SOC 2 Readiness for SaaS using Microsoft 365 (Australia)

SOC 2 gives buyers confidence that your controls are designed (Type 1) and operating over time (Type 2). For SaaS teams, the hard part is repeatable evidence—not documentation.

Here’s how to make SOC 2 feel lighter by capturing artefacts where you already work (Microsoft 365, Azure, GitHub/Azure DevOps).

Start with the right scope

System boundary: the product, data flows and critical suppliers
TSC selection: Security (always) + Availability/Confidentiality as needed
System description: concise, audit-friendly narrative tied to reality

Controls that map to how you build

Access: Entra ID roles, MFA posture, SSO app inventory
Change: PR reviews, build scans, pipeline gates, release notes
Vendor: SOC reports, DPAs, SLAs; monitoring of renewals and exceptions
Logging: Sentinel/Defender alerts, ticket workflows and response SLAs

Evidence automation ideas (quick wins)

Monthly exports → SharePoint with retention & versioning:
- Privileged roles & group membership
- MFA / Conditional Access posture
- PR reviews and build status from GitHub/ADO
- Sentinel queries and incident summaries
Screenshots on cadence for controls not exportable (with who/when/why)

Type 1 vs Type 2 (practical plan)

Type 1: point-in-time; fast buyer signal for early deals
Type 2: 3–12 months of operation; requires cadenced evidence runs

Typical timeline

Weeks 1–2: Scope, system description draft, TSC mapping, plan
Weeks 3–6: Control build + telemetry wiring; monthly evidence rhythm
Weeks 7–8: Readiness review + Type 1 report (or start Type 2 period)

Avoid these pitfalls

Evidence stored across private desktops or one-off screenshots
Controls that don’t match how your team actually ships
No single place where auditors can sample consistently

Next steps

Explore SOC 2 Readiness
Try the SOC 2 checklist
Or book a roadmap call and we’ll map your quickest path.