90-Day SOC 2 Type I Preparation Plan

We've guided dozens of companies through ninety-day SOC 2 Type I sprints, and the pattern is consistent: a SOC 2 Type I audit can be completed within ninety days from start to report delivery if you follow a structured preparation plan. This guide divides the ninety days into three phases — Foundation (Days 1-30), Implementation (Days 31-60), and Validation (Days 61-90) — with specific weekly milestones, deliverables, and ownership assignments for each phase. The plan assumes you are starting with some existing security practices (SSO, cloud infrastructure, code reviews) but have not yet formalized them into a SOC 2-compliant program.

This playbook is designed for compliance managers and engineering leads who have a firm audit date and need an immediately actionable week-by-week schedule. Every task has a defined timeline, a clear owner, and a specific deliverable.

Before Day 1: Pre-Work

Before the ninety-day clock starts, we recommend completing these prerequisite decisions:

• Confirm scope: Security criterion only (we recommend this for first audits) or Security plus additional criteria
• Select your GRC platform: Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, Sprinto, or another platform. Platform selection cannot wait — it must be done before Day 1.
• Engage your auditor: Have at least a verbal commitment and preliminary scheduling for audit fieldwork starting around Day 70-75
• Identify your compliance lead: The person who will own this plan and drive it to completion

Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30)

Phase 1 establishes your compliance infrastructure — the platform, integrations, policies, and team structure that everything else builds upon.

Week 1 (Days 1-7): Platform Setup and Integration

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Complete GRC platform onboarding questionnaire	Compliance Lead	Platform configured with company profile
Connect cloud provider accounts (AWS, Azure, GCP)	Engineering	Cloud integrations active, initial scan complete
Connect identity provider (Okta, Google Workspace, Entra ID)	IT / Engineering	Identity integration active, user roster imported
Deploy endpoint agent to compliance lead and engineering team	IT	Agent running on pilot group devices
Run initial compliance scan	Compliance Lead	Gap report generated with prioritized findings

Day 7 checkpoint: GRC platform is active with cloud and identity integrations connected. You have a gap report showing what needs to be addressed.

Week 2 (Days 8-14): Expand Integrations and Begin Policies

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Connect code repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)	Engineering	Branch protection and code review evidence flowing
Connect HR platform	HR	Employee roster synchronized
Connect endpoint management (MDM)	IT	Device compliance data flowing
Begin drafting core policies (Information Security, Access Control, Change Management)	Compliance Lead	First three policy drafts complete
Verify MFA is enforced on all connected systems	IT / Engineering	MFA compliance at 100% or exceptions documented

Day 14 checkpoint: All critical integrations are connected. First three policies are drafted. MFA enforcement is verified.

Week 3 (Days 15-21): Complete Policy Suite

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Draft remaining policies (Incident Response, Risk Assessment, Data Classification, Acceptable Use, Vendor Management, BC/DR, HR Security)	Compliance Lead	All ten policies drafted
Route policies for management review	Compliance Lead	Policies distributed to CTO, CEO, department heads
Begin full endpoint agent deployment to all employees	IT	Deployment instructions sent to all employees
Start vendor inventory compilation	Compliance Lead	Initial vendor list with data handling categories

Day 21 checkpoint: All policies are drafted and in review. Endpoint agent deployment is underway.

Week 4 (Days 22-30): Finalize Foundation

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Obtain management approval on all policies	Compliance Lead	All policies approved with documented sign-off
Trigger employee policy acknowledgment workflow	HR / Compliance Lead	Acknowledgment requests sent to all employees
Complete endpoint agent deployment (100% coverage)	IT	All employee devices enrolled and compliant
Finalize auditor engagement (signed agreement, fieldwork dates confirmed)	Compliance Lead	Signed engagement letter with audit dates
Connect any remaining integrations	Engineering	All applicable integrations active

Day 30 checkpoint: All policies approved. Endpoint deployment complete. Auditor engaged with confirmed dates. Foundation phase complete.

Phase 2: Implementation (Days 31-60)

Phase 2 focuses on implementing the technical controls, completing operational requirements, and building the evidence base your auditor will evaluate.

