Maintaining SOC 2 Compliance

🔄 Compliance Is Continuous — Not One and Done
Getting your SOC 2 report is a major milestone — but it’s just the beginning. SOC 2 is a yearly requirement, and maintaining compliance means continuing to operate under the same controls your audit validated.

As your team grows and your systems evolve, so must your security posture. Here’s how to stay compliant year over year.

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📅 Annual SOC 2 Re-Audit Timeline

Your SOC 2 Type I or Type II report is valid for 12 months. After that, you’ll need to undergo a re-audit to maintain active status and assurance with customers.

Recommendation: Begin planning for your next audit at least 3 months before expiration.

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🧰 6 Ways to Maintain Compliance

• 📂 Keep Documentation Updated: Update policies and diagrams as systems, tools, or vendors change.
• 🧪 Re-Collect Evidence: Schedule regular reviews of access logs, vendor controls, and employee training records.
• 🧑‍🏫 Train New Employees: Ensure every new hire completes security training and signs policies within onboarding.
• 🔄 Monitor Control Drift: Use automated alerts and reviews to ensure no deviation from approved control settings.
• 🧾 Back Up Key Data: Ensure backups are performed and tested quarterly — and include this in your audit trail.
• 🔐 Maintain Security Culture: Make security part of everyday decisions — not just audit season.

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📉 Common Reasons Startups Lose Compliance

• 🚫 Policy or vendor changes not reflected in documentation
• 🚫 Lack of proof for access control, termination, or onboarding steps
• 🚫 Drift from original system configurations without review
• 🚫 Gaps in employee security awareness as teams scale

Being proactive with internal audits, change management, and automation helps avoid these risks.

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⚙️ Automate to Stay Ahead

Compliance automation platforms can help maintain SOC 2 by continuously tracking evidence, alerting you to system drift, and ensuring your documentation stays audit-ready at all times.

At StandardOne.tech, we help startups embed SOC 2 compliance into daily operations — not just annual cycles.

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🎯 Stay Audit-Ready, All Year Long

We’ll show you how to maintain compliance with minimal overhead and no disruption to your team. Get guidance on what to monitor, how to schedule recurring tasks, and when to prep for re-audit.

👉 Book a Free SOC 2 Maintenance Review

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