Choose TSC criteria: Security (required) + Availability (recommended)
Define system scope:
- •Production environment: ✅ In-scope
- •Development: ❌ Out-of-scope (usually)
- •Corporate IT: ✅ In-scope (laptops, access management)
Set target audit date: Week 7 (6 weeks from now)

Output: Platform configured, team onboarded, scope defined

Day 3-4: Connect Integrations (4-6 hours)

Priority integrations (must-have):

Hour 1-2: Cloud Infrastructure

AWS (IAM, S3, RDS, CloudWatch)
GCP (IAM, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL) - if applicable
Azure (AD, Storage, SQL) - if applicable

Setup time: 15-30 minutes each

Hour 2-3: Identity & Access

Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, or OneLogin
SAML SSO if configured

Setup time: 10-20 minutes

Hour 3-4: Code Repository

GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket
Configure read-only access
Enable audit log exports

Setup time: 5-15 minutes

Hour 4-5: HR & Training

BambooHR, Workday, Rippling, or Gusto
Connect for onboarding/offboarding evidence
Link training completion records

Setup time: 10-20 minutes

Hour 5-6: Additional integrations (nice-to-have for Week 1)

Jira/Linear (change management)
DataDog/Splunk (monitoring)
Slack/Teams (communication)
CrowdStrike/SentinelOne (EDR)

Pro tip: Simple Comply's AI agent can guide you: "Connect my AWS account" → step-by-step instructions.

Output: 10-15 integrations connected, evidence collection begins automatically

Day 5: Run Gap Analysis (2-3 hours)

Morning: Automated Scan

AI platform scans connected systems and identifies:

•✅ Controls currently in place
•⚠️ Partially implemented controls
•❌ Missing controls

Expected initial compliance score: 30-60% (completely normal!)

Example gap analysis output:

📊 SOC 2 READINESS: 42% (47/112 controls)

✅ COMPLIANT (47 controls):
- MFA enabled (CC6.1)
- Encryption in transit (CC6.1)
- Centralized logging (CC7.2)
[...]

🟡 PARTIAL (28 controls):
- Access reviews (no evidence) - CC6.2
- Incident response (plan exists, not tested) - CC7.3
[...]

❌ NOT COMPLIANT (37 controls):
- Encryption at rest disabled on database - CC6.1
- No vulnerability scanning - CC7.1
- No security training program - CC2.2
[...]

Afternoon: Prioritize Gaps

Category gaps by severity:

🚨 CRITICAL (Must fix - Week 2-3):

•Missing encryption at rest
•No MFA on admin accounts
•No access reviews
•No backups or backup testing
•No incident response plan

🟡 HIGH (Fix - Week 3-4):

•No vulnerability scanning
•Missing security policies
•No security awareness training
•No vendor management process
•No change management

🟢 MEDIUM/LOW (Nice-to-have):

•Incomplete documentation
•Process improvements
•Enhanced monitoring

Output: Gap analysis complete, priorities set, remediation plan started

Week 1 Checklist

Platform selected and configured
10-15 integrations connected
Initial gap analysis run
Gaps prioritized (critical, high, medium, low)
Week 2 tasks identified
Team alignment on timeline

Week 1 Impact:

•Compliance score: 30-60% (baseline)
•Evidence auto-collection: Started
•Time invested: 8-12 hours
•Status: Foundation complete ✅

Week 2: Policies & Initial Remediation

Goal: All policies generated, critical gaps remediated

Total Time: 10-15 hours

Day 1: AI Policy Generation (2 hours)

Morning: Generate Policy Package (30 minutes)

Using AI agent:

User: "Generate all SOC 2 required policies for my SaaS company"

AI Agent:
- Analyzing your environment...
- Detected: AWS infrastructure, 45 employees, remote workforce
- Creating 23 policies tailored to your setup...

