Building a SOC 2 Roadmap: A Clear Path to Compliance for Canadian SaaS Companies

A Practical, Technical Guide from Canadian Cyber

SOC 2 has become a standard expectation for Canadian SaaS and cloud providers. Customers want proof of security. Enterprises want stability. And regulators expect consistent handling of customer data.

Recent Canadian market insights show that SaaS and cloud vendors are now one of the top industries pursuing SOC2, often asking for readiness assessments, gap analysis, policy creation, and audit support.

This guide explains the entire SOC 2 journey in a simple, technical, and easy-to-follow roadmap for Canadian SaaS teams.

1. Understanding SOC 2 Requirements

The five pillars of trust

Before beginning the SOC 2 journey, companies need to understand the Trust Services Criteria:

  • Security
  • Availability
  • Processing Integrity
  • Confidentiality
  • Privacy

These pillars shape the policies, controls, processes, and evidence required for SOC 2 reporting. Many SaaS organizations start with limited documentation or informal processes, which can make SOC 2 feel overwhelming. A structured roadmap helps turn complexity into clarity.

2. Conducting a Readiness Assessment

Your first and most important step

A SOC 2 readiness assessment gives you a full understanding of your current security posture and where you stand against the Trust Services Criteria.

It typically includes:

  • A SOC 2 questionnaire
  • Evaluation of existing evidence
  • Review of your cloud environment (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
  • Interviews with key team members
  • Mapping existing controls to SOC 2 criteria
  • Initial risk review

Canadian SaaS companies frequently start their SOC 2 journey with readiness assessments and questionnaires. This step ensures you begin with confidence, not uncertainty.

 Ready to Begin Your SOC 2 Journey?

Canadian Cyber offers structured SOC 2 readiness assessments, gap analyses, and tailored roadmaps to help your
team start strong and move toward audit readiness with clarity.

👉 Explore Our SOC 2 Services

3. Performing the Gap Assessment

Finding what needs to be fixed

The gap assessment shows the difference between your current environment and SOC 2 expectations. It turns abstract requirements into a concrete list of actions.

Common gaps include:

  • Missing access control policies
  • Weak vendor management practices
  • Limited logging and monitoring
  • No formal incident response documentation
  • No structured onboarding/offboarding process
  • Inconsistent change management
  • Minimal or ad hoc risk assessments

SaaS companies often discover missing policies and weak controls during the gap analysis. The output is a prioritized remediation plan that becomes the foundation of your SOC 2 roadmap.

4. Remediation: Strengthening Your Security Program

Building the controls that make SOC 2 possible

This is where your team upgrades its security posture. Remediation usually falls into three categories:
policies, technical controls, and operational processes.

A. Policies

Canadian Cyber helps create or refine key policies, such as:

  • Access Control Policy
  • Change Management Policy
  • Encryption Guidelines
  • Vendor Management Policy
  • Logging & Monitoring Policy
  • Data Classification Policy
  • Incident Response Plan
  • Information Security Governance Policy

B. Technical Controls

We implement or strengthen controls such as:

  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Centralized logging
  • Monitoring and alerting
  • Backup routines and restoration testing
  • Disaster recovery procedures
  • Secure deployment pipelines (CI/CD)
  • Cloud configuration hardening

C. Operational Processes

SOC 2 also evaluates day-to-day practices, including:

  • Ticketing workflows and tracking
  • Periodic access reviews
  • Vendor risk assessments
  • Change documentation and approvals
  • Evidence retention processes
  • Regular risk assessments

5. Completing the SOC 2 Type I Audit

Verifying control design

A SOC 2 Type I audit evaluates whether your controls are in place and designed appropriately at a specific point in time.

  • Control existence
  • Control design quality
  • Implementation at a point in time

Canadian Cyber supports teams by organizing evidence, reviewing documentation, and preparing audit narratives.

6. Completing the SOC 2 Type II Audit

Proving controls work over 6–12 months

Type II is the most trusted form of SOC 2 reporting. It evaluates operational effectiveness over a defined time period.

  • Quarterly internal audits
  • Evidence tracking
  • Log review support
  • Policy adjustments
  • Control testing
  • Coordination with auditors

The SOC 2 Roadmap (at a Glance)

Stage Purpose
Readiness Assessment Understand your baseline
Gap Assessment Identify missing requirements
Remediation Build policies, controls, and processes
Type I Audit Validate control design
Type II Audit Validate long-term control performance

Why Canadian Cyber Is the Ideal SOC 2 Partner

Canadian Cyber provides:

  • ✔ Structured readiness assessments
  • ✔ Detailed gap analyses
  • ✔ Policy development and customization
  • ✔ Hands-on control implementation
  • ✔ Evidence preparation and audit support
  • ✔ Quarterly compliance & vCISO guidance

Ready to Start Your SOC 2 Program?

👉 Book a Free SOC 2 Consultation

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