Audit-ready in 8 to 12 weeks. Kept that way after.
If you sell to other businesses, your customers are now asking for a SOC 2 report before they'll sign. If you handle health data, HIPAA isn't optional. The audit itself is a few days. The hard part is everything you do in the year between audits. We run that program so you can keep shipping.
What's included.
- 01
Readiness gap assessment
Two-week deep audit of your current state against the chosen framework. Output: prioritized remediation roadmap with effort estimates.
- 02
Policy library, customized
Not generic templates. Policies authored for your firm, your stack, your industry — defensible under scrutiny.
- 03
GRC platform deployment
Vanta, Drata, Sprinto, or Secureframe selected and tuned to your environment. Automated evidence collection from day one.
- 04
Mock audit
Two weeks before the real audit, we run a full mock with one of our partner auditors. Surprises happen in the mock, not the real thing.
- 05
Auditor relationship + introduction
We introduce you to auditors we've worked with for years. Their work product is tighter; their interactions less painful.
- 06
Surveillance year management
Type II requires twelve months of continuous evidence. We run the program through the year so audit week #2 looks like audit week #1.
The 12-week path to your first audit.
Most readiness firms quote 6 months. The difference is whether the firm runs the work or just tells you to.
- 01
Week 1–2: Gap assessment
Comprehensive review of policy, technical, and operational state. Output: ranked remediation plan with effort and impact.
- 02
Week 3–8: Remediation sprint
We do the work — policy authoring, control implementation, evidence collection setup, training rollout — in parallel with your team's day jobs.
- 03
Week 9–10: Mock audit
Partner auditor runs a full walkthrough. Findings get fixed before the real audit opens.
- 04
Week 11–12: Type I audit
Point-in-time audit. Report issued ~2 weeks after fieldwork closes. You're now SOC-2-attested.
- 05
Months 4–15: Surveillance year
Continuous evidence collection through the GRC platform; quarterly reviews; remediation of any drift before Type II fieldwork.
- 06
Type II audit
12-month observation period audited. Most clients pass first time when the surveillance year was managed.
Three paths to compliance.
Most firms pick one of these. The right pick depends on team capacity and how much you want to learn the framework yourself.
| DIY (Vanta + a consultant) | Senator-managed | Big 4 readiness firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost band (Type I) | $$ | $$$ | $$$$$ |
| Time to audit-ready | 6–9 months | 8–12 weeks | 4–6 months |
| Burden on your team | High | Low | Medium |
| Policy quality | Templates | Customized | Customized |
| Auditor relationship | You source | We introduce | They source |
| What happens when controls drift | You notice eventually | We notice and fix | Out of scope post-audit |
Which framework do I actually need?
The honest framework picker. Most B2B vendors start with SOC 2 Type I. Most healthcare firms need HIPAA. International firms add ISO. PCI is only for card data. The rest is buyer demand.
GRC platforms + auditor partnerships.
Who needs this.
- B2B vendors whose enterprise prospects ask for SOC 2 in security questionnaires (universal in 2026).
- Healthcare / PHI handlers — HIPAA is not optional, and enforcement is at an all-time high.
- Anyone selling into the EU or with EU suppliers (NIS2 directive spills onto upstream vendors).
- Firms that need to drop their cyber-insurance premiums — attested frameworks materially lower underwriting risk.
- M&A targets in due diligence — buyers will demand a SOC 2 report or ask for an equivalent.
Q01Which do I actually need — SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
Which do I actually need — SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
SOC 2 if you're selling B2B in North America. ISO 27001 if you're selling internationally or to EU/UK buyers. Many enterprise firms eventually do both. Start with the one your top-three prospects asked for.
Q02What's the difference between Type I and Type II?
What's the difference between Type I and Type II?
Type I is a point-in-time snapshot ('controls were in place on this date'). Type II is a 12-month observation ('controls operated effectively over this period'). Type II is what enterprise buyers actually want.
Q03Do I need both HIPAA and SOC 2?
Do I need both HIPAA and SOC 2?
If you handle PHI in the US: yes, HIPAA is non-optional. Adding SOC 2 helps with B2B sales — and ~80% of HIPAA controls map directly to SOC 2 CC categories, so the marginal effort is small.
Q04How long does this really take?
How long does this really take?
Type I: 8-12 weeks if your firm is well-run. Type II: requires the 12-month observation period plus the audit itself — so the realistic total from kickoff to a Type II report in hand is around 15 months.
Q05Can I just use Vanta and skip the consulting?
Can I just use Vanta and skip the consulting?
You can — and many firms try. The gap is policy customization, evidence-quality decisions, control interpretation, and managing the auditor relationship. Vanta automates the collection; the program still needs running.
Q06What about EU/UK customers?
What about EU/UK customers?
GDPR for any EU personal data; NIS2 if your customer is in a NIS2-scoped sector or you're a critical supplier. ISO 27001 is the lingua franca — it's the framework EU procurement actually recognizes.
60-minute compliance gap call.
We'll tell you the shortest path to your first audit — and whether you actually need it yet. No commitment.