✅ Policies created:
1. Information Security Policy (master)
2. Access Control Policy
3. Encryption Policy
4. Password Policy
5. Acceptable Use Policy
6. Remote Access Policy
7. Mobile Device Policy
8. Data Classification Policy
9. Data Retention & Disposal Policy
10. Vendor Management Policy
11. Change Management Policy
12. Incident Response Plan
13. Business Continuity Plan
14. Disaster Recovery Plan
15. Security Awareness Training Policy
16. Background Check Policy
17. Risk Assessment Policy
18. Asset Management Policy
19. Network Security Policy
20. Vulnerability Management Policy
21. Secure Development Policy
22. Code Review Policy
23. Physical Security Policy

Time: 15 minutes (vs. 6-8 weeks manual)

Afternoon: Review & Customize (90 minutes)

Review each policy (5 min per policy = 2 hours total)
Customize company-specific details:
- •Company name
- •Specific tools (Okta, AWS, etc.)
- •Contact information
- •Review schedules
Flag any policies needing legal review

Output: 23 policies ready for sign-off

Day 2: Policy Approval & Distribution (3 hours)

Morning: Legal/Compliance Review (1-2 hours)

Send policies to legal (if available)
Address any concerns
Make final edits

Afternoon: Executive Sign-Off (1 hour)

CEO or executive sponsor reviews and signs
Board awareness (if required)
Approval documentation

Distribution:

Upload policies to platform
Distribute to all employees
Set up acknowledgment tracking
Schedule annual review dates

Output: Policies approved, signed, distributed ✅

Day 3-4: Remediate Critical Gaps (6-10 hours)

Priority order (fix in sequence):

Gap 1: Enable MFA for All Users (2 hours)

Enforce MFA in Okta/Azure AD/Google Workspace
No exceptions (100% coverage required)
Verify all users enrolled
Document enforcement policy

Gap 2: Enable Encryption at Rest (2-3 hours)

AWS RDS: Enable encryption
S3 buckets: Enable default encryption
Backup storage: Verify encryption
Take screenshots for evidence

Gap 3: Implement Access Reviews (1-2 hours)

Create access review schedule (quarterly)
Document current user list
Review all access (first review)
Remove any inappropriate access
Create process for ongoing reviews

Gap 4: Set Up Backups & Testing (2-3 hours)

Configure automated backups (daily)
Enable offsite backup storage
Document backup procedures
Schedule quarterly backup testing
Run initial backup test

Gap 5: Create Incident Response Plan (1 hour)

AI generates initial plan
Customize for your team
Define severity levels (P0, P1, P2, P3)
Set escalation procedures
Assign incident response roles

Output: Critical gaps remediated, compliance score increases to 60-70%

Week 2 Checklist

All 23 policies generated and approved
Policies distributed to employees
MFA enabled for 100% of users
Encryption at rest enabled
Access reviews implemented
Backup automation configured
Incident response plan created

Week 2 Impact:

•Compliance score: 60-70% (↑20-30%)
•Critical gaps: Remediated ✅
•Time invested: 10-15 hours
•Status: Major progress, on track

Week 3-4: Technical Controls & Evidence

Goal: Remaining gaps closed, evidence collection in progress

Total Time: 15-20 hours

Week 3: Technical Implementation

Day 1-2: Vulnerability Management (4-6 hours)

Setup vulnerability scanning:

Select tool (Nessus, Qualys, Wiz, or Crowdstrike)
Configure scans for production environment
Set scan frequency (monthly minimum)
Define remediation SLAs:
- •Critical: 7 days
- •High: 30 days
- •Medium: 90 days
Run initial scan
Review and remediate critical/high findings

Cost: $1K-$3K/year for scanner

Day 3: Security Monitoring & Logging (2-3 hours)

Verify centralized logging (CloudWatch, Splunk, DataDog)
Set log retention to 1 year minimum
Configure critical security alerts:
- •Failed login attempts (10+ in 5 min)
- •Root/admin account usage
- •Production database changes
- •Unusual API activity
Test alerting (trigger test alert)
Document monitoring procedures

Day 4: Network Security (2-3 hours)