Week 5 (Days 31-37): Technical Control Implementation

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Enable cloud audit logging (CloudTrail, Activity Log, Cloud Audit Logs)	Engineering	Logging active across all cloud accounts
Configure centralized log aggregation and alerting	Engineering	Security alerts triggering for critical events
Enforce branch protection rules on all production repositories	Engineering	Direct commits to production branches blocked
Verify encryption at rest and in transit for all customer data	Engineering	Encryption configuration documented

Week 6 (Days 38-44): Access Control and HR Security

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Conduct first quarterly access review	Compliance Lead + Engineering	Access review documented with findings and remediation
Verify background checks are on file for all employees	HR	Background check status documented per employee
Schedule and begin security awareness training	HR / Compliance Lead	Training assigned to all employees with deadline
Configure automated deprovisioning for terminated employees	IT / Engineering	Offboarding process verified with test

Week 7 (Days 45-51): Risk Assessment and Vendor Management

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Conduct formal risk assessment	Compliance Lead	Risk register complete with likelihood, impact, and treatment plans
Complete vendor security assessments for critical vendors	Compliance Lead	Assessment records for top-tier vendors
Collect vendor SOC 2 reports or security certifications	Compliance Lead	Vendor compliance documentation on file
Verify data classification policy is applied to systems and data stores	Compliance Lead + Engineering	Data categories mapped to systems

Week 8 (Days 52-60): Incident Response and Business Continuity

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Conduct tabletop exercise for incident response plan	Security / Engineering	Exercise report with findings and action items
Verify backup procedures and test recovery	Engineering	Backup verification records, recovery test documentation
Ensure all employees have completed security training	HR / Compliance Lead	100% training completion with records
Ensure all employees have acknowledged all policies	Compliance Lead	100% policy acknowledgment
Review GRC platform dashboard for any remaining failing controls	Compliance Lead	Updated gap list (should be minimal)

Day 60 checkpoint: All technical controls implemented. Risk assessment, access review, and incident response testing complete. Training and policy acknowledgments at 100%. Implementation phase complete.

Phase 3: Validation (Days 61-90)

Phase 3 validates that everything is working, prepares your team for auditor interactions, and conducts the audit itself.

Week 9 (Days 61-67): Internal Readiness Assessment

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Run comprehensive compliance check in GRC platform	Compliance Lead	Complete compliance status report
Review every control category for passing status	Compliance Lead	Control-by-control verification log
Identify and remediate any remaining gaps	Various	Gap resolution documentation
Draft system description for auditor	Compliance Lead	System description document
Prepare management assertion letter	Compliance Lead + CEO/CTO	Signed management assertion

Week 10 (Days 68-74): Audit Preparation

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Grant auditor access to GRC platform	Compliance Lead	Auditor account with read-only access
Brief all personnel who will interact with auditor	Compliance Lead	Team briefing completed
Prepare supplementary documentation (architecture diagrams, network diagrams, data flow diagrams)	Engineering	Documentation package ready
Conduct final compliance scan and resolve any last-minute issues	Compliance Lead	Clean compliance dashboard

Week 11-12 (Days 75-85): Audit Fieldwork

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Support auditor evidence review and requests	Compliance Lead	Responses provided within 24 hours
Facilitate auditor interviews with engineering, HR, IT, and leadership	Compliance Lead	Interviews completed as scheduled
Provide additional evidence or clarification as requested	Various	All auditor requests fulfilled

Week 13 (Days 86-90): Report Review and Delivery

Task	Owner	Deliverable
Review draft report for factual accuracy	Compliance Lead + CTO	Review comments provided to auditor
Receive and distribute final SOC 2 Type I report	Compliance Lead	Report delivered and shared with stakeholders
Document lessons learned and begin Type II planning	Compliance Lead	Lessons learned document, Type II timeline draft

Day 90: SOC 2 Type I report delivered.

