Get Your Tech Company Audit-Ready
Before the Auditors Arrive

Type I is a point-in-time snapshot — it shows your controls are designed correctly as of a specific date. Type II covers a period of time (usually 6–12 months) and proves your controls are operating effectively. Enterprise clients typically require Type II, but most companies start with Type I to demonstrate initial compliance faster.

No. Security (Common Criteria) is the only required category. Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy are optional and selected based on what's relevant to your product and customer commitments. Most early-stage companies start with Security only and expand from there.

For a Type I audit, most companies need 3–6 months of preparation depending on their current security maturity. Type II requires an additional observation period of 6–12 months. With focused advisory support and compliance tooling, we can significantly compress the Type I readiness timeline for most startups.

No — SOC 2 audits must be performed by a licensed CPA firm. Final Exchange provides pre-audit readiness advisory services, which means we get you fully prepared before the auditors arrive. We then connect you with a trusted CPA firm from our network to conduct the formal audit.

Compliance automation tools are not required, but they dramatically reduce the manual work of evidence collection and continuous monitoring. For most growing tech companies, a platform like Vanta or Drata pays for itself in saved engineering hours. We help you evaluate and configure the right tool for your environment.

Engagements are scoped based on your company size, current security maturity, and desired SOC 2 scope. A gap assessment typically starts at a few thousand dollars, while full readiness engagements range based on complexity. We discuss all options transparently on your discovery call — no pressure, no hidden fees.