Verify production/dev separation
Configure VPN for production access
Document network diagram
Review firewall rules
Ensure no direct SSH/RDP from internet
Configure security groups (AWS) or NSGs (Azure)

Day 5: Endpoint Security (2 hours)

Deploy EDR to all devices (Crowdstrike, SentinelOne, etc.)
Verify 100% deployment
Configure automatic updates
Set up quarantine and alerting
Document endpoint security policy

Cost: $5-$15 per device/month

Week 4: Operational Controls

Day 1-2: Change Management (3-4 hours)

Formalize change request process
Create Jira/Linear workflow
Define approval requirements:
- •Standard changes: 1 approver
- •High-risk changes: 2+ approvers
- •Emergency changes: Post-implementation review
Set up testing requirements
Document rollback procedures
Train team on new process

Day 2-3: Security Training (2-3 hours)

Select training platform (KnowBe4, SANS, or built-in)
Assign training to all employees
Set completion deadline (within 30 days)
Configure annual recurrence
Set up phishing simulations (quarterly)
Track completion

Cost: $20-$50 per employee/year

Day 4: Vendor Management (2-3 hours)

Create vendor inventory
Identify critical vendors (those with data access)
Request SOC 2 reports from critical vendors
Document vendor assessment process
Create vendor risk register
Schedule annual vendor reviews

Day 5: Evidence Review (2 hours)

Review AI-collected evidence:

Check evidence coverage (target: 80%+)
Verify evidence quality
Identify any manual evidence needed
Upload manual evidence:
- •Board meeting minutes (if applicable)
- •Executed vendor contracts
- •Signed employee NDAs
- •Physical security photos
- •Background check records

Week 3-4 Checklist

Technical controls:

Vulnerability scanning implemented
Security monitoring configured
Network security documented
EDR deployed to all devices

Operational controls:

Change management process live
Security training assigned
Vendor assessments completed
Evidence 80%+ collected

Week 3-4 Impact:

•Compliance score: 85-95% (↑15-25%)
•Technical controls: Complete ✅
•Evidence collection: 80%+ ✅
•Time invested: 15-20 hours
•Status: Audit-ready approaching

Week 5-6: Auditor Selection & Audit Prep

Goal: Auditor selected, audit scheduled, 100% evidence complete

Total Time: 8-12 hours

Week 5: Auditor Selection

Day 1-2: Research & Outreach (3-4 hours)

Find auditors:

•Compliance platform recommendations
•AICPA SOC directory
•Peer referrals
•Google search + research

Contact 5 auditors, request quotes:

Questions to ask each:

•How many SOC 2 audits annually? (Target: 50+)
•Experience with companies our size?
•Experience with our tech stack?
•Average audit duration? (Target: 2-4 weeks)
•Timeline from kickoff to report?
•Do you accept automated evidence?
•Fixed fee or hourly?
•References available?

Day 3: Auditor Selection (2 hours)

Compare quotes:

Auditor A: $22,000 - 3 weeks - 100+ audits/year
Auditor B: $18,000 - 4 weeks - 30 audits/year
Auditor C: $28,000 - 2 weeks - 200+ audits/year

Selection criteria:

•Experience: 40%
•Price: 30%
•Timeline: 20%
•References: 10%

Action:

Select auditor (balance experience + price)
Sign engagement letter
Schedule kickoff (Week 6)
Schedule audit fieldwork (Week 7)

Day 4-5: Final Preparations (3-4 hours)

Review compliance dashboard (target: 95%+)
Complete any remaining evidence collection
Run final gap analysis
Address any last-minute findings
Prepare audit evidence packet

Week 6: Audit Preparation

Day 1: Auditor Kickoff Meeting (1-2 hours)

Kickoff agenda:

Introductions and roles
Review system description
Confirm scope and TSC criteria
Review control list (Security + Availability)
Discuss evidence format
Set audit schedule
Provide auditor portal access
Agree on communication cadence

Provide to auditor:

System description document
Network diagram
Policy package (all 23 policies)
Evidence organized by control
Access to auditor collaboration portal

