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SOC Examinations & Attestations

SOC Essentials

SOC Essentials provides a SOC 2 report scoped to the foundational control environment of early-stage companies.

Contact a Specialist

Accelerate Your Sales Efforts with SOC Essentials

Nothing can bog down the sales process more than a comprehensive security questionnaire from a prospect. Especially when you multiply the effort across several would-be customers. It just doesn’t scale. Enter SOC Essentials. It’s the perfect first SOC report for your initial compliance efforts.

A Scalable Solution for Early-Stage Companies

(Start-up/Seed – Series B funding)

Schellman designed SOC Essentials specifically for early-stage companies that haven’t yet adopted a compliance focus. It provides a structured path to a SOC 2 report from an accredited CPA firm, with a standardized control set sized to match the maturity and complexity of your organization's current environment.

Demonstrating security maturity is essential to earning customer trust, accelerating sales, and attracting investors. SOC Essentials provides a right-sized SOC 2 examination — one that meets full AICPA standards while reflecting the control environment typical of early-stage organizations. Best of all, as your organization scales, you can graduate to a more customized SOC report and explore additional compliance frameworks that meet evolving customer and regulatory demands.

What is SOC Essentials?

SOC Essentials is a foundational SOC 2 attestation report that helps you:

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Demonstrate security commitment early in your compliance journey

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Provide an AICPA-compliant SOC report to meet customer and investor expectations

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Work with experienced assessors to establish the right processes

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Evolve seamlessly toward a complete compliance portfolio as your business scales

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Clear the path for business and growth

How Does it Work?

We provide a SOC 2 report—not a readiness assessment or roadmap—tailored for companies starting their SOC journey.

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Engagement Kickoff

We align on scope, timing, and expectations.

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Collaboration with Your Team

Upon completion of a short scoping questionnaire, we work with you to assess the controls in your environment and gather necessary evidence.

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SOC 2 Report Issuance

A SOC 2 report is delivered to share with stakeholders.

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Future Compliance Growth

As your security program matures, Schellman supports your transition to more customized and complex SOC 2 report and additional frameworks, including ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and FedRAMP. Our expertise across multiple compliance standards ensures you stay ahead of regulatory and customer expectations as you grow.

How is SOC Essentials Different from a Traditional SOC 2 Report?

SOC Essentials delivers a full SOC 2 report that aligns directly with SOC 2 criteria, using a standardized control set built for organizations at an early stage of their compliance journey. By focusing on the foundational controls relevant to your environment, it produces a credible, AICPA-compliant report appropriate to your organization's current maturity.

Larger, more established companies such as Fortune 500 organizations typically have more complex environments, diverse business operations, and higher regulatory expectations. Their SOC 2 controls are often customized to align with other compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, or FedRAMP to meet broader security and regulatory requirements. These additional layers of control, while necessary for larger enterprises, may not be required for companies that are just starting their compliance journey and are a strong fit for SOC Essentials.

In contrast, many early-stage companies haven’t yet built a fully mature control environment. SOC Essentials provides the security foundation early-stage companies need to achieve a credible SOC 2 report, with a scope that reflects their current environment and a clear path toward more comprehensive compliance as they grow.

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Why Choose Schellman?

  • AICPA-Accredited Firm Our reports meet the highest industry standards.
  • Built for Early-Stage Companies Schellman designed SOC Essentials specifically for companies new to the compliance journey.
  • Path to Compliance A steppingstone that prepares you for more advanced compliance needs.
  • Trusted by High-Growth Companies Schellman works with some of the most innovative startups and tech firms.
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SOC Essentials Specialist

Andrew Broderick

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Andrew Broderick is a Principal at Schellman—not only is he the service line leader for Internal Audit Services at the firm, but he also works in service delivery across the SOC, HIPAA, and ISO service lines.

Meet Andrew Contact Us

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“Schellman” is the brand name under which Schellman & Company, LLC and Schellman Compliance, LLC provide professional services. Schellman & Company, LLC and Schellman Compliance, LLC practice as an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations and professional standards. Schellman & Company, LLC is a licensed certified public accounting firm (Florida license number AD62941) registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) that provides attest services to its clients, and Schellman Compliance, LLC provides nonattest cybersecurity and compliance professional services to its clients. Schellman Compliance, LLC is not a licensed CPA firm. Schellman & Company, LLC and Schellman Compliance, LLC are independently owned and are not liable for the services provided by any other entity providing services under the Schellman brand. Our use of the terms “our firm” and “we” and “us” and terms of similar import, denote the alternative practice structure conducted by Schellman & Company, LLC and Schellman Compliance, LLC.