Risk Factors and Contingency Planning

In our experience, several factors can threaten your ninety-day timeline. We advise clients to plan for these proactively:

Risk	Impact	Mitigation
Auditor scheduling conflict	+2-4 weeks	Engage auditor before Day 1; confirm dates in writing
Slow policy approval	+1-2 weeks	Set firm review deadlines; escalate to CEO if needed
Employee training non-completion	+1 week	Set hard deadlines; follow up individually
Endpoint agent deployment resistance	+1 week	Communicate early; deploy via MDM where possible
Missing vendor security documentation	+1-2 weeks	Start vendor assessments in Week 7; follow up aggressively
Auditor requests additional evidence	+1 week	Respond within 24 hours; have engineering support available

The single biggest risk we see to the ninety-day plan is auditor availability. If your auditor cannot begin fieldwork by Day 75, the entire plan shifts. Lock in your audit dates before Day 1.

Resource Requirements

Role	Time Commitment (90 days)	Peak Weeks
Compliance Lead	15-25 hours/week	Weeks 1-4 (foundation) and 11-12 (fieldwork)
Engineering Lead	8-12 hours/week	Weeks 1-2 (integrations) and 5-8 (technical controls)
IT / Security	5-8 hours/week	Weeks 1-4 (agent deployment, MFA, MDM)
HR	3-5 hours/week	Weeks 3-6 (policies, training, background checks)
CEO / CTO	2-3 hours/week	Weeks 4 (policy approval) and 12 (auditor interviews)

Key Takeaways

• We consistently see that a SOC 2 Type I can be completed in ninety days with disciplined execution across three phases: Foundation (days 1-30), Implementation (31-60), and Validation (61-90)
• GRC platform selection and auditor engagement must happen before the ninety-day clock starts — we cannot stress this enough
• Week 1 priorities are cloud and identity integrations — everything else builds on this foundation
• We recommend having all ten core policies drafted by Day 21, approved by Day 30, and acknowledged by all employees by Day 60
• Conduct your risk assessment, first access review, and incident response tabletop during the Implementation phase (days 31-60) — these are the evidence items auditors scrutinize most closely
• Reserve weeks 11-12 for audit fieldwork with all evidence prepared and team briefed by Day 74
• The biggest timeline risk is auditor availability — in every accelerated engagement we've managed, locking in audit dates before Day 1 is the single most important preparation step

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ninety days realistic for a first SOC 2 Type I?

What we tell clients is yes — for organizations that have basic security practices in place (SSO, MFA, code reviews, cloud infrastructure). We've successfully guided teams through this timeline many times. The ninety-day plan is aggressive but achievable if the compliance lead treats it as a primary responsibility and the engineering, HR, and IT teams are committed to meeting their milestones. Organizations starting without any security fundamentals may need one hundred twenty days or more.

What if we cannot complete everything by Day 90?

Based on what we see across our client base, the most common solution is to shift the audit fieldwork dates by two to four weeks. We advise communicating with your auditor early if you anticipate a delay — most auditors can accommodate moderate schedule changes with advance notice. The Foundation phase (days 1-30) is the most critical to complete on time because everything else depends on it.

Can we compress this to sixty days?

For well-prepared organizations — those that already have policies, MFA enforcement, endpoint management, and documented processes — we've seen sixty-day Type I completions work. The compression primarily comes from the Foundation phase, where existing controls reduce the setup and implementation work. Fieldwork and report delivery timelines are largely fixed and cannot be compressed significantly.

Should we pursue Type I on this timeline or go straight to Type II?

The advice we give most often here depends on your deal pipeline. This ninety-day plan is specifically for Type I. Going directly to Type II adds the observation period (six to twelve months) before fieldwork can begin. If you need a SOC 2 report quickly — to close an enterprise deal, respond to a customer request, or demonstrate initial compliance maturity — Type I on a ninety-day timeline is the right approach. You can begin the Type II observation period immediately after Type I report delivery.

What GRC platform features are most important for this ninety-day plan?

The three features we consider most critical for a compressed timeline are: automated evidence collection (reduces the manual burden during Implementation phase), policy templates (accelerates the Foundation phase policy drafting), and real-time compliance dashboard (enables the Validation phase readiness assessment). All major platforms — Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, Sprinto — provide these features.