Day 2-3: Evidence Organization (3-4 hours)

Organize evidence by control:

CC1: Control Environment (board docs, org chart)
CC2: Communication (policies, training)
CC3: Risk Assessment (risk register, assessments)
CC4: Monitoring (internal audit, reviews)
CC5: Control Activities (policy deployment evidence)
CC6: Logical Access (MFA, access reviews, IAM configs)
CC7: System Operations (incidents, changes, backups, vuln scans)
CC8: Change Management (change logs, testing)
CC9: Risk Mitigation (vendor assessments, BCP/DR)
A1: Availability (if included: uptime, capacity planning)

Verify evidence completeness:

•Target: 100% of controls have evidence
•Flag any gaps for immediate collection
•Prepare answers for common questions

Day 4: Team Preparation (1 hour)

Prepare team for auditor interviews:

Brief CTO on technical questions
Brief HR on personnel questions
Brief engineering on development processes
Create FAQ document for common questions
Set expectations: respond to auditor within 24 hours

Day 5: Final Review (2 hours)

Review all evidence quality
Ensure policies are signed
Verify all integrations working
Check for expiring evidence
Run compliance score (target: 95%+)
Take compliance dashboard screenshot

Week 5-6 Checklist

Auditor selected and engaged
Engagement letter signed
Kickoff meeting completed
Evidence 100% complete
Evidence organized by control
Team prepared for interviews
Audit fieldwork scheduled (Week 7)

Week 5-6 Impact:

•Compliance score: 95%+ (↑5-10%)
•Evidence complete: 100% ✅
•Auditor selected: ✅
•Time invested: 8-12 hours
•Status: Audit-ready ✅

Week 7: Audit Fieldwork

Goal: Auditor testing complete, preliminary findings addressed

Total Time: 10-15 hours

Day 1: Audit Kickoff

Auditor activities:

•Review system description
•Understand environment
•Review policies
•Ask clarifying questions

Your activities:

Welcome auditor to portal
Answer initial questions (< 2 hours)
Provide any additional context
Set daily check-in schedule

Time: 2-3 hours

Day 2-3: Control Testing

Auditor activities:

•Test control design (Type I)
•Review evidence for each control
•Verify policy implementation
•Conduct walkthroughs
•Interview key personnel

Your activities:

Respond to evidence requests (< 4 hours)
Participate in interviews:
- •CTO: Technical controls
- •HR: Personnel procedures
- •Engineering: Development practices
Provide additional evidence if requested

Time: 4-6 hours over 2 days

Day 5: Final Testing & Wrap-Up

Auditor activities:

•Re-test any exceptions
•Finalize testing
•Begin drafting report

Your activities:

Provide final evidence for exceptions
Answer last-minute questions
Confirm all testing complete
Receive audit timeline (report in Week 8)

Time: 1-2 hours

Week 7 Checklist

Audit fieldwork completed
All evidence reviewed by auditor
Interviews conducted
Preliminary findings received
Exceptions remediated
Re-testing complete
Report drafting begun

Week 7 Impact:

•Audit testing: Complete ✅
•Exceptions: Remediated ✅
•Time invested: 10-15 hours
•Status: Report pending

Week 8: Report & Certification

Goal: Final report received, SOC 2 Type I certified!

Total Time: 3-5 hours

Day 1-2: Draft Report Review

Receive draft report:

•Auditor sends draft (typically 20-40 pages)
•
Includes:
- •Auditor opinion (goal: unqualified/clean)
- •System description
- •Control objectives and tests
- •Test results
- •Observations and exceptions (if any)
- •Management responses

Your activities:

Review draft for accuracy
Check system description
Verify all observations listed correctly
Write management responses
Request any corrections
Provide feedback to auditor

Time: 2-3 hours

Day 4-5: Final Report Issuance

Auditor finalizes report:

•Incorporates management responses
•Adds AICPA seal
•Digitally signs report
•Sends final PDF

Receive SOC 2 Type I report! 🎉

Report details:

•Audit opinion: Unqualified (clean) ✅
•Report date: Week 8, Day 5
•Report period: Point-in-time (audit date)
•Validity: 12 months
•Pages: 20-40 pages

Immediate Actions (Day 5)

Share with stakeholders:

CEO and executive team
Board of directors (if applicable)
Sales team (for prospects)
Investors

Marketing:

Add "SOC 2 Type I Certified" badge to website
Create trust/security page
Update security questionnaire responses
Add to sales collateral
LinkedIn announcement (optional)
Press release (optional)

Report distribution:

Upload to secure portal
Create NDA template for sharing
Create 1-page summary for prospects
Train sales on positioning

Week 8 Checklist

Draft report reviewed
Management responses provided
Final report received
SOC 2 Type I certified ✅
Report shared internally
Marketing materials updated
Sales team trained

Week 8 Impact:

•Certification: Achieved ✅
•Report validity: 12 months
•Time invested: 3-5 hours
•Status: SOC 2 certified! 🎉

Total 8-Week Summary

Time Investment

Week	Focus	Hours
Week 1	Setup & Gap Analysis	8-12
Week 2	Policies & Critical Gaps	10-15
Week 3-4	Technical & Operational Controls	15-20
Week 5-6	Auditor Selection & Prep	8-12
Week 7	Audit Fieldwork	10-15
Week 8	Report & Certification	3-5
TOTAL	54-79 hours	Over 8 weeks

Average: 7-10 hours per week (vs. 40+ hours/week manual)

Cost Summary

Auditor fee:                    $18,000-$25,000
Automation platform (Year 1):   $6,000-$12,000
Vulnerability scanner:           $1,000-$3,000
EDR (endpoint security):         $1,500-$4,500 (30 devices)
Security training:               $1,000-$2,000
─────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL (First year):             $27,500-$46,500

Compare to traditional (6-12 months):
Consultant fees:                $50,000-$150,000
Internal resources:             $120,000-$240,000
Software:                       $12,000-$40,000
─────────────────────────────────────────────
Traditional total:              $182,000-$430,000

💰 YOU SAVE: $135,500-$383,500 (75-89% reduction)

Success Metrics

Compliance progression:

•Week 1: 30-60% → Gap analysis complete
•Week 2: 60-70% → Critical gaps fixed
•Week 3-4: 85-95% → All gaps addressed
•Week 5-6: 95%+ → Audit-ready
•Week 7: Testing → Audit complete
•Week 8: 100% → SOC 2 certified ✅

Key achievements:

•✅ 23 policies generated and approved
•✅ 100% MFA coverage
•✅ Encryption at rest and in transit
•✅ Vulnerability scanning active
•✅ Security training program
•✅ Automated evidence collection
•✅ Auditor-verified SOC 2 compliance

Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Pitfall 1: "We'll start next quarter"

Why this fails: Every month of delay = lost enterprise deals worth $50K-$500K each.

Solution: Start TODAY. Week 1 takes only 8-12 hours and immediately shows progress.

Pitfall 2: "We'll do it manually to save money"

Why this fails: Manual compliance costs $180K-$430K and takes 6-12 months.

Solution: Automation costs $27K-$47K and takes 6-8 weeks. ROI is 300-1,500%.

Pitfall 3: "Let's get 100% ready before contacting auditors"

Why this fails: Auditors book 4-6 weeks out. Waiting delays certification.

Solution: Contact auditors in Week 5 even if not 100% ready. Schedule for Week 7.

Pitfall 4: "We don't have time for this right now"

Why this fails: Without SOC 2, you can't close enterprise deals. Lost revenue compounds.

Solution: With automation, you need only 7-10 hours/week. Delegate to platform + AI agent.

Pitfall 5: "Our infrastructure isn't perfect"

Why this fails: Auditors don't expect perfection. They evaluate if controls are designed and operating.

Solution: Initial compliance scores of 30-60% are normal. Auditors expect observations (3-8 typical).

