HealthTech 101: SOC 2 and How to Comply in 8 Easy Steps

SOC 2 can feel daunting, especially if you’re focused on building features for patient care. But for any healthtech startup handling PHI, SOC 2 isn’t optional—it’s your playbook for secure growth. Below is a conversational walkthrough of the 8 core steps you’ll want in your compliance roadmap.

• Document everything—from corporate password policies to incident-response playbooks. In a Bitsight survey, organizations with well-defined policies reduced vendor-related breaches by over 30%.
• Implement RBAC so your developers, clinicians, and support teams see only what they need. Layer in MFA to prevent unauthorized logins if credentials are compromised.
• Set up centralized logging and real-time monitoring. When an audit kicks off, you’ll have the evidence you need—and when a threat emerges, you’ll spot it fast.
• Encrypt PHI in storage and transit. This satisfies SOC 2’s confidentiality and privacy criteria while doubling down on healthcare SaaS security best practices.
• Build redundancy and backups into your cloud stack. SOC 2’s availability principle demands you prove you can recover from failures without skipping a beat.
• Require SOC 2 reports from every partner that touches your data. Include contractual obligations for ongoing compliance checks—your third parties are part of your risk profile.
• SOC 2 is continuous. Schedule regular internal assessments, update controls based on findings, and document every change. This iterative approach keeps you audit-ready year-round.
• Train your entire organization—from interns to execs—on security hygiene and compliance protocols. A security-first culture turns processes into habits and compliance into a natural part of your DNA.