Pitfall 6: "We should get ISO 27001 first"

Why this fails: Wastes time. Most US customers want SOC 2. ISO 27001 is for European markets.

Solution: Get SOC 2 first (US market). Add ISO 27001 later if needed (60% evidence reuse).

Acceleration Tips: Get to Week 7 Even Faster

Tip 1: Use AI Agent Features

Time saved: 20-30 hours

How:

•Let AI generate all policies (< 1 hour vs. 6-8 weeks)
•Let AI collect evidence automatically (< 1 hour/week vs. 15-25 hours/week)
•Use AI for gap analysis (instant vs. 20-40 hours)
•Let AI generate reports (< 5 min vs. 8-16 hours)

Tip 2: Connect All Integrations Day 1

Time saved: 10-15 hours

How:

•Don't wait to connect integrations
•Connect all 15-20 on Day 1-2
•Evidence collection starts immediately
•By Week 4, you'll have 80%+ evidence

Tip 3: Fix Technical Gaps Immediately

Time saved: 1-2 weeks

How:

•Don't wait to enable MFA (2 hours)
•Enable encryption same day (2-3 hours)
•Set up backups immediately (2-3 hours)
•These are quick wins with high impact

Tip 4: Engage Auditor Early

Time saved: 1-2 weeks

How:

•Contact auditors in Week 3-4 (not Week 5-6)
•Book audit slot for Week 6-7 (they fill up fast)
•Pre-kickoff call to align on expectations
•Reduces scheduling delays

Tip 5: Parallel Work Streams

Time saved: 2-3 weeks

How:

•Don't wait for 100% before starting next task
•Week 1: Setup + policy generation (parallel)
•Week 2: Gap remediation + evidence collection (parallel)
•Week 3-4: Technical controls + auditor selection (parallel)

Next Steps: Type II Planning

After SOC 2 Type I, you have two options:

Option 1: Maintain Type I Annually

When this makes sense:

•Customers accept Type I
•Budget constraints
•Early-stage company

Annual renewal:

•Re-audit each year
•2-3 weeks (faster than initial)
•$15K-$20K (20% less than initial)

Option 2: Start Type II Observation Period

When this makes sense:

•Enterprise customers require Type II
•Competitive advantage
•Compliance maturity

Timeline:

Month 0-2:    SOC 2 Type I achieved
Month 2-8:    6-month observation period (automated)
Month 8-9:    Type II audit
Month 9:      Receive SOC 2 Type II report

Additional cost:

•Type II audit: $30K-$40K
•Platform cost: Same ($6K-$12K/year)
•Effort: Minimal (automation handles monitoring)

Pro tip: Start Type II observation period immediately after Type I. This way, you have Type II within 6-8 months total.

Conclusion: You Can Do This in 8 Weeks

SOC 2 Type I in 8 weeks isn't just possible—it's achievable with the right approach:

✅ Use AI automation (not manual processes)
✅ Follow the week-by-week plan (don't skip steps)
✅ Invest 7-10 hours/week (manageable commitment)
✅ Let technology do the heavy lifting (95% of work automated)
✅ Stay focused on critical path (ignore distractions)

The result:

•SOC 2 Type I certified in 8 weeks
•$135K-$383K saved vs. traditional methods
•Ready to close enterprise deals immediately
•Foundation for continuous compliance

Success rate: 95% of companies using this playbook achieve SOC 2 Type I in 6-8 weeks.

Ready to Start Your 8-Week Journey?

Week 1 starts today:

Sign up for Simple Comply (14-day free trial)
Connect your first 5 integrations (30 minutes)
Run initial gap analysis (instant)
Review this week-by-week plan
Block 8-12 hours on calendar for Week 1 tasks

Start Free Trial → (No credit card, 14 days free)

Or Schedule Demo → to see the 8-week path in action.

About this guide: This week-by-week plan is based on 500+ companies that achieved SOC 2 certification using Simple Comply's AI automation platform. Average time to certification: 7.2 weeks.

Last Updated: October 2025
Article Length: 2,500+ words
Reading Time: 13 minutes